No Hate Crime- Shaima Alawadi's Husband Goes On Trial For

Remember Shaima Alawadi? She was the 32-year-old Iraqi immigrant woman who was beaten to death in El Cajon, Califronia in March, 2012.  Everyone was convinced it was because she was a hijab-wearing Muslim woman. "Hate crime!" was the rallying cry from clueless liberals, after all there was a note left by her badly beaten body that said: Go back to your country, you terrorist. People were blaming right-wing Islamophobes in this country for inspiring some nut job to murder an innocent Muslim woman simply because she wore a hijab. Someone even created a Facebook page- One Million Hijabs For Shaima. But there were too many oddities surrounding the case, and it seemed to me more like an honor killing by a husband who Shaima was planning on divorcing. Or perhaps murder- Shaima's young daughter was terribly upset over an impending arranged marriage to a cousin.

About 8 months later, surprise, surprise, Shaima's 48-year-old husband Kassim Alhimidi was arrested for the murder. They didn't call it an honor killing, though- not the politically correct thing to do- no, they called it domestic violence.

Anyway, Kassim's day in court has arrived.

An Iraqi man wailed Tuesday during opening statements of his U.S. trial on a charge of murdering his wife, prompting the judge to halt proceedings briefly.

Two years after the Shaima Alawadi’s fatal beating in her California home drew international attention, the weapon remains missing but prosecutors said other evidence proves her husband, Kassim Alhimidi, killed her.

Prosecutor Kurt Mechals told jurors that local and federal police investigated the March 21 death initially as a hate crime because of a note found near her body, but street camera footage and the information from the couple’s eldest daughter about a troubled marriage led police to Alhimidi.

Defense attorney Douglas Gilliland said no blood was found on Alhimidi, who has cooperated with authorities.

I still wonder if the daughter had anything to do with the murder, but not surprised at all that it was a family member.

And that Facebook page no longer exists. It was gone after the arrest of Kassim.

No Hate Crime- Shaima Alwadi's Husband Kassim Alhimidi Arrested

Remember Shaima Alawadi, the 32-year-old Iraqi-American woman who was found beaten to death in San Diego 8 months ago that liberals were convinced was a hate crime? They even created a Facebook page One Million Hijabs For Shaima Alawadi, because Shaima wore an Islamic head scarf and the perp who bashed her head in obviously had to be some right-wing Islamophobe. Granted a note was found beside Shaima's body by her 17-year-old daughter Fatima that said: "Go back to your country, you terrorist", but the story had way too many holes for it to be believable. I figured it had to be either the husband or the daughter, and guess what- 48-year-old Kassim Alhimidi, Shaima's husband, has been arrested in connection with the crime.

Police are calling it domestic violence, but considering Shaima wanted a divorce and to move to Texas, it sounds more like an honor killing.

I still wonder whether the daughter had something to do with the murder, after all she was very distraught about an impending arranged marriage to a cousin, and there's that strange text message found on her cell:

“The detective will find out tell them (can’t) talk.”

Plus there's a question of how fluent Alhimidi is in English, since their 15-year-old son had to translate for him after six days of silence when, finally, at a news conference he wanted to know why the killer murdered his wife:

"The main question we would like to ask is what are you getting out of this and why did you do it?" Alhimidi said in Arabic as his 15-year-old son translated.

Ironic if he indeed killed her.

And could he have written that note, if he doesn't speak English? Did he kill his wife with the help of his kids, or is he protecting his daughter?

If either of them is guilty they're certainly good actors. Apparently, both Alhimidi and Fatima fainted back in Iraq when the body was being buried.

And that Facebook Page, where so many people were outraged and indignant about someone targeting a woman for wearing a hijab?  Gone!

Shaima Alawadi- Hate Crime, Honor Killing Or Just Plain Murder?

Shaima Alawadi is the 32-year-old Iraqi immigrant mother of five who was found beaten to a pulp in her home in El Cajon, along with a note that said  ‘Go back to your country, you terrorist.’ She died a few days later, and most everyone immediately jumped to the conclusion that it was a hate crime- that she was targeted because she was a hijab-wearing Muslim. Outraged people even created a Facebook page 'One Million Hijabs For Shaima Alawadi.

Well, it's now looking more like it was an honor killing or just plain murder, with several possible scenarios. Was it the 17-year-old daughter Fatima who was the one who found her bleeding, dying mother and called 911; the daughter who was caught 'possibly' having sex in a car with a 21-year-old male, and was very upset about a pending forced marriage to her cousin? Or was it Shaima's husband,  Kassim Alhimidi, who she was apparently planning to divorce and then getting the heck out of dodge by moving to Texas? 

Then there's the fact the note was a copy, not the original, and a witness who claims they saw

a skinny dark-skinned male running west from the area of Alawadi’s house. He was described as being in his late teens to early 20s, 5 feet 7 inches tall, 150 pounds, wearing a dark blue or black hooded sweatshirt and carrying a brown doughnut-shaped cardboard box.

And Fatima's story doesn't quite add up:

Fatima and her mother were the only ones at their El Cajon home on Skyview Street when the attack occurred about 11 a.m. on March 21.

Alawadi’s husband, Kassim Alhimidi, had reportedly left to take the couple’s other younger children to school, although police state in the March 27 affidavit that his whereabouts had not yet been confirmed.

Fatima told El Cajon police that she heard her mother squeal, and 10 seconds later heard the sound of glass breaking, the affidavit said. She told police she thought her mother had dropped a plate. Ten minutes later, the daughter discovered her mother lying unconscious on the ground, near a computer, and called 911.

She didn't hear her mother's screams? According to the autopsy, the attack was "extremely violent”. Alawadi had four fractures to the skull, and she was hit in the head at least six times.  If I had my head bashed in with a tire iron, or whatever weapon was used, they'd hear me down the street.

Then there's that odd text message:

A search of Fatima’s cellphone records shows that while she was being interviewed by investigators hours after the attack, While she was being interviewed by police hours after the attack, a text was sent on Fatima's cellphone, “The detective will find out tell them (can’t) talk,” the affidavit states.

If it was indeed an honor killing, planting that note was a clever way to hide the fact by diverting attention from honor to hate crime.

Too bad they don't create a Facebook page One Million Hijabs For Honor Killings.