Honor Killings In Texas

Police in Texas are searching for an Egyptian Muslim man -- Yaser Abdel Said -- who shot his two teenage daughters multiple times because, according to some neighbors quoted in the Dallas Morning News, he was upset with their dating activities.

That is the definition of an honor killing, plain and simple, even though the Dallas Morning News, Star-Telegram, AP/Fox, and TV station WFAA all steered clear of giving honor killing as the motive -- a defensible position given the early stages of the investigation, with the killer still at large.

The local CBS affiliate got closer to giving honor killing as the motive, although it shied away from the words:

Friends of the girls say their father was Egyptian and critical of popular American lifestyles. ""He was really strict about guy relationships and talking to guys, as well as the things she wears," Kathleen Wong, a friend of the dead teenagers. "I'm definitely 100% sure that it was her dad that killed her."

Blogger Israel Matzav, who reviewed the memeorandum links as I have, draws the conclusion that the murders are news only in media with a known conservative bias, and concludes:

Not one link comes from an outlet or blog identified with the Left. Even the AP story comes from Fox, which is identified with the Right.

Why doesn't the Left think this story is so important? Has it become politically correct to be silent when Muslim girls are murdered by members of their families for 'defiling the family honor.'

It's an interesting question, and one I fear we will have far too many opportunities to analyze as immigrant Muslim men begin more and more to exhibit this disgusting bit of homeland tradition on our shores. Not all Muslim countries have honor killing problems, but Said's native land of Egypt is one that definitely does.

The Dallas Morning News provides information that shows the two victims, Sarah and Amina, were exceptional -- yet typical -- American girls:

Friends describe Amina and Sarah (pictured) as quiet but well-liked students at Lewisville High School. They played tennis and soccer and were enrolled in many Advanced Placement classes.

"They were extremely smart – like geniuses," said Allison Villarreal, a senior at Lewisville High, where Amina was a senior and Sarah was a junior.

Liz Marines, secretary of the Lewisville High School Student Council, had classes with both of the sisters and also remembers their scholastic abilities.

"Amina was very nice with everybody. She helped me in [Advanced Placement English] class," she said. Sarah was a sophomore when she took an Algebra II class with Liz, who was a junior at the time.

She said the sisters, who wore typical American clothes, didn't talk much about their family. "I didn't know they were Muslims until she told me they were Egyptian and Muslim," Liz said.

She said the Student Council is organizing a prayer vigil at 6 tonight at Lewisville High. Students are being asked to wear pink to school today to honor their friends.

"It's because pink was their favorite color," Liz said.

Most honor killing victims don't get the benefit of such praise in the media. From the reports, they deserve it -- and true honor (as opposed to the twisted Islamic concept of honor) demands that their murders become a major national story, so honor killing is discouraged in America.

Can we depend on our liberal media to carry out such a basic task?