Remember the Iraqi girl who was shot by her own father because she fell in love with a British soldier? Now her mother, who told about it, is shot dead; the husband still walks free
(Leila Hussein)
A few weeks back I wrote a column about an Iraqi girl who was killed by her father because she’d fallen in love with a British soldier. The local authorities proved to be on the side of the father, and all in favour of these types of ‘honour’ killings - leaving me and countless others to reflect on the merits of regime change.
Sure, Saddam Hussein was a violent and often murderous dictator and his passing is mostly unlamented. Still, what good the removal of one evil regime with an equally evil one: one that does oppress, torment and kill 50% of the population?
Anyway, the story continues - and hasn’t changed for the better:
Five weeks ago Leila Hussein told The Observer the chilling story of how her husband had killed their 17-year-old daughter over her friendship with a British soldier in Basra. Now Leila, who had been in hiding, has been murdered - gunned down in cold blood. Leila Hussein lived her last few weeks in terror. Moving constantly from safe house to safe house, she dared to stay no longer than four days at each. It was the price she was forced to pay after denouncing and divorcing her husband - the man she witnessed suffocate, stamp on, then stab their young daughter Rand in a brutal ‘honour’ killing for which he has shown no remorse.
Though she feared reprisals for speaking out, she really believed that she would soon be safe. Arrangements were well under way to smuggle her to the Jordanian capital, Amman. In fact, she was on her way to meet the person who would help her escape when a car drew up alongside her and two other women who were walking her to a taxi. Five bullets were fired: three of them hit Leila, 41. She died in hospital after futile attempts to save her.
Of course, the ones who shot her will go unpunished. Worse, in the eyes of the authorities they will be heroes: defenders of the faith. Anyone who believes this part of Iraq will ever become the kind of democracy George Bush still sings the praises of, probably believes everything this born-again idiot says.
It is too sad for words really. Bush and Blair and their gang lied us into this war - giving ever changing reasons for it when the lie ‘du jour’ was no longer viable. Thousands of American and other coalition soldiers have died - many more have returned home, maimed in both body and mind.
And for what? For nothing, really - but at what cost, both in blood and money? All of that so that now we can read about these horrible honour killings. Of course, the American and British troops will go home at one point but those women will have to stay there, locked in that barbaric prison, slaves and victims to the whims of their psychotic ‘honourable’ men.
All wars are evil but some are even more so than others.
(Leila’s murdered daughter Rand)
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