26 Comments

1. Jenn Sierra:

It’ll be on FoxNews? Well, then I guess Bush will be forcing the troops to watch it!

Seriously, here’s a link to a video with Megyn Kelly on O’Reilly talking about the special, and here’s a link to the FoxNews promo.

Jul 25, 2008 - 10:10 am 2. Yona:

I have goose bumps just watching the Kelly and O’Reilly discussion about the film. Can’t wait to see this.

Jul 25, 2008 - 4:22 pm 3. tanstaafl:

Thank you for the heads up. I will be watching.

Jul 26, 2008 - 12:16 pm 4. Virginia/Greenconsciousness:

Phyllis

I posted the show all over the feminist web –Hooray for you and for all Muslim women fighting for freedom.

Jul 26, 2008 - 2:21 pm 5. HypeJersey:

This is awesome. I’m going to be sure to watch it! Congratulations! And thank you so much for writing about it!

Jul 26, 2008 - 2:22 pm 6. Saturday Afternoon - Sick Baby - No Laundry Done , An Ol’ Broad’s Ramblings:

[...] Honor Murders in America: A FOX-TV Documentary. – Chesler Chronicles [...]

Jul 26, 2008 - 5:43 pm 7. Always On Watch:

Finally! A news special that doesn’t mince words!

Megyn Kelly’s concluding words were chilling.

And, Ms. Chesler, your well considered words on the special were very effective!

Jul 26, 2008 - 5:57 pm 8. JayM:

Digg it if you Digg.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,391531,00.html

Jul 26, 2008 - 5:59 pm 9. HypeJersey:

Phyllis – wow – thank you so much for your compelling words on the Fox special. The special was not easy to watch. I was disgusted, angry and sad by what was presented. I am so glad that someone finally showed a light on this topic, though. I was greatly impressed with your research and your testimony. I have to admit, I’d never heard of you before, but I’m going to trot right over there to amazon.com and buy a couple of your books.

Thanks again – great job. Congrats!

Jul 26, 2008 - 6:18 pm 10. Cynthia:

Are there organizations and/or safe houses in the USA for support for these women who are extremely isolated & dependant on their families?

Jul 26, 2008 - 6:47 pm 11. BL:

Just watched the documentary, “Murder in the Family: Honor Killing in America,” on Fox New Network. Very compelling stuff for Broadcast News, finally, the national media (at least FOX) is getting it! Fortunately, I’m still a reader, but unfortunately, even in the mainstream print media very few National outlets report on these incidents and it’s a one shot deal. The local news outlets tend to do a few more follow ups, then gone, no updates on Mr. Said’s whereabouts, police efforts, what the Islamic community in America is doing about this, etc. The only consistent, committed media coverage has to be ferreted out by checking your “Chesler Chronicles” regularly, Robert Spencer’s and Daniel Pipes’ websites, a few bloggers, who thankfully will not ignore, run away, or let the growing problem of “honor” murders in America fade into yesterday’s news.

Good points about the documentary: Very concise and informative summaries of just FOUR cases. They presented the facts and the emotional effects these horrific crimes have on the survivors/grievers and the public at large: I suggest your readers see Chapter Seven of your book, THE DEATH OF FEMINISM to see that the body count and atrocities are much higher.

Bad points: presenting in the beginning of the piece one representative of the Islamic community too busy eating dinner to realize that you can’t conflate some American father having a bad day (he’s depressed, can’t control his daughter, etc.) with the cold blooded premeditated murder/assault of his sister, daughters, or wife because they shamed his so-called “honor” for trying to fit in, get a divorce from an arranged marriage with a man old enough to be her father from a foreign country who can’t even qualify for the very minimal requirements that our county still allows for U.S. entry, etc. And then offering merely a snapshot of your argument why domestic violence and honor murders are birds of much different feathers.

Further, if it’s really that prejudicial for law enforcement to call a murder an honor murder, how can we begin to educate ourselves, much less law enforcement, about this very different form of abuse?

I implore you to suggest how acts of domestic violence terrorism, can be distinguished from domestic violence in its more general form and this cruel, and barbaric form of violence.

How can we begin to direct a national discussion to solve and end these acts of misogyny that threaten to set the feminist movement and the rights of women back a thousand years. An in-depth documentary on 4 deaths and 1 vicious assault is a beginning, but as you said 50,000 to 500,000 women must not be silenced and stifle women’s attempts to attain their truly deserving status of equal standing among all citizens of the world.

Thank you for your excellent comments in the documentary, now, please lead us out of this hell, if not to the promised land, at least to a place that moves in that direction.

Jul 26, 2008 - 6:59 pm 12. unity:

I rarely stay tuned for documentaries but yours was worth it. Got your link from liberalrapture, synchronistically, right after seeing your Fox show.

Having just completed research – for an article on obama’s international muslim connections, I recognize this is overall a touchy subject overall and you handled it very well. You may not be aware that on Hannity, same night, the Fox banner went on at length about a poll taken at a Brit University among Muslims students. You might be interested in the results:

1/3 said they agreed with honor killings.
2 out of 5 said that they want a Global Muslim State.
1/3 said that they want Sharia law in the UK.

Results were so shocking, many Brits are decrying them- saying this is not representative of most Muslims. I’m not so sure.

If you get my email address with this comment, I’d really like to correspond further with you. Thanks for the pertinent, well presented timely show!

Jul 26, 2008 - 8:53 pm 13. 4infidels:

Ms. Chesler:

Thank you for your work on this subject and for having the courage to speak the truth on national TV when so many others refuse to take a stand out of fear of being labeled Islamophobic, racist or intolerant. It bothers me when people are more interested in protecting the image of Islam, or the feelings of certain Muslim groups, rather than advocating on behalf of the women who are beaten, limited in their freedom to choose the life they want, forced into arranged marriages, raped and, as the program illustrated, killed if they don’t obey. No woman in a free society should be forced, through intimidation, violence or fear of murder, to live as slaves to the men in their family.

We also must thank Fox News for tackling this issue when most of the media buries their heads in the sand. Overall, it was a powerful and informative program that brought the plight of Muslim women in this country out of the shadows.

I would like to make a few comments as to how the coverage of “honor killings” could be improved:

1) These shows always present comments from those on both sides relating to the Culture-vs-Islam debate as to the cause of “honor killings.” Where I feel the media fails us is in not presenting the actual authentic hadith that encourages this behavior, along with quotes from speeches of Imams and Muslim politicians that give license to such acts. Furthermore, when it comes to Christianity, the media has no hesitation drawing the most outlandish conclusions about what behaviors the beliefs of “conservatives” or “fundamentalists” might lead to (same for Israeli Jewish “settlers”); yet the media doesn’t relate the many koranic verses, behavior of Muhammad that serves as an example for all Muslims, Sharia law and teachings throughout Muslim communities as a blueprint for violence against women leading to all types of horrors, even if “honor killing” is not specifically endorsed as a religious obligation. I think many people in the West are unfamiliar with just how much the culture in Muslim countries is dominated by Islam to the point where the difference between tribal Pakistani (or Arab or Afghani) customs and Islamic values becomes hard to distinguish.

2) You mentioned a crucial point that rarely has been presented and deserved a more prominent place in the documentary: the role of jihad ideology. “Honor killings” are part of a larger threat to our safety, legal system, values and way of life. Rarely does anyone provide this context. It must be clear that jihad is an essential doctrine within Islam (and obligation for Muslims), not a distortion of the religion by “extremists” or “radicals.” The jihad cannot be reduced to terrorism or even conventional warfare. It takes place through many non-violent means such as demographic conquest, propaganda campaigns and the funding of madrassas and mosques throughout the world where this ideology is spread.

3) I thought Fox should have interviewed at least one of the many brilliant Muslim apostates, such as Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Wafa Sultan, Noonie Darwish or Ibn Warraq. Even one well-selected quote included in the program would have been a powerful refutation to those who claim Islam has nothing to do with “honor killing.”

Jul 27, 2008 - 12:12 am 14. heather:

I regret that I have not been able to watch the documentary (I don’t have a TV) but would like to contribute one thought here anyway: this honor killing is about the Tribe, and the Tribe’s status within its community; not just about the strength of the father within the family. So, when such a murder occurs, I would like to see serious steps to involve the whole family (including the mother, and siblings, and aunts and uncles) in the legal prosecution. Because, believe me, they are all involved in this action. The girl victim has – in the eyes of the Tribe – shamed the Tribe, and therefore must be murdered and sent to Islamic Hell.

Our societies must begin to understand Islam, in all its aspects. We can no longer avoid the Third World, and Islam dominates that world.

Jul 27, 2008 - 11:27 am 15. DMac:

I watched the documentary on FOX. Phyllis Chesler brings up an excellent point– it is a Muslim
problem and to tap dance around this is politically correct b.s. I was
disturbed when she said there was a rise in jihad. Fathers and sons seem to
agree on the violence, which smacks of deep seated male insecurity in their
culture. If they hate our values, they shouldn’t move here.

Fox news… fair and balanced they are not. They described the cases, but
didn’t do much to explain the underlying issues. Why wasn’t an Islmst academic
consulted? I wanted more discussion of whether or not these murders are all
among radicals.

Jul 27, 2008 - 6:50 pm 16. Heather P.:

Wow! I just finished watching the special, and “googled” your name. I did not know that you blogged and will now be a regular reader.
Thank you for taking a stand for Sarah and Amina.

Jul 27, 2008 - 9:30 pm 17. Joseph Abdel Wahed:

As an Egyptian Jew, kicked out of Egypt along with 80,000 other Jews, I was quite familiar with this issue of “honor Killings” among Muslims. You will never have such a powerful documentary on other TV stations, especially PBS, NPR, CNN and other mainstream channels. The reason? They are all apologists for Muslim terror and don’t want their audience to feel “badly” on the religion of peace and on this particular aspect of Arab culture.
Thank you for such a fine documentary.

Jul 27, 2008 - 9:43 pm 18. John R:

Ms Chesler:

Very good program. THE most revealing piece to me was the relative (brother I believe) of the father who murdered his two daughters. A FOX reporter located him in Westchester County, NY and he was uttering vile expletives at the reporter and the FOX News network. Curious thing, that. A Muslim immigrant comes to America, learns its language, earns and American living, even learns to use profanities in english. But he refuses to assimilate to its custom of reviling “honor” murder. I mentioned it was revealing because I’m not sure what the solution is. More “education”? No, sorry. I don’t buy it. It’s time we take these people seriously and at their word. My favorite belongs to Sir Charles Napier of the British army when greeted in India by the horrifying practice of sutte – the burning alive of the widow on the pyre of her deceased husband. Napier says, “very well, you have your custom, and we have ours. Beside the funeral pyre we will build a gallows. When you complete your custom, we will complete ours”. That’s how we should treat these monsters – they do not deserve to be recognized as part of the family of man.

Jul 28, 2008 - 8:18 am 19. Avi the Infidel Spy:

Way back in the day, I used to spy on Muslim students by advertising my services as a writer of papers in English (I know, I know). We would meet in groups at coffee shops where I would turn out another masterpiece on Hemingway’s short stories (most of the students were not English majors, btw). Of course, they did not realize that I spoke fluent Arabic and was also engaged in listening to their conversations. What most sickened me was their discussion of American women, aside from the jihadi nonsense. Their scheme to obtain a green card: court the plain women who will be grateful for your attention, you can always seek more fulfilling gratification elsewhere. The contempt that was expressed for American females, “They always have their legs open,” was palpable and extreme. Sometimes, they brought “girlfriends,” whom they treated with abject consideration in English, while they talked about them as whores in Arabic. I nearly had to bite my tongue in half to keep from blowing my cover. This news story should be required viewing in every high school (maybe even junior high – they like to get at them young, you know) and on every college campus.
The only amusing outcome of this miserable undertaking was a tale related by Shihab Nye (yes, the brother of the poet, Naomi Shihab Nye). He had a girlfriend who looked like a little china doll, but who was raised with 5 brothers. When he decided to slap her across the face for some perceived slight, she laid a beating on him but good (I had to go to the bathroom to burst into guffaws of laughter). Shihab returned to “Palestine,” where he found an appropriately obedient, hijab-imprisoned, wife who spoke little English. You think he feels justified when he slaps her in the face, too?
Sadly, people don’t take me seriously when I relate my experiences; it’s easier just to call me an Islamophobe. What truly frightens me is not Islam, but benighted, politically-correct Americans.

Jul 28, 2008 - 11:40 am 20. Alan Rockman:

Phyllis,

Watched it last night, and my blood pressure went up very fast. Pamela Geller (Atlas) has already suggested the idea of a “Muslim Underground Railroad” which really isn’t a bad idea. Has a lot of merit. BUT…I think that there are things that can be done NOW, fast, and if tripping on the line between legality and vigilantism, well, maybe its time for some Old West style vigilantes or bounty hunters to dispatch some justice.

First off, respect and kudos to the officer from the Rochester (N.Y.) P.D. who was blunt in calling a spade a spade – he referred to the attempted murder of a young Muslim woman by her nutcase roach of a brother as being an attempted “Honor Killing”. He is to be applauded.

However, brick bats go to the Bespectacled Billy Bob of an ignoramus on the Irvine,Texas P.D. for doing next to nothing to apprehend the roach manure who murdered Sarah and Amina. If they couldn’t get the roach, the son, who I’ll bet a dollar to a donut was up to his armpits has NEVER been arrested, despite a history of hate towards this country. I am honestly surprised that the teenagers in Irvine haven’t knocked the bleep out of him, or that some cowboys – are there still any left in Texas, real ones who respect women, children, animals and this country, hasn’t paid little sonny a visit.

Which leads me back to the bespectacled Billy Bob. Note: If you can’t do the job, pal, then get those who will. Texas Rangers, Cowboys, Duane “Dog” Chapman or any other Bounty Hunter worth his or her salt. Lasso in the varmint and make him talk. And those for the foul-mouthed dreck of the roach manure’s brother – the Uncle of the murdered girls -who was pretty free in dispensing foul language at the Fox News Reporter. Is he in this country legally? Even if he is, I am sure there are some Italian guys or others in NYC who haven’t quite forgotten 9/11. Here’s a way to get justice – and get it done right. The guy should be thrown out of the country.

I am glad that they brought up the Issa family. As usual the FBI, who hounded Irv Rubin to arrest and a mysterious death, dropped the ball when it came to REAL terrorists of the Islamic variety. They had monitored Mr. Issa, who had ties to Abu Nidal and to Hamas, and yet didn’t move in when he was murdering his daughter. They had time to alert local police, and didn’t. Just like they had time to pass on the Phoenix FBI agent’s report of Arabs attending flight school and asking for one-way instructions, and didn’t. Mr. Issa and his wife should be deep fried. But that’s my opinion. The same for the Egyptian roach manure who like his fellow coward, Bin Laden, is probably hiding in some cave.

If Law Enforcement cannot do the job or will drag their heels, it is up to We the People to do something about it. Better “Duane Dog” than Bespectacled Billy Bob.

Jul 28, 2008 - 1:42 pm 21. John R:

Avi, your experiences are similar to mine, although unlike you I cannot speak arabic. But my arab colleagues would speak of women in the most degraded sense even in the presence of other american men. These men seemed to believe all men think of women the way they do. Oh, and just to set the record straight, I’m not an islamophobe – that would imply my clinical fear of muslims. Rather, I am an avowed muslim hater.

Jul 28, 2008 - 2:21 pm 22. heather:

Have you noticed that pinning “phobia” onto “Islam” makes anger towards Islam a mental illness? It’s all about medicalizing the ‘problem’ and shoving its ‘victims’ into the nearest re-education facility.

Jul 28, 2008 - 9:15 pm 23. Kenyon Hull:

Honor killings are just one tactic that Islam has to keep their peoples from assimilating into other cultures. Since they are the “superior” culture destined to take over the world, they cannot assimilate into our culture lest they be prevented from taking over the world.

John R. got this connection between honor killing and assimilation. What bothers me is that our government leaders do not have a clue about Islam’s plan for America. One has to look no further than Europe, where they embraces immigration and got non assimilation, for how Islam takes over a culture. The people of Europe have been sold out by a elite ruling class who embraces Islam. What a horrible outcome.

Aug 5, 2008 - 10:50 am 24. Michelle:

Last week there was a documentary on about marriage in a country in the middle east from the perspective of a Muslim woman who had been forced by her family to marry but was later divorced. She interviewed men and women and she is seen in the video. Obviously, I missed all but the end of the program but it was fascinating. I would like to find it again and don’t know the name of it or the network it was on. Her name is in the title but that is all I know.
Can anybody help?

Aug 11, 2008 - 7:23 am 25. JWassom:

Kudos to Fox for bringing to light this animalistic belief. America can only shove its liberal head in the sand for so many more years, and the ooze that is Islam will seep in, as they sleep.
People have gone into an “hypnotic” trance stemming from the Bush Bashing, and are forgetting the real reason we are at war. As a country built on Chtistian values (as much as some people would like to forget)the the spirit of God still protects our country.There are two spirits in the world, the Spirit of Christ, and the Anti-christ spirit. These animals that kill like this, are the embodiment of the antichrist spirit, just like the guy that killed the person on the bus last week…how demonic can that be to stab someone like that and cut off his head, for no apparent reason?? hello.
But, these animals, that cleave to their ideologies of Pride and honor, that would kill their own precious daughters, how dare they call themselves american, or have the honor to touch our soil. Hopefully, by educating these women and getting the word out that there is hope, this can be stopped. And, the men, brothers, and other family memebers will pay with their lives, that torture, and murder these innocent girls and women.

Aug 11, 2008 - 12:12 pm 26. Maryjane:

I agree it is wonderful for a national TV Network to air the facts about Islam . I am a born in Canada(Many Generations) & I have lost 2 grandfathers & forefathers to the wars fighting for our freedom, both the USA & Canada are Christian based Countries YET our politicians
refuse to pay heed to the Europeans who also welcomed these people with open arms and cheque books. Does anyone have an answer to WHY!!! is it really about votes & money????

Aug 24, 2008 - 9:10 pm

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