I would have killed her myself and drunk her blood. - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

platypus · 05-30-2003, 10:50 AM

Quote:

Iraqi Woman Hailed for Attacking U.S. Troops - and Condemned for Betraying Family Honor
By Scheherezade Faramarzi Associated Press Writer
Published: May 30, 2003

ZAQANIYAH, Iraq (AP) - There were few tears for Iman Salih Mutlak at her wake. She is a hero to some - a martyr who tried to kill U.S. soldiers with grenades, then died in a hail of their bullets - but her family feels nothing but shame.
Their rage comes not because of her planned attack, but because the 22-year-old woman left the house alone and without permission from her father - thereby besmirching the honor of her tribe.

"When she left the house, she lost her innocence," said her 71-year-old father, Salih Mutlak. "Had she returned home, I would have killed her myself and drunk her blood."

The tribal laws that have ruled the villages of Iraq for centuries say a man can take the life of a daughter or sister if he feels she has betrayed the family's honor. In this deeply conservative culture, Mutlak did just that by going out without permission.

So the family says nothing about how she really died. To hide their shame, they maintain she died during surgery to remove her appendix.

The truth, which they eventually admitted to The Associated Press, is far different.

The coroner who performed Mutlak's autopsy wrote on her death certificate that she died of gunshot wounds - 10 of them - on May 25.

That day, American soldiers in the town of Baqubah, 12 miles southwest of this village, shot a young woman they said was carrying grenades and trying to approach them.

That woman was Mutlak, who has earned the admiration of many in Baqubah who see the Americans as an unwelcome occupation force.

But what exactly happened is still blurry. Why would Mutlak, a peasant with little education who was never permitted to leave home alone, attack the soldiers? She was not involved in politics, and there is no evidence she was recruited by militants.

Capt. Josh Felker, public affairs officer for the division's 2nd Brigade, says Mutlak approached a U.S. checkpoint with grenades in her hands and wrapped around her waist.

As she walked forward, U.S. soldiers told her to stop, motioning for her to hit the ground. When she continued, they fired a warning shot and yelled for her to stop.

Soldiers heard something like a "rock hitting the ground and then an explosion," Felker said - apparently a grenade going off.

The soldiers opened fire, but she still didn't stop. "She was limping or crawling, but was still coming at them," Felker said. "Within our rules of engagement, we defended ourselves and took appropriate measures."

Some Iraqi witnesses in a nearby office said they heard no explosion.

They say the soldiers called for the woman to stop as she walked toward them, and when she kept walking they shot her. They said Mutlak was not carrying grenades - though they offered no evidence - and say the Americans claimed that to justify their act.

To some in Baqubah, Mutlak is a martyr - a hero in their struggle against the Americans. Since Saddam Hussein's ouster, U.S. soldiers have repeatedly come under attack in Iraq. Just this week, at least nine Americans died, five of them in attacks or ambushes, and two dozen were wounded.

"Anyone who resists the occupation is a hero," said 60-year-old Abdel-Latif, who did not want to give his last name.

"To us, any foreigner who comes here is an occupier, not a liberator," said Mohammed al-Ahmad. "We don't want them to liberate us. They have come to take our oil."

American soldiers disagree. But even Felker acknowledged the situation could be seen from different angles.

"She was doing what she believed in. In my view, she was wrong," he said. But he acknowledged that Mutlak was "just like me - I'm willing to die for what I'm doing here."

The family is worried about retribution. "We are afraid of the Americans," her father said. "We are afraid they would kill us."

Her older sister, Salwa, said Mutlak was an unhappy loner with no friends, and possibly mentally disturbed. "If she had brains, she wouldn't have attacked a tank," said Salwa Mutlak, 30, who exhibited a cold sadness at losing her sister.

The sisters shared a room where they prayed, read the Quran and watched television. The younger sister liked sad Egyptian movies.

Salwa Mutlak said that on Sunday, when she and her mother awakened from an afternoon nap, her sister was nowhere to be seen.

"It was the first time she had left the house on her own," said Salwa.

But how did the young woman arrive at a U.S. army position in Baqubah? If she was carrying grenades, how did she get them? Was someone else behind the attack? Was she duped?

The only clue is the brief note she wrote her parents. Written in pencil in a child's handwriting and in poor Arabic, it gives few answers.

"Dear father, dear mother,

"I am going to carry out a martyrdom operation for the sake of God and for Islam and Muslims.

"Your sincere daughter, Iman."

This just makes me sick. I will never understand people like this.

Now that we've saved them from Saddam, who's going to save them from themselves?

Jack Ruby · 05-30-2003, 11:03 AM

It's called Culture, apparently. I guess they could go the American way and have no culture at all. Both have their advantages and disadvantages.

denim · 05-30-2003, 11:08 AM

If I were her, I might have done that just to get away from her family.

platypus · 05-30-2003, 11:14 AM

To me it's not culture. It's a fucking complete disregard for human life. Makes me wonder how they have any population whatsoever with such a taste for murdering there own children.

rsl12 · 05-30-2003, 11:30 AM

If some of these fundamental sects had been stationed in Waco, Texas, and were Christian instead of Islamically based, i believe the word we would be using is CULT.

Not to say all islamic branches are so. but those some of those shiite sects...man...

clavus · 05-30-2003, 11:47 AM

You are mistaken if you think these sects or "cults" are isolated. There are millions of Muslims who think this way. Its not politically correct to say so, but its true.

gov135 · 05-30-2003, 01:20 PM

These are the people who are going to set aside tribal differences to form a new, stronger Iraq free of oppression and tyranny.... right.

I can see newspapers in the region now, "American Invaders Slay Female Unarmed Holy Fighter." What a joke.

Until these people ensure one another rights, some form of a Bill of Rights, then actually enforce the document, this will continue to happen. But they don't want to do that, cause they are to busy killing other Iraqis.

MSD · 05-31-2003, 10:31 PM

Search google for "Honor Killings" This kind of attitude is legal in many places.

raeanna74 · 06-01-2003, 07:08 PM

The mentality whether it's their culture or not of devalueing life based on the honor that life brings to the family - that is wrong. Wrong in that when we begin to devalue life to the point that I am going to kill you simply because you "shame" the American way by burning our flag or some other thing then we have nothing standing between us and killing anyone and everyone we dislike. What kind of world would we have then. If she was raised in a family that valued life so little then of course sacrificing her life was a pittance let alone her willingness to sacrifice the lives of our American soldiers. I do believe we need to restrict the military power of these people for our own safety. As far as teaching them better "culture" we cannot. It doesn't matter how long we stay there and "control" these kamakazi attitudes the moment we leave the control will collapse onto their own values once again. Look what happened when Russia converted from their strict rule. The collapsed into chaos for a while until they learned to rule themselves. We are not helping by staying there. We are only protecting the rest of the world from this kind of lack of respect for life. To me every life is important. The only time I would justify taking a life is in protecting another one or when someone has already premeditated and taken another life. That attitude engenders no respect in me for that person.

KWSN · 06-01-2003, 07:12 PM

If anyone in the states ever said that, it would be regarded as a joke within a split second... and therefore it seemed like a joke to me at first... but now I realize... was he actually SERIOUS? I know all about the religious extremism and all there, but would one seriously kill their own daughter and drink their blood? Even coming from there, that just sounds so contrived and unbelievable from the standpoint of one (like me) who has obviously never dealt with anything like that... I just don't know how to respond to that if he was being serious. I honestly don't.

Daval · 06-02-2003, 05:43 AM

it's scary how different some of them are from us.

warrrreagl · 06-02-2003, 06:19 AM

I'm actually more intrigued by the reporter's first name in the by-line, Scheherezade.

She was the maiden who supposedly fended off her own execution by telling the Sultan a piece of a captivating story each night and refusing to tell the ending until the next night (whereby she would quickly launch into another story). Her stories are the source for the "1001 Arabian Nights," featuring Sinbad among others.

VERY interesting name for a Middle Eastern reporter....

Bill O'Rights · 06-02-2003, 06:44 AM

How are we supposed to <b>win</b> a war, fighting against this type of mentality? And more importantly, why do we even <b>want</b> to?

05-30-2003, 11:03 AM	#2 (permalink)
Jack Ruby Psycho Location: Belgium	It's called Culture, apparently. I guess they could go the American way and have no culture at all. Both have their advantages and disadvantages. __________________ You don't know what you don't know.

05-30-2003, 11:14 AM	#4 (permalink)
platypus Essen meine kurze Hosen Location: NY Burbs	To me it's not culture. It's a fucking complete disregard for human life. Makes me wonder how they have any population whatsoever with such a taste for murdering there own children. __________________ Out the 10Base-T, through the router, down the T1, over the leased line, off the bridge, past the firewall...nothing but Net.

05-30-2003, 11:30 AM	#5 (permalink)
rsl12 On the lam Location: northern va	If some of these fundamental sects had been stationed in Waco, Texas, and were Christian instead of Islamically based, i believe the word we would be using is CULT. Not to say all islamic branches are so. but those some of those shiite sects...man... __________________ oh baby oh baby, i like gravy.

05-30-2003, 11:47 AM	#6 (permalink)
clavus pow! Location: NorCal	You are mistaken if you think these sects or "cults" are isolated. There are millions of Muslims who think this way. Its not politically correct to say so, but its true. __________________ Ass, gas or grass. Nobody rides for free.

06-01-2003, 07:08 PM	#9 (permalink)
raeanna74 I'm not a blonde! I'm knot! I'm knot! I'm knot! Location: Upper Michigan	The mentality whether it's their culture or not of devalueing life based on the honor that life brings to the family - that is wrong. Wrong in that when we begin to devalue life to the point that I am going to kill you simply because you "shame" the American way by burning our flag or some other thing then we have nothing standing between us and killing anyone and everyone we dislike. What kind of world would we have then. If she was raised in a family that valued life so little then of course sacrificing her life was a pittance let alone her willingness to sacrifice the lives of our American soldiers. I do believe we need to restrict the military power of these people for our own safety. As far as teaching them better "culture" we cannot. It doesn't matter how long we stay there and "control" these kamakazi attitudes the moment we leave the control will collapse onto their own values once again. Look what happened when Russia converted from their strict rule. The collapsed into chaos for a while until they learned to rule themselves. We are not helping by staying there. We are only protecting the rest of the world from this kind of lack of respect for life. To me every life is important. The only time I would justify taking a life is in protecting another one or when someone has already premeditated and taken another life. That attitude engenders no respect in me for that person. __________________ "Always learn the rules so that you can break them properly." Dalai Lama My Karma just ran over your Dogma.

05-30-2003, 11:08 AM	#3 (permalink)
denim Banned Location: Massachusetts, USA	If I were her, I might have done that just to get away from her family.

05-30-2003, 01:20 PM	#7 (permalink)
gov135 Junkie Location: Midwest	These are the people who are going to set aside tribal differences to form a new, stronger Iraq free of oppression and tyranny.... right. I can see newspapers in the region now, "American Invaders Slay Female Unarmed Holy Fighter." What a joke. Until these people ensure one another rights, some form of a Bill of Rights, then actually enforce the document, this will continue to happen. But they don't want to do that, cause they are to busy killing other Iraqis.

05-31-2003, 10:31 PM	#8 (permalink)
MSD The sky calls to us ... Super Moderator Location: CT	Search google for "Honor Killings" This kind of attitude is legal in many places.

06-01-2003, 07:12 PM	#10 (permalink)
KWSN green	If anyone in the states ever said that, it would be regarded as a joke within a split second... and therefore it seemed like a joke to me at first... but now I realize... was he actually SERIOUS? I know all about the religious extremism and all there, but would one seriously kill their own daughter and drink their blood? Even coming from there, that just sounds so contrived and unbelievable from the standpoint of one (like me) who has obviously never dealt with anything like that... I just don't know how to respond to that if he was being serious. I honestly don't. __________________ Your arms are broken!

06-02-2003, 05:43 AM	#11 (permalink)
Daval Junkie Location: The True North Strong and Free!	it's scary how different some of them are from us. __________________ "It is impossible to obtain a conviction for sodomy from an English jury. Half of them don't believe that it can physically be done, and the other half are doing it." Winston Churchill

06-02-2003, 06:19 AM	#12 (permalink)
warrrreagl pinche vato Location: backwater, Third World, land of cotton	I'm actually more intrigued by the reporter's first name in the by-line, Scheherezade. She was the maiden who supposedly fended off her own execution by telling the Sultan a piece of a captivating story each night and refusing to tell the ending until the next night (whereby she would quickly launch into another story). Her stories are the source for the "1001 Arabian Nights," featuring Sinbad among others. VERY interesting name for a Middle Eastern reporter.... __________________ Living is easy with eyes closed.

06-02-2003, 06:44 AM	#13 (permalink)
Bill O'Rights will always be an Alyson Hanniganite Location: In the dust of the archives	How are we supposed to <b>win</b> a war, fighting against this type of mentality? And more importantly, why do we even <b>want</b> to? __________________ "I distrust those people who know so well what God wants them to do because I notice it always coincides with their own desires." - Susan B. Anthony "Hedonism with rules isn't hedonism at all, it's the Republican party." - JumpinJesus It is indisputable that true beauty lies within...but a nice rack sure doesn't hurt.