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It is a verifiable and undeniable fact that women in the fundamentalist Islamic world are relegated to the status of possessions. Women are routinely sold into arranged marriages by their fathers who receive a dowry for the "sale"; the dowry sometimes issued in the form of goats or other forms of livestock. The practice of polygamy is widespread throughout the Middle East. In countries such as Iran, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Pakistan, to name but a few, women are subjected to despotic cultural edicts where "offenses," ranging from un-Islamic dress to being "in the presence" of an unrelated male, are punished - justified under Sharia Law - by whippings, beatings, stoning and death sentences. Honor killings occur frequently and Islamic society accepts it with no form of recourse, no justice for the victim.

And while Ms. Nawas is readying herself to espouse her indifference to the plight of Muslim women in the name of Barack Obama's candidacy, she does so intimating that the problem of Islamic cultural inequity toward women is a malady removed from American soil. This notion is a falsehood of the highest order. Honor killings are taking place right here on American soil.

Sarah and Amina Said, 17 and 18 respectively, were murdered by their father Yaser Said (web site) in Dallas, Texas, in February of 2008 because he felt Western culture was corrupting the chastity of his daughters. He is currently at large. Law enforcement believes he is being harbored by the Islamic community in North Texas.

In Atlanta, Georgia, Chaudhry Rashad, (web site) admitted to strangling his 25-year old daughter, Sandela, saying he killed his daughter as a matter of honor, because he felt her plans for divorce would have disgraced the family.

In Henrietta, New York, Waheed Allah Mohammad (web site) stabbed his 19-year old sister, Fauzia, to death because she was going to clubs, wearing immodest clothing and planning to leave her family for a new life in New York City.

A superficial search of the term "honor killing" on the Internet results in 2,440,000 entries, so it is impossible to say that the issue is outside the mainstream.

While the instances of honor killings here in the United States are being prosecuted the fact remains that women are considered and treated as possessions in the Islamic culture, whether here in the US or abroad, to the extent of being murdered. Meanwhile, Ms. Nawas says we need to "show sensitivity to local political realities." Muslim women are dying, both overseas and on American soil, and Ms. Nawas believes we should "nuance our approach" so as not to offend those maintaining the despotic culture.

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