A Texas teen who ran away from home to avoid an arranged marriage was found and returned home — only to have her parents beat her and throw hot oil on her body.
Maarib Al Hishmawi, 16, was reported missing on Jan. 30 after she was last seen leaving Taft High School in Bexar County. She was located in mid-March when she was taken in by an organization that cared for her after she ran away, KSAT reported.
Authorities on Friday said Al Hishmawi’s parents — Abdulah Fahmi Al Hishmawi, 34, and Hamdiyah Saha Al Hishmawi, 33 — had allegedly beaten their daughter with a broomstick and poured hot cooking oil on her when she refused to marry a man in another city. The parents reportedly agreed to the arranged marriage in exchange for $20,000.
“This young lady, at various times over that time period was subjected to some pretty bad abuse because she didn’t want to be married to this person,” Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar said on Friday, according to KSAT.
“Several times it was reported to us that this young lady was abused with hot cooking oil being thrown on her body. She was beat with broomsticks,” Salazar added. “At least one point, she was choked almost to the point of unconsciousness.”
The teenage girl and her five siblings, between the ages 5 and 15, were placed under Child Protective Services custody.
The parents face charges of continuous violence against a family member. They were taken into custody on Friday.
Police said the man who was arranged to be married to Al Hishmawi may also be charged in the case.
What the hell was this sheriff doing after “several times it was reported” the girl had hot oil thrown on her body? Why weren’t these sadists locked up sooner? Just what the hell is going on in Bexar County?
One problem may be that authorities were clueless about these cultural and religious tenets that allow parents to uphold the “family honor” by abusing and torturing a female family member who disobeys the father and mother. But interfering would be culturally incorrect, you see. They’re exactly the same as us except a little more excitable about disciplining their children.
We read stories like this and wonder how many kids are in mortal danger because their parents are religious fanatics. To be sure, beating and abusing children is not unique to Muslim families. But arranging marriages? Not only the parents should go to jail, but also the man she was to marry, the cleric who was going to perform the ceremony without reporting it to the police, and the mosque where the ceremony was to be held should be sued.
Positively barbaric. And it should not happen in America.
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