...or has Arizona lost its taste for persecuting foreigners?

All the ingredients were there. The crime took place in Maricopa County Arizona, home of Sheriff Joe Arpaio. Sheriff Joe has made quite a name for himself as a "shoot first - ask to see some ID later" kind of lawman. Arizona is proud of this gun toting, hard riding son of the old West. (The fact that Sheriff Joe and his department are under investigation for stealing $99 million in state funds is clearly a plot invented by Mexicans.) The crime was committed by a foreigner; an Iraqi to be precise. The deed was as horrible as a crime can get: a man killing his own daughter. Arizona, ever anxious to prove how tough they are on crime has a virulent death penalty (although Arizona hasn't managed to execute anyone in almost four years).

So imagine our surprise when Falah Hassan Almaleki was sentenced to a scant 34 1/2 years in prison for the execution of his 20-year-old daughter Noor by running over her with a car. He also ran down her boyfriend's mother thereby cementing his "accident" defense. Naturally, Mr. Almaleki had a perfectly good reason for his actions. He claims that his daughter had dishonored the family by becoming too westernized. Well that certainly clears that up. Mr. Almaleki was so proud of upholding the family honor that he hauled ass to Europe to spread the good news.


Still, you have too see the situation from the Almaleki standpoint. Who could have anticipated that a teenage girl brought to America from a progressive, forward-thinking country like Iraq, would reject the backward, repressive, woman-hating, semi-slavery of Islam and it's culture of arranged marriages and abuse in favor of American values? What's a father to do? Either you're the head of the family or you start wearing a burqa. Logically, your only recourse is to kill your daughter and the enabling family that fermented her rebellion. Hey, this is America. Mr. Almaleki came here because we allow the free exercise of religion.


So for all it's bluster about an eye for an eye and wild west justice, the best the prosecutors in Maricopa County could manage was a conviction for second degree murder, aggravated assault and, lest we forget, leaving the scene of an accident. (Seemingly, being apprehended in London qualifies as leaving the scene.) So whatever happened to "sending a message"? I guess running over your daughter with a Jeep falls under the exclusionary rule. And Muslims wonder why Americans think they're savages. Go figure!