In an atrocious and heartbreaking hate crime, Shaima Alawadi, a mother of five and devout Muslim, was beaten to death by her murderers who left only a note saying, "Go back to your country, you terrorist."
The 32-year-old immigrated to the United States from Iraq in the early 90s in an effort to flee from the violence of Saddam Hussein.
El Cajon, California, where Alawadi and her family lived until her untimely death, has one of the highest populations of Iraqi refugees in the nation.
More than 40,000 Iraqis live in El Cajon, California. They should not live in fear or persecution.
The city must respond to this tragedy. Ask the city's mayor to launch a citywide campaign of tolerance and education to stop the discrimination and violence toward Iraqi and Muslim citizens.
Tell Mayor Mark Lewis: Stop Islamophobia in El Cajon!
We the undersigned urge you to begin a citywide campaign to end xenophobia and Islamophobia in the city of El Cajon, California.
The terrible tragedy that ended in the death of Shaima Alawadi will never be forgotten, but should also never be repeated.
In a city with such a high population of Iraqis, it is imperative that you respond to this murder with education.
Preventative measures must be taken in order to ensure that hatred will never again put a Muslim or Iraqi citizen in danger of violence.
We ask you to begin a campaign to promote tolerance in El Cajon.
Thank you for taking our comments and concerns into serious consideration.
