November Newsletter: Former Prosecutor on the Upcoming Honor Killing Trial; Muhammad Fraser-Rahim Speaks on the Past, Present and Future of Islamic Reform in America

Nearly 13 years ago, we lost teenage sisters Amina and Sarah Said to a brutal honor killing. Their father, Yaser Said, allegedly shot and killed them both in the back of his car on New Year’s Day. This August, the FBI finally found and arrested him.

This is a case of fatal honor violence—abuse that remains hidden from the public eye and threatens thousands of girls around the nation. We must break the silence surrounding it. Our first blog this month is an interview with Laura Reckart, a former prosecutor. Reckart served on a trial for the honor killing of a teenager in Arizona in 2011, a case that she said “hit me to the core.” Please read and share her story.

With help from experts like Ms. Reckart and support from our donors, AHA Foundation trains law enforcement and social service providers how to identify acts of honor violence and protect women and girls at risk. With help from advocates, we raise awareness about this dangerous practice, and with a donation today, you could help us continue that fight to protect the vulnerable and those who are suffering.

The gruesome beheading of a middle school teacher in the streets of a Parisian suburb last month has again brought attention to combating the dangerous ideology of Islamism. For us at AHA Foundation, that means unifying and amplifying the voices and ideas of Muslim reformers, ex-Muslims, religious leaders and academics who work to stop Islamism in its tracks. Dr. Muhammad Fraser-Rahim, a frequent speaker at our campus program events, is one of those voices. In this blog, Dr. Fraser-Rahim details his Muslim upbringing, his outlook on the fight against Islamism, and his newest book, America’s Other Muslims: Imam W.D. Mohammed, Islamic Reform, and the Making of American Islam.

Since the onset of the pandemic, requests for help to our crisis text line have tripled. With the COVID-19 pandemic, the most vulnerable among us are in difficult situations. If you haven’t had a chance, please support our work this year. With your donation, we can continue to protect girls suffering from honor violence and other harmful cultural practices.

I wish you and your loved ones a safe Thanksgiving,

Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Founder