this is sickening and sad.

I still don't understand this mindset. You have westernized ways; yet, you come here to live. If you hate them so much, don't choose to live where they exist.

My heart goes out to the injured parties.

I meant "hate" not have.

I agree Honeybrown. It's sad that this happened.

I had a gay Iranian friend in college that was in the closet because she was worried her family would honor kill her.

I'm certainly not claiming that it's always like this, but it's a fundamental clash of cultures. Violence is never called for. What a sad story!

What exactly did that monster expect to accomplish by running her over, teach her a lesson?That is downright inhumane Who the hell does something as horrific as this to their own child ?

It really is beyond anything I could ever understand.I hope they throw the book at him......sicko

So strange but this just like the rerun of SVU that was on 15 minutes ago. Very sad, can't even imagine a father who would hurt his daughter like that.

The father committed a crime. He needs to be charged, and thrown in jail. I hope his daughter recovers from her life-threatening injuries, as he could face possible homicide charges as well.

Unbelievable.

I hope he enjoys "westernized" prison.

I agree with HoneyBrown. Daddy doesn't like the West? Okay, then he needs to get rid of his Western car, his Western house, his Western passport, and his Western clothes and hairstyle, and THEN he can complain about Westerners.

Personally I find the Muslim/Arabic view of women intolerable. I hope Faleh and Amal completely recover from their injuries and lead full, happy, WESTERN lives!

First off, I'm not saying that what this man did is ok. It's not ok. At all. But when people say things like "well then why didn't you just stay in your country..." it sounds really ignorant to me. That's like saying, "why do you still wear a head scarf? You're in the US now!" Just because you move to a different country doesn't change who you are. Maybe people leave their country to be in a country where they feel safe, but want to keep a strong sense of their nationality. Obviously people who live here, especially born here, will become westernized and I think it's silly to think otherwise...but I understand why immigrant parents feel this way and to say, "go back to your country, why are you here", sounds racist to me.

He took things too far, but HoneyBrown and Anonymous have turned it into an immigration thing/assimilation thing. Maybe he HAD to come to the US, people follow where they can work and survive.

The idea of a culture clash is about transition and the pull and push/tug of previous country and current and your values and such.

When it's not this extreme I think it's a valid concern of parents or people in general. How do you reconcile those cultures or values?

Do you think American/Western ways of parenting and the values touted in the media here are superior to those of other countries or cultures? Like say, India or Lebanon or Argentina?

This father has a problem and took things too far but when you say things about "If you hate them so much, don't choose to live where they exist,"

then you are oversimplifying issues of assimilation, immigration and culture. And it's as if you are implying that all immigrant parents of other nations or eastern backgrounds are extreme and wrong, like this guy and that people should just adopt an "AMERICAN" way of life no questions asked.

Even when a parent feels mildly upset or confused (but not crazy or cruel enough to want to harm their kid), just struggling with American views or lifestyle do ALL immigrants have to adopt AMERICAN values? They don't have a right to be torn or struggle? It's that easy?

What are those American values other parents are supposed to adopt or so easily?

I didn't choose for my parents to live in the US but I'm American and I like my life here. I'm also a bicultural person. Should I give up my religion, music, food or personal values to fit in with "Caucausian America?" Or even "Black America?"

We have to pick these divisions? When I can just have my parents culture and be a citizen of the US at the same time instead? Because I choose the latter. I think that the US, ideally, as that choice.

Thank you #11, I agree! They can argue otherwise but that's how they come across.

I'm first generation American and I know that there are kids who speak their parents language and live biculturally and then there are those who assimilate completely because they want to or out of pressure... it's a complex issue without some people making it, well, racist or full of prejudice and ignorance.

I also agree with 11. That kind of statement is very racist, in my opinion,

#11 here. Thanks guys! That was only the 2nd time I'd ever posted on the Sugar site, but I just had to say something because I hear people saying things like this all the time. It's not as simple as don't come here if you don't like American ways. My parents had to leave the country they were living in because an islamic regime came to power and turned the country into Muslim mania and we are Christian. Not a good equation. They don't like everything about American culture but what were they supposed to do? I was born here and at my age (29) my parents still try to keep me in my culture's bubble. Of course, that's impossible because I'm surrounded by "Americans" and the American way. And I don't think that's a bad thing. Like PeachyKeen said, I chose to have a strong sense of my nationality especially since there aren't much of us left in the world, but also embrace a lot of the freedoms that the US has to offer. It's not so black and white--either embrace this culture fully or go back to where you came from. Geez...

Umm, excuse me, but where here did anyone here say "embrace this culture fully or go back to where you came from"? And where did someone write that if a person immigrates they should "give up their food, religion, music, and personal values"? Answer: Nowhere. Please step off of your soapboxes.

This is not a debate about maintaining your cultural values as an immigrant. The point people are making is that this particular man hates America so much that he tried to murder his own daughter because she is assimilating. If he hates the West so much to the point that he would MURDER HIS OWN CHILD, why did he move here? To take better care of his family? Oh...wait.

Seriously, the United States is not the only country in the world. You can't tell me this nut couldn't have found another place to live where he wouldn't have felt compelled to kill his own child. People have the freedom here to embrace their native cultures, fine, but they also have to respect our culture if they choose to live here. And our culture says, if you try to murder an innocent child, you will pay dearly.

If you are going to enjoy the benefits of living here without the persecution, you should be expected to respect the culture. No one here said that translates into giving up your native traditions.

Give me a break.

jazzytummy, i agree.

i agree with everyone here who stated that moving to the u.s. should not mean completely assimilating and disregarding your culture. as the child of immigrants there were definitely culture clashes growing up, but i would never give up the gift of my parents culture because it made me a more well rounded, cultured, and informed person, as opposed to an isolationist uninformed person, which i honestly feel many americans tend to be. american culture has a lot of flaws and really isn't that much better than many other cultures. that being said i think this was less about this girl being westernized and more about this girl thinking idependantly and removing herself out from under her father's thumb. this isn't a matter of "go back to your country" because i feel no matter where this family was located, if this girl had gotten out of line in her father's estimation, he would have reacted violently to her. which is why honor killing and any violent reactions to women and girls thinking and behaving indepentdantly should be outlawed everywhere.

agreed with 11!

There is no one true "American" so to claim it is one thing and not another is ignorant.

The problem with this man is that he is insane.

And keep in mind there are THOUSANDS of Arab/Muslim immigrants here who don't kill their children for having ipods and piercings...they just get annoyed and ground them, like everyone else's parents do when they don't like something their kid does. Let's not let SVU episodes and isolated incidents lead to blanket statements about thousands of people.

Give me a break. It's the western ways that bring them here. Don't fault the children for being attracted to them or desiring to think outside of the cultural confined boxes. It's the western ways that allow those of different races to marry, different religions to marry, and (hopefully) in some areas, those in same-sex marriage to marry. When it comes to violence over culture clashes, I don't have any tolerance. But then, according to some of you, I should turn a blind eye to clitoral circumcision, honor killings or any other violence in the name of culture.

All are welcome. But, certain mindsets aren't accepted or welcomed.

Well-said jazzytummy.

I am a first generation American as well.

And I COMPLETELY agree with JazzTummy.

I wish the daughter and her friend a speedy recovery and for this man to get the book thrown at him.

I love that immigrants come here and bring their culture with them because it allows us to learn new perspectives and sample things we otherwise wouldn't to see if it fits or works for us. But I think that you cannot realistically expect to move here and completely shut out any western influence on your family. There will be a struggle between this culture and your previous culture and it's part of the right of passage for an immigrant to create a balance between the two.

I don't understand why he would move to a westernized nation if he so truly hated the westernized life. I understand wanting to have a better life for your family, but there are other countries that he could have immigrated to that would be closer to his cultural beliefs.

It is not acceptable in the USA to treat your daughter the way he did. When he moved here, he had to accept that there are going to be cultural traditions/beliefs that are in violation of our laws - i.e. assault and homicide. While his previous country may find it perfectly acceptable to hit your daughter with an SUV, this country does not. No culture is above the law.

culture or not, he committed assault with a deadly weapon. that's not an American VALUE he disagreed with, that's an American LAW he broke.

agree mamasita!

"And our culture says, if you try to murder an innocent child, you will pay dearly."

- So anthropologically speaking the US (and we are reffering to cultural views and/or government) is the only one in the world that punishes those who abuse or harm children?

Hmm...that will be news to many other nations. So in Mexico, Dominican Republic, Israel, Italy, Greece, China, Japan, England, France and various other nations don't punish child abusers and murderers? Because it's not a part of "their culture" but rather a unique facet of "American" culture?

Because that's what your sentence implies.

Also, I nor anyone else for that matter, specifically stated that you or anyone else said that other cultures were denied. RATHER, we pointed out that summing things up with "why come here" and words of that nature IMPLY racism. And they do.

*So anthropologically
whoops I mean sociologically...you get the gist.

"But then, according to some of you, I should turn a blind eye to clitoral circumcision, honor killings or any other violence in the name of culture.

All are welcome. But, certain mindsets aren't accepted or welcomed."

- I never said his behaviour was acceptable. My statements were in reaction to the generalization that you made about "why come here" such a general statement applies to positive aspects of a culture.

You never said "Why would a child abuser come to such and such a place."

I'd be behind that statement 100%
Instead you made a blanket statement that could apply to a good samaritan (and immigrant) who struggles with assimilation and/or globalization.

I don't know how you can conclude the first part of this quote, except that your are self righteous and arrogant and assume that because me/we defended POSITIVE values (such being a traditional Catholic, listening to bachata, deciding to teach our children Spanish or Greek) makes you ABOVE us and that we will atomatically adhere to EVERYTHING...well you are wrong.

I do consider myself a feminist and I am against female circumcision, violence against women and belife in teaching boys and men to respect women. If I or my parents were from a part of the world that did those things there is a very good chance I would protesting and launching intiatives to combat them. But I don't and I resent someone telling me or assuming things about me.

Like people who think it's bad to be bilingual or when they hear me speak Spanish in public.

I don't think a women is a ___ if she chooses to have sex before marriage and I don't think a women who chooses to remain a virgin until marriage should be made fun of either. I don't think that's equality.

I respect an orthodox Jewish women's right to cover her shoulders, and I get it too. Do you as a small minded American have a problem with that? Do you expect her to conform to your values? Do you assume that she is submissive to the men in her life because of it?

If I decide to not have kids or to have children will you want to weigh in on that with your smugness?

NO ONE IS SAYING THAT WHAT HE DID WAS OKAY. THE STATEMENTS WE MADE DIVERGED ONTO A WHOLE OTHER TOPIC.

IT WAS ABOUT HOW NARROW MINDED PEOPLE LIKE YOU MAKE SIMPLISTIC STATEMENTS LIKE, "GO BACK TO YOUR COUNTRY" WHICH YOU MAY JUST AS EASILY TELL TO A LITTLE GIRL A MOTHER OR GRANDFATHER.

WHAT'S TO STOP YOU?

IT BECAME ABOUT SOMETHING ELSE. Your reply and Jazzy's were made in defensiveness after we made our points and additionally statments.

You can't even see your assumed sense of superiority, slight nationalism and smug academic nothingness.

Get over yourself.

I agree with #23 and 24, and if he didn't learn it before he will surely learn it now.

Peachykeen...you do alot of ranting that seems to misinterpret the post that you appear to be trying to counter. No one ever said that other countries dont punish those that abuse children. But murdering your child because she has become "westernized" is BARBARIC!!! And in America and Western countries its also criminal and he should get life in prison or worse. What the anonymous post and Honeybrown are saying is true. That criminal knew before he brought himself and his family to this country what type of country America was. If he didnt want his kids to be influenced by Western ideas then he had the option to go to other Middle Eastern or Eastern European countries that are not Westernized. The reason he came here was because he knew that he would not be subjected to the conflict and threat of death that he faced in Iraq. And spacekatgal you seem to find every post that takes a strong stance as racist or homophobic-get serious. Just because a person does not agree with your point of view or philosophy it doesn't mean that they are wrong and it certainly does not make them homophobic or racist.

Thanks, sloane220 and zeze. That's perfectly said!

"No one ever said that other countries dont punish those that abuse children."

"but they also have to respect our culture if they choose to live here. And our culture says, if you try to murder an innocent child, you will pay dearly."

- Than what do you call this? Peachykeen was right in pointing this out.

Instead of "culture" she should have said "laws."

...or government to be exact.

Anyhow people should look up the book "The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lari