A shocking killing on the east coast of Australia, in Queensland’s popular
Gold Coast region, illuminates the great and urgent need for rigorous, open
debate on what Western religious liberty means for Muslim immigrants, and
what Islam’s rejection of apostasy means for Christians in terms of convert
care.
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AUSTRALIA: GIRL’S CONVERSION RESULTS IN MOTHER’S DEATH
On the evening of Monday 9 October, Kaihana Hussain, the teenage daughter of
Muslim immigrants, told her parents that she was converting from Islam to
Christianity. Her father responded with unrestrained fury. Neighbours heard
“blood curdling” and “terrifying” screams and cries of “Help me, help me,
they’re trying to kill me”, but they were unsure which apartment the screams
were coming from, and the voices were unfamiliar.
After a short time, Kaihana came running out of the family’s apartment,
dressed only in her underwear, her clothes torn off, blood splattered over
her severely scratched and cut body.
All that is known at this stage is that after her father began to attack
her, Kaihana’s mother, Yasmin (41, and a strict and devout Muslim),
intervened to aid and protect her daughter.
What police found when they entered the apartment was Yasmin bleeding
severely from a fatal knife wound to the chest, and her husband, Kaihana’s
father, Dr Muhammad Hussain (49) also bleeding from a potentially fatal
knife wound to the chest. Blood was splattered on walls, floors and doorways
throughout the three-bedroom luxury apartment. Yasmin died at the scene and
Dr Hussain is presently hospitalised in an induced coma, in a critical
condition. Police have confirmed that Kaihana is not a suspect in their
deaths.
The Herald Sun reports: “Dr Hussain completed his medical training at the
Chittagong Medical College in Bangladesh in 1982. In 2001, he completed a
masters in family medicine in Australia and four years later was granted a
fellowship by the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners.” (Link
1)
After migrating to Australia, the family settled in Adelaide, South
Australia. They sent their daughter to the local non-denominational
Christian school because of its high academic, and no doubt moral,
standards.
It appears that Kaihana was profoundly influenced by this exposure to
Christianity. The Australian newspaper reports that the family’s recent move
from Adelaide, South Australia, to the Gold Coast, Queensland, was prompted
by Dr Hussain’s fear that Kaihana’s Muslim faith was being threatened by her
education. (Link 2)
Dr Hussain moved to the Gold Coast in September and Yasmin and Kaihana
joined him on the weekend of 7-8 October, just after Kaihana’s 17th
birthday, and only days before Kaihana told her parents she was committed to
converting to Christianity.
The Herald Sun reported on 11 October, “A Muslim source told The Gold Coast
Bulletin last night that Dr Hussain arrived a month ago to take up a
position as a GP and prepare for his family to join him.
“‘From what we understand the daughter decided to tell her father of her
radical plan to convert to Christianity which, in the eyes of most Muslims,
is totally unacceptable and to be honest, sadly, many would react as he has
done,’ said the source.
“‘It is the Islamic way that if a son or daughter does or plans to do
something that is unacceptable or wrong for a Muslim then it is the mother
who is automatically at fault and will bear the brunt of the blame.”‘ (Link
1)
Elizabeth Kendal
[email protected]
Links
1) HERALD SUN. Islam row behind mum’s death. 11 October 2006
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,20563009-662,00.html
see also
Mother killed after teen rejects Islam
Annabelle McDonald and Jeremy Roberts. 12 October 2006
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,20566159-5006786,00.html
2) Elite school rejects honour killing link
By Jeremy Roberts and Annabelle McDonald. 13 October 2006
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,20571271-5006787,00.html
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