Not sure this is going to garner much sympathy for Yasmin Seweid, the young Muslim girl accused of making up a hate crime. However, my original assessment when the story broke about the hoax was that it could be related to Yasmin’s muslim family. It appears my fears were not unfounded.

Seweid’s older sister, Sara Seweid, took to Facebook to decry the treatment of her sister by the NYPD and the Media.

https://twitter.com/missyasin/status/809423457159102464

Nothing the sister said in the now deleted Facebook post does anything to calm my dread of more punishment for Yasmin Seweid. In fact it’s nearly an admission of abuse by their family. The older Seweid is rationalizing her younger sister’s behavior, because she knows what awaits Yasmin at home.

I understand that some people are upset that this girl lied to the police, I’m going to need you to get over that. This young woman feared for her life, probably still does. If you believe that devote Muslims who follow Sharia Law can do unspeakable things in the name of their religion then you must understand why Yasmin would lie.

Having said that, she has been charged and the police will handle the situation from there. My concern is that when she showed up to court with a shaved head, without make-up and being handled by her brother, there is nothing we can do to help her.

This is Domestic Violence. Violence against Women. Whatever you want to call it and it’s happening before the entire world. The media for the most part has gone silent on this story. It doesn’t have the hook they like anymore. Meanwhile, that doesn’t change Yasmin’s situation. Both her actions and her sister’s tirade feel more like a cry for help than an attempt to cover something up.

These women are the ones who need our help the most, yet they are largely ignored even in the face of a rising number of Honor Killings in the US. It’s happening here. It’s been happening here.

We know that Democrats and those in the Media won’t do anything to help these women, so it’s kind of up to us on the right to speak up on their behalf. Aren’t we the ones with a solid moral compass? This issue isn’t about their faith, it’s about their freedom. Raised in strict Muslim homes wasn’t a choice for them. Many have no real options to get out of the cycle of violence.

It’s time for us to put aside our petty grievances and do something to help women trapped in abusive situations, regardless of their religion or culture. This isn’t a free speech issue, the first amendment ends when it results in physical harm to another person who can’t defend themselves.

Our hearts should not be so hardened that we turn our back on the plight of real victims. Nor should our interest in them be only to advance an agenda. There is about zero chance that Big Media follows up with this story, although I have been sending many links their way. So who will protect Yasmin and others like her from facing the same fate? Or worse.

We need law enforcement to start treating Muslim families exactly as they would any other citizens. We can’t allow this abuse to continue under the guise of “Religious Freedom”. We need inact protocols specific to cases that may involve “honor punishment”, to treat it as we do other domestic crimes. This may require an overhaul of how we deal with domestic violence as well. Will it take work? Absolutely. Is it worth it? Without a doubt.

We will be judged by how we treat the weakest of our brethren, Remember? If we don’t answer these cries for help. Who will?