Dallas Christmas Day Slayings: Muslim Honor Killing?

The slaughter of 7 people in the Dallas, Texas suburb of Grapevine on Christmas Day appears to be a case of an “honor killing” and suicide by a Muslim father angry that his 19 year old daughter was dating a non-muslim young man.

According to reports in the Dallas Morning News, the father, Aziz Yazdanpanah didn’t like his daughter’s non-Muslim boyfriend and was exhibiting stalker behavior.

“She couldn’t date at all until she was a certain age, but when he was going to let her date she couldn’t date anyone outside of their race or religion.”

Victims have been identified as Yazdanpanah, his estranged 55-year-old wife, Fatemeh Rahmati, their 19-year-old daughter, Nona Narges Yazdanpanah, and 15-year-old son, Ali Yazdanpanah.

Friends of the family said Fatemeh Rahmati’s 58-year-old sister, Zohreh Rahmaty, and her husband, Hossein Zarei, 59, and daughter Sahra Zarei, a 22-year-old pre-med student at the University of Texas at Arlington, also were killed.

A neighbor at the apartment complex reportedly saw the suspected shooter get out of his white sport utility vehicle dressed in a Santa outfit, including a full coat, pants, boots and belt. Based in part on that witness account, police believe the shootings occurred about the time a 911 call rang into the station at 11:34 a.m. Sunday.

Police have not yet stated a positive motive and said that determination would come when the investigation has been completed.

Bob Russell
December 27, 2011