Iraqi Woman’s Death Sparks Online Movement

With national attention on the Trayvon Martin case, another racially-charged case is moving into the spotlight. Shaima Alawadi, a 32-year-old Iraqi immigrant and mother of five, died on Saturday near San Diego. Her death comes three days after her daughter found her severely beaten on Wednesday in her home of El Cajon, Calif., next to a note saying "go back to your country."

Immediately after the AP reported her death, the story became the #1 worldwide trending topic on Twitter. Users quickly compared #RIPShaima and the hijab she was wearing — a mark of her Muslim faith — to the #RIPTrayvon hashtag and the hoodie he was wearing when he was shot and killed by a neighborhood watchman. Fox News correspondent Geraldo Rivera had claimed that Martin's hoodie was the cause of his death, a comment which sparked an online wave of hoodie-wearing in protest.

In the same way that the hoodie has become emblematic of support for Trayvon Martin, the Facebook page "One Million Hijabs for Shaima Alawadi" has become an online destination for advocates of Alawadi. On the Facebook page, users are sharing photos of themselves wearing a headscarf, posting articles and videos relevant to the case and planning community events to raise awareness. A status update posted on Sunday, along with a photo of Alawadi, states the reason for the cause and urges citizens to take a stand:

This is #ShaimaAlwadi. Now look at her smile. She could be your daughter, your sister, your friend. We cannot let the children in this country grow up in a world so full of hatred that a woman wearing a head scarf is afraid for her life, that a black kid wearing a hoodie is afraid for his life, a world where the victim of sexual violence gets the blame for the actions of the perpetrator because of what she was wearing. Enough. The color of your skin, your gender or your outfit cannot be used an excuse or an invitation for violence. We are all Shaima. We need a Million Hijab March.

Though Shaima Alawadi's case was quick to gain worldwide traction upon her death, it took weeks for Trayvon Martin's case to receive national attention. As both the New York Times and On the Media reported, the diversity — or lack thereof — in newsrooms may have something to do with this. Most of the notable media figures who first reported on Trayvon Martin's case and pushed for further investigation are black men. Likewise, looking at the Twitter stream of #RIPShaima, many of the top tweets about her death are coming from those who identify with her or have close ties to the Arab world:

I don't wear a hijab, but nearly every other woman in my family covers. Shaima could have been my mother, aunt, cousin, sister… #RipShaima

— Tasneem Raja (@tasneemraja) March 25, 2012

Hoodie or hijab – this needs to stop#RIPShaima #RIPTrayvon t.co/8XPZtVSN

— Butheina HK ????? (@butheina) March 25, 2012

When a hate crime happens in this country it happens to ALL of us. We cannot afford to sit idly by. #RIPShaima #RIPTrayvon

— Imran (@RKSTNI) March 25, 2012

As an Iraq vet, and as an American, I am beyond outraged by Shaima's death. This could have been so many of my friends. #RIPShaima #IAVA

— Paul Rieckhoff (@PaulRieckhoff) March 25, 2012

Though the threatening note left near Alawadi at the time of her beating indicates a potential hate crime — and citizens so far are reacting to it as such — police have not made any official statements on the cause of her death. "A hate crime is one of the possibilities, and we will be looking at that," Lt. Mark Coit of the El Cajon police said in the AP report. "We don't want to focus on only one issue and miss something else."

Similarly, though Trayvon Martin's case has sparked discussions online and offline about racism, authorities are still investigating his killing. As of yet, law enforcement has not ruled Martin's case as a hate crime.

What do you think of the online response to Shaima Alawadi's death? Would her death have gotten much attention if Trayvon Martin's case hadn't erupted before hers? Will it get more attention? Let us know what you think in the comments.

Photo courtesy of the "One Million Hijabs for Shaima Alawadi" Facebook page