The two sisters found dead on the banks of the Hudson River in October died by suicide, New York’s medical examiner determined.
Talea Farea, 16, and Rotana Farea, 23 were born in Saudi Arabia, but had immigrated with their family to the U.S. in 2015 and lived in Fairfax, Virginia. They had been missing since August. A passerby found their bodies on the rocks next to the river around 68th Street, bound together with duct tape.
“Detectives believe the pair were seeking asylum and had vowed to die together rather than return to Saudi Arabia,” the Times reported.
Why isn’t this getting more press coverage? With the Me Too movement, women’s marches, etc. it would seem that this would be a big story. Is it politically incorrect to criticize a Muslim country for treating women like chattel? It would appear that sensitivity towards Muslim countries trumps sensitivity towards womens’ rights in those countries.
I actually went and left some flowers a while back. They were alone there. Sad.
Yes, definitely! Very sad and tragic.
I have seen it in a number of places. There has been a lot of talk, and sorrow, about it. There is a limit on how much protesting in the US can do to change policy in Saudi Arabia, particularly when our own government continues to cozy up to the Saudi government even in the face of a proven brutal murder (something that has been protested extensively) and continues to limit the right of asylum in the face of domestic abuse (something that continues to be protested by both legal and women’s rights groups). So I’m not really sure what you expect?
Terrible tragedy. Is there any more information about this?
Unbelievably tragic. Wish they had reached out to a City agency. Were records checked to see if they had?
No need to post this. Just a note that the Times link in this post takes you to an article about Spideman.
If you scroll down the NY Times link you get to the relevant part – I agree that it is confusing at first.
so very very sad…
and a telling and harsh comment on our current abusive asylum policy.
Perhaps Sherman is confused about the difference between applying for asylum and RECEIVING asylum. If these two young ladies had been granted asylum, they would be alive today.
USA grants asylum all the time — look at the numbers! Perhaps you should blame Saudi Arabia, and not the U.S.
Oh right, the Clinton Foundation supports Saudi Arabia, so no talk of their treatment of women is allowed.
Wha???
Trump supports the Prince despite the most horrible medieval journalist killing. That doesn’t make Clinton’s not accountable of course, but don’t blame just one side.
If you read The NY Times article or followed this story you will know that these two sisters were in the process of seeking asylum.
There is no indication that their asylum was actually rejected or that they were ordered to leave the country.
Yes, it’s a terrible tragedy that these two women are dead but this is not indicative of an “abusive asylum policy”.
This tragedy is horrifying and terribly sad. I imagine Talea and Rotana Farea wished to avoid the unbearable sexism, forced child marriage and possible femicide in their country. This news needs to go viral. May they rest in peace.