Honour Killing of Muslim Ismaili Woman Married to Sikh Man?

I wonder if this is an honour killing of Shemina Hirji. She was just married according to the article and had written about the role of Sikh teachers in the BC school system. Her husband, Paul Cheema, from his name sounds like a Sikh as well. I don't know either of them or the background, but if it is an honour killing I wouldn't be surprised. The surprise would be if it was committed by an Ismaili who aren't generally known for doing those sorts of things. It's a sad situation as it is and would be made only more so if it turns out to be an honour killing based on a Muslim woman marrying a Sikh man.

A newlywed school principal was slain and her husband hospitalized in an apparent home invasion Thursday.

Shemina Hirji was pronounced dead shortly after police arrived on scene in the afternoon.

Her body remained in the Burnaby condominium unit as investigators combed the area for clues late into the evening.

Ms. Hirji's husband, Paul Cheema - whom she married Saturday in a lavish ceremony - was taken to hospital. Police said his injuries were not life-threatening.

Police would not say how Ms. Hirji died, or the nature of Mr. Cheema's injuries.

Police said a man called from the condominium at 12:15 p.m., saying he and his wife had been attacked by three men.

He was able to describe two of the assailants to police. He said the first was a tall Caucasian man wearing a brown suit, and the second was a dark-skinned man wearing a ski mask. The third man was not identified.

RCMP Cpl. Dale Carr said the suspects fled.

"RCMP dog service and air service searched but we were unable to identify the suspects," Mr. Carr said.

Police were tight-lipped as they escorted neighbours out of the complex, surrounded the building with police tape, and searched the condominium.

Ms. Hirji, who is principal of A.H.P. Matthew elementary school in Surrey, B.C., was a member of Burnaby's Ismaili community.

Arris Meghji, the honorary secretary for the Ismaili Council of BC, said Ms. Hirji's death "is a big shock. We really were not prepared for this -- how can you be?"

Mr. Meghji added: "We pray for the family. This was such a tragedy and we are going to support the family as best we can."

Standing outside the Ismaili community's mosque in Burnaby, he described Ms. Hirji as "a great person, very gentle and very compassionate. So this was a true shock."

Ms. Hirji received her bachelor's degree in education from Simon Fraser University in 1991 and wrote her master's thesis on the role of Sikh teachers in the B.C. school system.

Professor June Beynon was Ms. Hirji's thesis supervisor.

"She was a close friend of mine," Ms. Beynon said. "She was fabulous. She loved kids."

Ms. Hirji contributed to several academic papers on the subject of language, culture and education, and also worked on Ministry of Education teachers' resources. She had been principal of the elementary school since 2005.

UPDATE
I found this from another source, The Province, it seems the husband was a Sikh,

The husband, Narinder (Paul) Cheema, told police that three men entered the home and attacked him and his wife, leaving her dead and him injured.

Neighbours said the couple married just last weekend.

"He described two of the suspects as a tall Caucasian in a brown suit and a dark-skinned man wearing a ski mask," said Carr. "He was unable to describe the third man."

Carr said any witnesses should come forward.

"We're out doing neighbourhood canvassing," said Carr, who would not confirm the name of the victim or her husband.

Hirji has published numerous academic studies of ethnics in education, including "Teachers of Punjabi Sikh Ancestry: Their Perception of Their Role in the British Columbia Education System," and "Teachers of Chinese Ancestry: The Interaction of Identities and Professional Roles."

Hirji completed her bachelor of education at Simon Fraser University in 1991.

In 1998 she wrote a thesis for a master's degree on "The Roles of Teachers of Punjabi Sikh Ancestry in the British Columbian Education System." In it, she wrote:

"This thesis is dedicated to my parents Amir and Roshan Hirji, who have supported and encouraged me in all that I do."

She also concludes: "It is critical to acknowledge teachers of Punjabi Sikh ancestry not just as 'professional ethnics,' but as educators with a range of skills and talent as varied as those of their mainstream colleagues."

Update 2
Angry has a nice post about the changing fortune of Paul Cheema. Shemina's brother-in-law and his wife should be commended for the way they've handled the adversity of what's happened so far. As a Sikh, I must say that the community should pray for the soul of this woman who was murdered so soon after what should have been a highlight of her life.


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