Woman died by beating her own face?

Scene of the death (Photo courtesy Florida Family Association

A pro-family organization in Florida is trying to convince authorities in Tampa to reopen their investigation into the death of a woman as a possible Shariah honor killing because of the unlikely formal explanation that she beat her own head against a table and the floor until she died.

Pamela Geller of
Atlas Shrugs, Robert Spencer of Jihad Watch and Nonie Darwish, a columnist who warns the West of the dangers of radical Islam, recently gathered for a rally held in conjunction with the Florida Family Association.

The event was organized by Geller and the American Freedom Defense Initiative along with Stop Islamization of America.

"Tampa police have determined that Fatima Abdallah killed herself by repeatedly striking her face against a coffee table and the floor. It is Florida Family Association's opinion that given the circumstances of Fatima's person life and the facts surrounding her death that her demise looks more like an honor killing," the Florida Family Association said.

The organization has set up a procedure for constituents to send emails to Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn asking him to reopen the case.

Geller has posted a series of videos of the rally event on her site, including the following:

According to the extensive information about the woman's death published by Family Security Matters, contributor Gadi Adelman said the 48-year-old Fatima Abdallah was found dead Aug. 16, 2009, in a gated subdivision.

David Caton, chief of the Florida Family Association, said she was divorced and couldn't have children.

Reported Adelman, "Regardless whether you agree or not with the biblical values of this organization, they are a non-profit that relies on public donations. I point this out because they, like any non-profit today, are hurting for lack of funds. [But] having seen an injustice they hired a private investigator to look into Fatima's death."

The report said Tampa police and the medical examiner reported the woman died after she "allegedly beat her own head against a coffee table and then on the floor until she died."

"Actually, Tampa police and the medical examiner don't agree, which is one of the problems with this case," Adelman wrote. "Tampa police concluded she beat her own head on the table repeatedly while the medical examiner says she fell and struck her head on the table and died."

Tampa police spokeswoman Laura McElroy told WND, "The medical examiner's finding was the death was accidental not suicide. The ME report also states that when the victim fell, her head hit the coffee table and that caused a brain shift. This single fatal injury likely caused her to suffer a seizure which explains why she struck her head involuntarily against the table and floor after the initial injury. The brain shift also caused her face to swell and her black eyes. Finally, the report states there is no evidence of a physical struggle or attack. When she fell, she suffered a fatal injury. It is clearly stated in the medical examiners report."

Adelman, who reports experience as a paramedic, a trauma nurse and as a mitigation investigator in capital punishment cases, wrote, "This goes much farther than the obvious ludicrousness that someone would commit suicide by beating their own head on a table."

"I have read and re-read the … Tampa police reports along with the 911 hard copy call report, the medical examiners report as well as the private investigator's findings. I have examined all 158 Tampa police photos from the crime scene and in my professional opinion this was an obvious case of murder, plain and simple."

The extensive analysis of the statements about Fatima's death, and the evidence associated with it, said Paramedic Lt. Scott Ashley on Tampa reported, "It would be very difficult for someone to hit their head hard enough to cause loss of consciousness."

And remaining unexplained were why Fatima's mother had difficulty dialing 911 when she could dial a longer number for Fatima's brother without complication; why someone had tried to wipe up blood from a carpet, why there was a cut on the woman's face, and other details.

The private investigator reported, "A neighbor said that deceased was divorced and that was shameful in the Muslim family, that her father did not live in the house and that the son Ali was the eldest son and he was the one who protected the honor of the family in his father's stead."

Further, three different police reports list the death as "undetermined," "homicide" and "unexplained death."

Said the Florida Family Association, "If Florida law enforcement agencies decline to properly investigate and file appropriate charges in violent crimes where cultural laws may have dictated illegal behavior then Islamic rule of law will effectively reign in our state. Law enforcement's unwillingness to properly investigate and bring charges in violent crimes that may have been perpetuated by religious or cultural creeds will undermine our public safety and severely change our value system."

"Was Fatima Abdallah's death really an accident or honor killing?" the group asked.