A mother is expressing her sorrow following her husband’s act of drowning their daughter in a shallow lake in what is described as an honor killing.
Sumaia al Najjar and her family sought refuge in the Netherlands after fleeing Syria in 2016. However, their peace was shattered when al Najjar’s daughter, Ryan, was tragically killed by her father, Khaled al Najjar, due to his belief that she had embraced Western culture too much. In an interview with the Daily Mail, al Najjar lamented the devastation brought upon her family by her husband’s actions.
Ryan, aged 18, was discovered lifeless in a park pond in the Netherlands, bound and gagged, just a month after her birthday. Khaled fled back to Syria and is currently living with another woman, despite being sentenced to 30 years in absentia. Al Najjar is advocating for his extradition back to the Netherlands for justice. Ryan’s brothers, Muhanad, 25, and Muhamad, 24, were also convicted for their involvement in the murder and received 20-year prison terms.
Although the family seemed to be well-integrated in their new country, al Najjar revealed that there were tensions regarding Ryan’s attire and behavior. She disclosed that her husband sent incriminating messages from Ryan’s phone to implicate her in the murder. Al Najjar described her husband as abusive, instilling fear in the entire family.
Describing her daughter as a devout and kind-hearted individual, al Najjar shared that Ryan faced bullying at school for adhering to her religious beliefs. As Ryan grew older, she began to rebel against conservative practices, which led to conflicts within the family.
One of Ryan’s sisters, Iman, also spoke out against their father’s oppressive nature, highlighting the fear and tension he imposed on the household. Al Najjar expressed her struggle with Ryan’s transformation but maintained that she solely holds her husband accountable for Ryan’s death.
Following the sentencing, Khaled attempted to absolve his sons of any responsibility for Ryan’s murder but failed to return to Europe to face the consequences. DNA evidence implicated Khaled in the crime, and further investigations linked Ryan’s brothers to the scene of the murder. The court concluded that Ryan was killed due to her rejection of her family’s religious values.
Al Najjar defended her sons, stating that while they were at fault for leaving Ryan alone with their father, they should not bear the same punishment as Khaled. She emphasized the unfairness of imprisoning her sons for their father’s actions, expressing profound sadness over the destruction of their family.
The tragic incident involving Ryan’s murder has left a lasting impact on the family, leading to sorrow and a quest for justice.