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Murder victim Bissan Abu Ganam (right) with MK Hanin Zoabi (left).

10th victim murdered in Ramla family

Bissan Abu Gannam murdered, cases of women in Abu Ganam family killed pile-up, 'Women who chose new path were murdered,' says family member

Bissan Abu Ganam, a 31 year-old mother of six from the central-Israeli city of Ramla, is the tenth woman in her family to fall victim to murder. She arrived to pick-up her children from a building in Ramla when she was fatally shot and killed.

 

 

Dalia Abu Ganam, the victim’s sister, disappeared in November 2008, when she was 16 years-old. Police believe she was also a victim of murder.

 

The murder files are still open while the Police have trouble cracking the mask of extreme violence within the Abu Ganam family.

 

The scene of the crime in Ramla. (Photo: Avi Moalem (Photo: Avi Moalem)
The scene of the crime in Ramla. (Photo: Avi Moalem

 

A Ramla resident from the Abu Ganam family said, "Unfortunately, there is a fear of danger among most women in the family. These victims were murdered because they chose a new path for themselves. These were young women who sought to continue their education and later on work or decided to get a divorce but had serious issues with family members who did not approve of these decisions."

 

She added, "These women were threatened. Every time an Abu Ganam women is murdered the first claim spread is that it was a 'murder in the name of family pride.' I reject these allegations. These are murders on the cause of nonsense."

 

After the disappearance of Dalia Abu Ganam, it was revealed that the police had reliable information that a family member was seeking to hurt her. Despite the information, Abu Ganam was not given any protection and shortly afterward disappeared.

 

The scene of the murder of Bissan Abu Ganam in Ramla. (Photo: Avi Moalem) (Photo: Avi Moalem)
The scene of the murder of Bissan Abu Ganam in Ramla. (Photo: Avi Moalem)

 

From the year 2000 until the disappearance of Dalia Abu Ganam, eight women in the Abu Ganam family were murdered, the last victim of which was Srian Abu Ganam who was also 16 years-old at the time of her murder. In all of the cases, the suspicion was "murder in the name of family pride."

 

A year ago, Bissan Abu Ganam met with MK Hanin Zoabi in a women's gathering in Ramla. Zoabi gave a lecture about her political journey and the political situation in the Arab sector. Abu Ganam spoke with Zoabi regarding the status of women in Ramla during the meeting.

 

Murder victim Bassan Abu Ganam (right) met with MK Hanin Zoabi (left) a year ago.
Murder victim Bassan Abu Ganam (right) met with MK Hanin Zoabi (left) a year ago.

 

Bissan Abu Ganam participated in an adult education program to complete 12 years of education and a certificate of completion. Just a month ago she received her certificate of completion in a ceremony that was conducted in her home city of Ramla.

 

Another resident of Ramla said the number of victims is incomprehensible. "There are no charges against those individuals that made the lives of these victims and their children a living hell. It is time for justice to be served, and whoever's hands are involved in these crimes should be held accountable, period."

 

"I don't accept the explanation that the family is violent or has a history of crime as an explanation as to why these murders are occurring. Even if this were true, a state that abides by laws places criminals behind bars. If the murderers of these women were to pay the price of their crimes in prison, the murderer who shot Bissan Abu Ganam would have thought twice," she said.

 

Samr, a resident of Ramla, says the Abu Ganam family consists of criminals and drug dealers. "They have become dangerous people in the city and nobody knows what to do. Sometimes stories spread that they were involved in murders but they are released because of lack of evidence. They are going wild in the streets and within their family and there is nobody to stop them."

 

The manager of an Arab womens rights organization, social worker Samah Salaime Egbariya, said, "A cloud of death and blood hovers over the women of the family. The citizens of Ramla heard bullet shots and knew that someone's life was over. This time, it was a young women, a mother to small children. She represents the rising crime everywhere. This is a double catastrophe because this woman lost her sister, one of 10 women who have been murdered in the extended Abu Ganam family."

 

She expressed dissatisfaction that the killer or killers have not been apprehended since 2006.

 

"If the criminal responsible for shooting so many women were behind bars, maybe today's murder could have been prevented." She promised her organization's activities will continue the struggle for the sake of freedom of Arab women and fight for their lives as well as their right to security and equality.

 


פרסום ראשון: 10.27.14, 00:08
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