Update: 2/19/10: Man Pleads Not guilty on charges

A New Jersey man snatched his infant daughter (pictured above) from the arms of the child's grandmother and threw her off a bridge in to the New Jersey river. The child's mother was in court at the time seeking a restraining order.

Acting New Jersey Attorney General Paula Dow referred to the incident as "an example of a horrific case of domestic violence."

Police say that the girl's father, 21-year-old Shamsiddi Abdur-Raheem, allegedly forced himself into the grandmother's apartment at 4 p.m. on Thursday. According to reports, he then struck her in the face, choked her and took the baby from her. The grandmother chased after Abdur-Raheem and was hit when she threw herself in the path of his van.

Abdur-Raheem was arrested four hours later, when he allegedly confessed to police that he threw the child from the bridge. He then went to consult with his Imam, who drove him to a relative's house to call police. Abdur-Raheem has been charged with kidnapping, attempted murder, aggravated assault and child endangerment. Unfortunately, at press time, the baby was yet to be found.

Cases like this one are not uncommon, as there are thousands of victims of stalking or domestic violence who don't receive the help they need on time. Alissa Blanton, a former waitress for Hooters restaurant, was recently shot and killed in an apparent murder suicide by a man she sought a restraining order against. One of my closest friends watched her mother be burned to death by her father. Afterward, she told police, "If you don't help me, he's going to kill me."

We know that domestic violence is a serious problem, and I find it incredibly ironic that this man killed his child on his way to consulting his spiritual adviser. What is most interesting is that many of us know incredibly religious people who might simultaneously commit heinous acts against other human beings. This is both intriguing and disturbing, reminding us that even many highly religious people don't understand what it means to have a relationship with God.

America needs to be better educated about violence against women and ways to avoid it. Women must be educated about the warning signs of abusive partners and be taught zero tolerance against domestic violence. The same should be true for men, who can also be victims of such violence. Additionally, all of us need to be taught that domestic violence is not acceptable under any circumstance. If you find yourself in a violent relationship, get help and get out.

Finally, in the case of Abdur-Raheem and Blanton (the waitress who was shot), there should be a review of court proceedings and documents to ensure proper accountability if these individuals were not appropriately protected by the courts. This should not be allowed to happen again.




Dr. Boyce Watkins is the founder of the Your Black World Coalition. To have Dr. Boyce's commentary delivered to your e-mail, please click here.