Ismail Al-Faruqi - Death

Death

On May 27, 1986, a knife-wielding man broke into the Faruqi home in Wyncote, Pennsylvania, and attacked Dr. Faruqi, his wife Lois Lamya, and their daughter, Anmar al-Zein. Faruqi and his wife died from their wounds. Their daughter survived the attack but required 200 stitches to close her wounds. Prominent religious figures and politicians paid tribute to the Faruqis at a memorial service held in Washington in late September. The event was organized by the al-Faruqi Memorial Committee, which is made up of the Council of Presidents of Arab-American Organizations, the Islamic Society of North America, the National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA and the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC).

At about the same time, ADC published an eight-page "Special Report" on the murders, including a detailed account of the crime, its victims, and the current status of the investigation. Although nothing was missing from the house, some investigators working on the case believe the murders resulted from a bungled burglary attempt. However, the police lieutenant in charge of the investigation described the incident as an assassination, saying that "someone took it upon themselves" to kill Faruqi. In view of the rise of violent anti-Arab and anti-Muslim incidents in those recent years due to the Zionist-Palestinian conflict the report suggests that the murders could very well have been politically motivated. Dr.Faruqi was known for his support for the Palestinian cause and articles criticizing Zionism.