The credibility of the home invasion in the Shemina Hirji murder
Though there has been a lot of doubts raised about what actually happened in Burnaby, British Columbia, concerning the murder of Shemina Hirji, the home invasion reported by husband Paul Cheema is still credible. The description of one of the invaders wearing a business suit is not as far-fetched as some people might think.
For all the odd aspects of the murder of Shemina Cheema (formerly Shemina Hirji), one that strikes people as most strange is the description of the alleged home invaders. One was in a business suit. As it turns out, that isn't unusual:
[Paul Cheema] was only able to give vague descriptions of two of the three home attackers.
The first man is described as a tall Caucasian male wearing a brown business suit, while the other had darker skin and wore a ski mask.
In many home invasions, one person will knock on a door, dressed in a respectable suit to convince the occupants to unlock the door while the other robbers hide from sight.
Another site expands on this tactic used by home invaders:
Home invasion robbers, in contrast, work more often at night and on weekends when homes are more likely to be occupied. The home invader will sometimes target the resident as well as the dwelling. The selection process may include a woman living alone, a wealthy senior citizen or a known drug dealer, for example. It is not unheard of for a robber to follow you home based on the value of the car you are driving or the jewelry you are wearing. Some home invaders might have been in your home before as a delivery person, installer or repair vendor. Home robbers rarely work alone and rely on an overwhelming physical confrontation to gain initial control and instill fear in you. The greatest violence usually occurs during the initial sixty seconds of the confrontation and home invaders often come prepared with handcuffs, rope, duct tape, and firearms. Some in-home robbers appear to enjoy the intimidation, domination, and violence and some even claim it’s a "rush."
So were Paul and Shemina targeted? If so, why? Did the home invaders believe that there were expensive and new items to steal, items only recently received as wedding gifts? What went wrong that Shemina was killed?
Given the fact that home invasions are so violent, why was Paul Cheema left unharmed? Why didn't the home invaders continue with the theft even after the murder?
And why is the police investigation marked with such levels of secrecy?
Does the truth lie somewhere in between? Was this a home invasion, but not motivated by theft, but by other reasons, related specifically to Paul Cheema and Shemina Hirji?
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Comments
Business suited invaders eh? Can you smell a little bit of blow or pot money here? Maybe Cheema was a banker/launderer for a connected boo merchant and this was a drug money ripoff.
Posted by: WL Mackenzie Redux at July 11, 2007 08:18 AM
it seems an unusually large number of muslim women are burned/murdered or otherwise disposed of. I believe the men were out to kill her and her only, a message to other women to curb their ambitions, keep your face covered and mouth shut.
Posted by: kelly at July 11, 2007 11:24 PM
Actually, the several Indo-Canadian women who were recently murdered by their husbands in the Vancouver area were all of Sikh origin. In any case, it's really upsetting to see all the violence that women in the South Asian community face.
Posted by: Jason at July 11, 2007 11:49 PM
Did you see the story on CBC? Paul Cheema was convicted on several charges including forcible confinement of his one-time fiance in Winnipeg in 1995. Home invasion? Staged.
Posted by: Anne at July 12, 2007 09:19 PM
Canada needs to enact new laws and create a social support network (woman shelters, job training programs and etc.)for helping South Asian, Middle Eastern and Africa woman who are victims of Honor Killings; which happens to be what this case is really about.
It is time to send a clear message to the South Asians, Persians, Arabs and African Muslims that there is no place for them in Canada if they continue to live by their sexist and oppressive codes of Honor and Shame that governs their social relations.
For those who want to know more about 'honor killings' and the social relations and codes of behaviour that drive them you should read "The Death of Feminism" by Phyllis Chesler.
Posted by: J.Mo at July 13, 2007 12:19 AM
It seems pretty obvious to me that Paul Cheema killed his wife. As we now know, he has a history of violence against women.
Posted by: Charlotte at July 13, 2007 01:04 AM
I did not believe the story from the beginning. Why would a person wearing a suit break into someone's home. I always believed he was the only one involved in his wife's death. None the less it is high time for domestic violence to stop. Domestic abuse and violence occurs with every race on earth, it is just that the media likes to focus more on minority. I believe that if a married couple do not get along, they should be able to end it without fear of death. Any sort of abuse makes me sick.
Posted by: nita at July 16, 2007 06:28 PM
 
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