Tulsa Murder Victim's Mother Gives Thanks For World-Wide Support

Haifa Jabara, the mother of slain Tulsan Khalid Jabara, published a statement on the death of her son on her Facebook page Thursday. Stanley Majors, charged in the death of his neighbor, pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder Wednesday.

In her statement, Jabara speaks of her life in the U.S., the alleged conflict with her neighbor, and her gratitude for the support her family has received from people all over the world.

Haifa Jabara posted:

On August 12 my husband and I lived every parent’s nightmare when our son Khalid was killed outside our home. The place where he should have been safe. He was shot while on the phone warning me not to come home because our neighbor had a gun. The same man who almost killed me by running me over with his car and was released from prison to live next door to us and continue to terrorize our family. I listened to the fear in my son’s voice, helpless to save the life that I brought into this world.

Mounah and I left Lebanon in the middle of a brutal war. We came to the United States because we wanted our children to have opportunity and we wanted them to be safe. We fell in love with America. I started a successful business as a chef, sharing our culture with our community in Tulsa. We raised our three children, Victoria, Khalid, and Rami, to be patriotic Americans and remain proud of their Lebanese heritage. We never imagined we would lose our son to hatred and bigotry.

8/24/2016 Related Story: Tulsa Man Charged With Killing Khalid Jabara Pleads Not Guilty

When we began to face harassment from our neighbor based on our heritage, we called the police. The abuse continued to escalate and I applied for a protective order. We reported the first violation of the protective order. The second violation resulted in my hospitalization for severe injuries after he ran me over with his car and left me for dead. He told the police I was a "filthy Lebanese." We never imagined that a man who had exhibited such cruelty and violence towards us over a five year period would be released from prison on bond. I felt unprotected and helpless. We did everything we could to keep our family safe and our tormentor was set free. Today my son is gone and I feel betrayed by a system that I believed in.

Khalid was our protector and caretaker. He was just 37 years old. His last act was to save me, his father, and our other neighbors by warning us that this dangerous man had a gun. A part of my soul died with my son. Mounah and I are so grateful for the messages of love, sympathy, and solidarity we have received from the community in Tulsa and hundreds of people around the country and the world. You have given us strength in our darkest days. We will continue to advocate for justice for our Khalid so that no other family ever experiences the anguish we have suffered.