Muzzammil Hassan

Last updated
Muzzammil Hassan
Born (1964-05-26) May 26, 1964 (age 59)
Pakistan
Other namesMo Steve Hassan
Alma mater University of Rochester
Occupation(s)Former banker, CEO of Bridges TV
Criminal statusIncarcerated in Clinton Correctional Facility
Spouse Aasiya Zubair (deceased)
ChildrenFour
Criminal charge Second-degree murder
Penalty25 year to life

Muzzammil Syed Hassan (born May 26, 1964), also known as Mo Steve Hassan, is a Pakistani-American, and former CEO of Bridges TV. [1] [2] Bridges TV was the first American Muslim television network broadcast in English. [3] [4] [5] He resigned from the position in February 2009. [6]

Contents

On February 7, 2011, Hassan was found guilty of second degree murder for beheading his wife of eight years, Aasiya Zubair. [7]

Professional life

Muzzammil Hassan came to the United States from Pakistan at age 17, [8] eventually graduating magna cum laude with an MBA from the William E. Simon Graduate School of Business Administration at the University of Rochester in 1996. [9] He went on to become a successful banker in Buffalo, New York. [8]

In 2004, his wife Aasiya prompted him to develop "an American Muslim media where her kids could grow up feeling really strong about their identity as an American Muslim." [10] Hassan expressed belief that some moderate Muslims could not identify with the extreme stereotypes often depicted in Hollywood productions and said that such Muslims "think they are not accurately portrayed" and that "Bridges TV gives American Muslims a voice and will depict them in everyday, real life situations." [3] "Every day on television we are barraged by stories of a 'Muslim extremist, militant, terrorist, or insurgent,'" Hassan said in the 2004 release. "But the stories that are missing are the countless stories of Muslim tolerance, progress, diversity, service and excellence that Bridges TV hopes to tell." [11] The Hassans received an award for this effort from the Council on American-Islamic Relations in 2007. [12]

Murder, arrest, and trial

In February 2009, Hassan was arrested and charged with beheading his estranged wife Aasiya Zubair. [5] According to Orchard Park police, Hassan came to the police station at 6:20 pm on February 12, 2009, the day of the killing, and reported his wife dead. Her body was found at the TV station. [5] [13] Police had previously visited the Hassans' home in response to domestic incidents. They were most recently called to the residence February 6, 2009, the day Hassan was served with divorce papers and an order of protection, [14] where it is reported he was banging on doors and even broke a window. [14] Hassan said in an interview after his arrest that he "felt an incredible amount of relief" after he killed his wife. "I felt like I had escaped from an Al Qaeda terrorist camp and the safest place was the Orchard Park Police Station. I felt safe and secure with them." Hassan's sister-in-law, Asma, the victim's sister in South Africa, said that Aasiya was abused, and feared for her life. [15]

The divorce petition cited "violence and inhuman treatment" as the reason. Police reports indicated that Zubair stated her husband's abusive and controlling behavior had begun at least six years earlier. [16] Muzzammil Hassan was arraigned before Village Justice Deborah Chimes and sent to the Erie County Holding Center. Sources claimed to be close to the case said hunting knives were used to commit the crime. [17]

Prosecutor Colleen Curtin Gable said Hassan, who is stocky and over 6 feet tall, bought two hunting knives less than an hour before the attack, then parked his SUV out of view at the station, and hid in wait inside the station to await his wife. When Hassan's wife walked through the door, he stabbed her more than 40 times in the face, back, chest, and decapitated her, some of which was caught on surveillance video. Their 4- and 6-year-old children, plus a teenage son from one of his two previous marriages, were left buckled into car seats outside in a van during the murder.

Hassan, who dismissed four defense attorneys and acted as his own lawyer during the trial, used his two-hour closing remarks telling the jury how he was a slave to his wife's rages. However, Hassan never produced any witnesses or evidence to substantiate his abuse claims, while prosecutors cited numerous police reports filed by his wife and her medical records which testified to her being the battered spouse. [18]

The New York state jury convicted Muzzammil "Mo" Hassan of second-degree murder after an hour of deliberation. Erie County District Attorney Frank Sedita said the sentence was the maximum amount that could be imposed under state law, and that Hassan will not be "eligible to talk to the parole board" for 25 years. "The chances of him getting out before his sentence is completed is not going to happen." A protection order on behalf of Hassan's two children was also issued by Erie County Judge Thomas Franczyk. [19]

Reaction to arrest

Shortly after the arrest, Bridges TV posted the following notice on their website:

Bridges TV is deeply shocked and saddened by the murder of Aasiya [Zubair] Hassan and subsequent arrest of Muzzammil Hassan. Our deepest condolences and prayers go out to the families of the victim. We request that their right to privacy be respected. [14]

At the Muslim Community Center in Amherst, New York, more than 200 gathered for early morning prayers and a funeral service for Ms. Hassan, who had been active at the center's mosque. "She was more of a practicing Muslim" than her husband, said attendee Hassan Shibly to the New York Times , who worked for the television station with the Hassans prior to enrolling in law school. "She really believed in the cause, wanting to present her faith in an accurate light and now people are blaming her very faith for her death." [20]

The victim's sister, 42-year-old Asma Firfirey of the vicinity of Cape Town, South Africa, said she and her husband Amier talked to Aasiya Hassan the day of the murder. According to Asma Firfirey, she heard her sister tell Muzzammil Hassan to "calm down" and that they "could talk the following day about the divorce". According to Asma and her husband, they described hearing what sounded like her sister struggling to breathe before the telephone connection ended. Asma Firfirey has said that Hassan, whom she calls "the fat man with the evil eyes," will be more dangerous when he is released on bail. [21]

Khalid Qazi, president of the Muslim Public Affairs Council of Western New York and a friend of the couple, said that Hassan "was worried about the station's future" and added "Domestic violence is despicable, and Islam condones it in no way whatever." [22] Afshan Qureshi, a local Muslim leader and the president of an advocacy group in Rochester, New York for domestic violence victims, lamented that the community had been too quick to overlook Muzzammil Hassan's faults: "We punished the victims. People said the first marriage failed because the girl was American, the second marriage failed because the girl wasn't patient enough and then, look, the third wife is happy. Everything is OK. The community is an accomplice in the story of Muzzammil Hassan." [23]

Conversely, Marcia Pappas, New York State president of the National Organization for Women opined "This was apparently a terroristic version of honor killing, a murder rooted in cultural notions about women's subordination to men." [24] Pappas' superior, Kim Gandy, president of the National Organization of Women, stated:

Although the crime was quickly decried by Muslim groups, many talk shows and blogs used the horror of Muzzammil's act to indict an entire community -- in a way that they would never have accused the entire Christian religion because a Methodist man murdered his estranged wife in a horrible way. Three weeks ago, a Chinese graduate student at Virginia Tech cut off a female friend's head with a knife. Not a single news outlet referred to his religion. [25]

On March 5, 2010, Hassan's attorneys announced that Hassan "isn't even a practicing Muslim and that public speculation has been unfair." [26]

According to a former employee, in the past few years Bridges TV transformed itself into more of a cross-cultural network seeking to bridge the gap between all cultures. Most of their employees were not Muslim, the former employee said, and Muzzammil Hassan himself was not devout, neither praying nor fasting. [27] [28] Out of deference to his Jewish friends, Hassan expressed aversion to producing shows about Palestine. [29] Nancy Sanders, the television station's news director for over two years, said "I just do not feel it was an honor killing. I think it was domestic abuse that got out of control." [9]

The Council on American-Islamic Relations and the Islamic Society of North America responded with an "Open Letter to Muslim Leaders", expressing shock and sadness at the murder, condemning domestic violence, and calling on imams and Muslim leaders to "provide support and help to protect the victims of domestic violence" and "to never second-guess a woman who comes to us indicating that she feels her life to be in danger". [23] [30]

Previous marriages and children

Prior to his marriage to Aasiya Zubair, Hassan was married twice before: first, to a Caucasian American woman, Janice, with whom he had two children, Michael and Sonia; second, for 13 months to a Pakistani-American Muslim woman, Sadia. According to Sadia's cousin, Zerqa Abid, both of his earlier wives filed for divorce on the same grounds of severe domestic violence and abuses. [23] [31]

In addition to the two children from his first marriage (ages 32–33 and 33–34), he has two children (a girl age 19–20 and a boy age 21–22) from his third marriage (to Aasiya). [32]

Trial

The prosecution accused Hassan of stabbing his wife 40 times and beheading her because she filed for divorce six days before. [33] Hassan's lawyer, Jeremy Schwartz, claims Hassan was beaten by his wife and feared for his life. [33] Hassan initially pleaded not guilty to the charge of second-degree murder. [33] The trial began on Tuesday, January 18, 2011. On Monday, January 24, Hassan gained permission from Judge Thomas Franczyk to represent himself after repeatedly trying to dismiss his own defense attorney, Jeremy Schwartz. Hassan did admit, however, that he had beaten his wife repeatedly between December 2007 and March 2008. [34]

On January 24, Hassan asked for the case to be dismissed, citing lack of evidence by the prosecution. This request was denied. On the same day, text messages between Hassan and his wife from the date of the murder were released as evidence. [35] In an unusual turn, Hassan asked to represent himself. After first denying him, Erie County Court Judge Thomas Franczyk eventually granted his request. He testified on the 27th and 28 January, with his former defense attorney Jeremy Schwartz acting as his legal adviser.

Hassan is currently incarcerated in Clinton Correctional Facility. His parole hearing date is set for October 2033. [2]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daniel Pearl</span> American journalist beheaded by terrorists in Pakistan (1963–2002)

Daniel Pearl was an American journalist who worked for The Wall Street Journal. On January 23, 2002, he was kidnapped near a restaurant in downtown Karachi and murdered by terrorists in Pakistan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Walsh (television host)</span> American television presenter (born 1945)

John Edward Walsh, Jr. is an American television presenter, criminologist, victims' rights activist, and the host/creator of America's Most Wanted. He is known for his anti-crime activism, with which he became involved following the murder of his son, Adam, in 1981; in 2008, deceased serial killer Ottis Toole was officially named as Adam's killer. Walsh was part-owner of the now defunct National Museum of Crime and Punishment in Washington, D.C. He also anchored an investigative documentary series, The Hunt with John Walsh, which debuted on CNN in 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Murder trial of O. J. Simpson</span> 1995 US criminal trial

The People of the State of California v. Orenthal James Simpson was a criminal trial in Los Angeles County Superior Court, in which former National Football League (NFL) player and actor O. J. Simpson was tried and acquitted for the murders of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman. The two were stabbed to death outside Brown's condominium in the Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles on June 12, 1994. The murder trial spanned eight months, from January 24 to October 3, 1995.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Human rights in Pakistan</span> Overview of the situation of human rights throughout Pakistan

The situation of Human Rights in Pakistan is complex as a result of the country's diversity, large population, its status as a developing country and a sovereign Islamic democracy with a mixture of both Islamic and secular law.

An honor killing, honour killing, or shame killing is a traditional form of murder in which a person is killed by or at the behest of members of their family, due to culturally sanctioned beliefs that such homicides are necessary as retribution for the perceived dishonoring of the family by the victim. Honor killings are often connected to religion, caste, other forms of hierarchical social stratification, or sexuality. Most often, it involves the murder of a woman or girl by male family members, due to the perpetrators' belief that the victim has brought dishonor or shame upon the family name, reputation or prestige. Honor killings are believed to have originated from tribal customs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Islam and domestic violence</span> Islam and domestic violence

The relationship between Islam and domestic violence is disputed. Even among Muslims, the uses and interpretations of Sharia, the moral code and religious law of Islam, lack consensus. Variations in interpretation are due to different schools of Islamic jurisprudence, histories and politics of religious institutions, conversions, reforms, and education.

Bridges TV was a Muslim television network in the United States. It was originally headquartered in Buffalo, New York. Premiering nationally in November 15, 2004, it was the first American Muslim television network to broadcast in the English language. The channel ceased operations March 15, 2012.

Marcia Pappas is the New York State president of the National Organization for Women.

Khalid Qazi is an internist and former residency program director at Sisters of Charity Hospital, Buffalo, New York and president of the Muslim Public Affairs Council of Western New York. He was among a group of Indian Americans who met with George W. Bush in 2001 following the September 11 attacks. During that President's administration, Qazi said:0

There is a very strong feeling in legal circles that some of the legislation that has come out of Washington recently may seriously compromise the rights of some minorities or Americans in the country. The profiling that is being done is a strong problem that needs to be looked at. We obviously need to work with our political leadership and the administration to see how we can best balance the security issues and the rights of citizens. ... .I think there is a strong feeling in the Muslim community that if there is a Muslim individual who might be accused of carrying out any activity, then the whole community is under the focus and the microscope, rather than just that individual.

Aasiya Zubair, also known as Aasiya Hassan was married to Muzzammil Hassan, the Pakistani-American founder and owner of Bridges TV, the first American Muslim English-language television network. In February 2009, she was found dead, beheaded, at the Bridges TV station in Orchard Park, New York after her estranged husband turned himself in to a police station and was charged with second-degree murder.

Honour killings in Pakistan are known locally as karo-kari. According to the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, over 470 cases of honour killings were reported in Pakistan in 2021. But human rights defenders estimate that around 1,000 women are murdered in the name of honour every year. An honour killing is the murder of a member of a family or social group by other members, due to the belief the victim has brought dishonour upon the family or community. The death of the victim is viewed as a way to restore the reputation and honour of the family.

The Shafia family murders took place on June 30, 2009, in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Shafia sisters Zainab, 19, Sahar, 17, and Geeti, 13, along with their father's wife Rona Muhammad Omar, 52, were found dead inside a car that was discovered underwater in front of the northernmost Kingston Mills lock of the Rideau Canal. Zainab, Sahar, and Geeti were daughters of Mohammad Shafia, 58, and his wife, Tooba Mohammad Yahya, 41. The couple also had a son, Hamed, 20, and three other children. Rona, who was herself infertile, was the first wife of Mohammad Shafia in their polygamous household.

Several honor killings have been documented in the United States. As of 2012, there is no central agency that collects data across all jurisdictions in regards to honor violence in the United States. There is reluctance among some organizations to label events as honor killings to avoid stigmatizing Muslim and Arab cultures.

Daisy Khan is a Kashmiri-American Islamic campaigner, reformer, and executive director of the Women's Islamic Initiative in Spirituality and Equality (WISE), a women-led organization committed to peacebuilding, equality, and justice for Muslims around the world. Khan is a frequent media commentator on topics such as Muslim women's rights, Islam in America, Islamophobia, and violent extremism. In 2017, Khan published WISE Up: Knowledge Ends Extremism, a report intended to prevent the rise of hate and extremism and develop narratives of peace. Her memoir, Born with Wings, was published by Random House in April 2018. Khan has consistently been recognized for her work. She was listed among Time magazine's "100 Most Influential People", the Huffington Post included her in their "Top Ten Women Faith Leaders", and More magazine has described her as "a link between moderate Islam and the West."

The use of politically and religiously-motivated violence dates back to the early history of Islam. Islam has its origins in the behavior, sayings, and rulings of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, his companions, and the first caliphs in the 7th, 8th, and 9th centuries CE. Mainstream Islamic law stipulates detailed regulations for the use of violence, including corporal and capital punishment, as well as regulations on how, when, and whom to wage war against.

Punishment for rape in Pakistan under the Pakistani laws is either death penalty or imprisonment of between ten and twenty-five years. For cases related to gang rape, the punishment is either death penalty or life imprisonment. DNA test and other scientific evidence are used in prosecuting rape cases in Pakistan.

Ghayrah is an Arabic word that encompasses the concept of a person's dislike or displeasure over someone else sharing a right or privilege that belongs to them. It carries a sense of earnest concern or zeal and can be seen as a form of protective jealousy. In Islam, ghayrah is understood in two aspects: one that pertains to God and one that pertains to a Muslim. God's discontent arises from sharing the obedience of His servant, which rightfully belongs to Him alone. For a Muslim, ghayrah refers to the uneasiness in their heart that motivates them to protect their family from indecency and maintain their honor

The Voice of Libyan Women (VLW) is a non-governmental organization (NGO) founded in order to advance and protect women's rights in Libya. VLW is headquartered in Tripoli and has branch offices in Zawia and Misrata. VLW is still very much a youth-led organization which continues to advocate for women's development and to challenge the prevailing norms of Libyan society. VLW works to spread information at a national level by creating local teams made up both of individuals and organizations.

International Purple Hijab Day is an international day of remembrance for those who have experienced domestic violence. It is observed on the second Saturday each February. It is most often celebrated by Muslims, with women donning a purple hijab, but anyone may participate by wearing a purple item of clothing on the day such as a scarf, tie or kufi.

Nadia Shahram is an Iranian mediation attorney, author, and women's rights advocate. She is the founder and president of the Coalition for the Advancement of Moslem Women, an organization promoting equality for Muslim women. Shahram unveiled the first Declaration of Equalities for Muslim Women during the 2014 Convention Days in Seneca Falls, New York. One year later, Shahram presented the Declaration to the Women's Rights National Historical Park in Seneca Falls, where it hangs on permanent display in the Visitor's Center.

References

  1. ↑ Did we ever bother to know Muzzammil? Archived 2009-02-21 at the Wayback Machine Al-Arabiya News Channel, February 19, 2009
  2. 1 2 "Inmate Population Information Search". New York Department of Correctional Services (DIN: 11B0672). Archived from the original on April 20, 2010. Retrieved March 20, 2011.
  3. 1 2 News aljazeerah.info: First American Muslim Television Channel Announced by Bridges Network Archived 2008-08-28 at the Wayback Machine
  4. ↑ Press Release: Bridges TV Debuts American Muslim Television Network in English Nationwide on November 30, 2004 Archived March 3, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  5. 1 2 3 CNN: Founder of Islamic TV station accused of beheading wife (February 16, 2009)
  6. ↑ Gryta, Matt (2009-03-14). "Hassan denied bail in murder, decapitation of wife". Buffalo, New York: The Buffalo News. Archived from the original on March 17, 2009. Retrieved 2009-06-07.
  7. ↑ New York Times, February 17, 2009
  8. 1 2 [ dead link ] Voice of America:Muslims in America Reach Out (16 November 2004)
  9. 1 2 Huffington Post, February 17, 2009
  10. ↑ Beheaded woman's sister: I might have heard deadly confrontation CNN, February 17, 2009
  11. ↑ Miller, Joshua Rhett (February 16, 2009). "Muslim Television Channel Founder Charged With Beheading His Wife". Foxnews.com. FOX News Network. Retrieved 21 September 2014.
  12. ↑ CAIR-PA First Annual Banquet
  13. ↑ Muslim TV exec accused of beheading wife in NY AP, 2009-02-17
  14. 1 2 3 Bridges TV Accessed 17 February 2009 Archived 19 February 2009 at the Wayback Machine
  15. ↑ Kompos, Athan. "Mo Hassan Explains Why He Beheaded His Wife". wgrz.com. Multimedia Entertainment, INC.. Archived from the original on 21 September 2014. Retrieved 21 September 2014.
  16. ↑ "The Buffalo News: A history of abuse preceded Orchard Park beheading (02/22/09)". Archived from the original on 2009-02-26. Retrieved 2009-02-23.
  17. ↑ "The Buffalo News: Slain Orchard Park woman was stabbed before beheading (02/21/09)". Archived from the original on 2009-02-24. Retrieved 2009-02-23.
  18. ↑ THOMPSON, CAROLYN. "Muzzammil Hassan Convicted Of Beheading Wife". huffingtonpost.com. TheHuffingtonPost.com, Inc. Retrieved 21 September 2014.
  19. ↑ "New York TV exec gets 25 years to life for wife's beheading". cnn.com. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. March 9, 2011. Retrieved 21 September 2014.
  20. ↑ New York Times, February 17, 2008
  21. ↑ digitaljournal.com: Monster beheaded my sister, says Cape Town woman (Feb 14, 2009)
  22. ↑ US Muslim TV boss arrested for beheading wife
  23. 1 2 3 Prelude to Murder, The Daily Beast, February 23, 2009
  24. ↑ New York Daily News Muslim TV mogul Muzzammil Hassan's alleged beheading of wife, Aasiya Hassan, may be 'honor killing' (February 17th 2009)
  25. ↑ Kim Gandy, "No Woman, No Culture Immune to Violence Against Women", February 20 2009
  26. ↑ [ dead link ] http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=908484&category=STATE
  27. ↑ CNN Report, February 17, 2009
  28. ↑ Beliefnet: A Murder in Buffalo Touches Us Al l
  29. ↑ "Illume Magazine, February 17, 2009". Archived from the original on February 23, 2009. Retrieved February 19, 2009.
  30. ↑ Response to Aasiya Hassan’s Murder: Open Letter to Muslim Leaders Archived 2009-02-25 at the Wayback Machine , Islamic Society of North America/CAIR
  31. ↑ Zerqa Abid, ZAPS Technocrats, Inc., 17 February 2009
  32. ↑ "The Buffalo News, February 17, 2009". Archived from the original on February 19, 2009. Retrieved February 18, 2009.
  33. 1 2 3 BBC (18 January 2011). "Beheading trial opens in New York for TV executive". BBC News. Retrieved 19 January 2011.
  34. ↑ WGRZ (26 January 2011). "Mo Hassan Trial: Jurors Sent Home For Today" . Retrieved 26 January 2011.[ permanent dead link ]
  35. ↑ WIVB (26 January 2011). "Prosecution rests their case in beheading trial" . Retrieved 26 January 2011.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.