Decapitating Stereotypes
Her hubby, Muzzammil Hassan, agreed, and founded Bridges TV - a small channel based in Orchard Park, New York.
The pair did what they could to present Muslims in a good light, refuting many of the negative ideas about Muslims. They tried to put into historical and cultural context, characteristics of Sharia law that offend so many non-Muslims: amputating hands for theft, stoning women to death for adultery, the necessity of women covering their flesh so it won't be visible to male eyes, the dominance of males in Muslim society, lack of education for girls, the practice of "honour killing" of women for a variety of infractions, and a whole package of cultural mores that collide with modern western society's values.
Born in Pakistan, Hassan came to America 25 years ago. His wife was a graduate of Georgetown University in Washington, her father from Syria, her mother from Jordan.
Hassan is an MBA, and formerly worked in a bank. As CEO of Bridges TV, he felt: "There should be a Muslim media so that Muslim children growing up in America grow up with the self-confidence and high self-esteem about their identity both as Americans and Muslims.”
Since 2004, the Hassans ran their TV channel - and then Aasiya, perhaps more American than traditional Muslim, filed for a divorce.
On Thursday, last week, Muzzammil Hassan, age 44, turned himself into Orchard Park police and declared he'd killed Aasiya, 37 - in fact that he'd decapitated her, cut off her head, presumably because she had dishonoured him by seeking a divorce.
Other aspects involved may emerge later. Hassan remains in jail, charged with second-degree murder.
Considering its background, the story has had remarkably little play - a mention on CNN, a few paragraphs in various newspapers, but nothing in the way of follow-up in the mainstream American (or Canadian) media.
Nor has there been much in the way of comment, perhaps because of over-sensitivity about raising questions of Muslims and/or minorities. This is a form of reverse racism, and foolish in that it ducks what is a valid issue today.
No rational person suggests that what Muzzammil Hassan did is typical of Muslim behaviour, but the case is loaded with irony and significance. Intellectually dedicated as he might have been to correcting false stereotypes about Muslims, it all fell apart for Hassan when it became personal. The same might have been said of his wife, who defied her culture - and became a victim.
Erie County District Attorney Frank Sedita, ever alert to the obvious, called this "the worst form of domestic violence."
In the U.S., bloggers have adopted this story more than have the media.
"Second degree murder for decapitating your wife? What do you have to do to be charged with murder in the first degree?" asked one blogger.
"Why couldn't he just shoot his wife, like most Americans," asked Sarah Trachtenberg. "I mean, decapitation? That really is more associated with Islam."
"He could claim his being arrested for decapitating his wife is just another instance of Western prejudice against Muslims," said another. "I'm sure someone is preparing a column . . . with a more subtle variant on the theme."
Added another; "Now that he has beheaded his wife, I'm afraid this prominent moderate Muslim will only be feeding those negative perceptions."
And there the matter rests - for the moment. So much for correcting false impressions of stereotypes.