Domestic Violence, Muzzammil Hassan and the Muslim Community

On February 12, 2009, the infamous murderer Muzzammil Hassan of Bridges TV, Buffalo, NY, took less than 23 minutes in admitting that he murdered his estrange wife Aasiya Zubair Hassan. But unfortunately, the American judicial system took 23 months in bringing this notorious man to the court for a real trial.

During these 23 months, NY taxpayers paid several thousand dollars to provide health care, food and other services to this unsolicited guest in jail. He gained as much time as possible by hiring and firing attorneys only to be his own lawyer in the end.

Now that the trial finally began on January 18^th, 2011, he has been doing his best to manipulate the jury, but it seems unlikely that he will succeed. It’s sickening to read the minute by minute detail of his trial. Regardless of the facts that there is no witness to support his claim that he was abused by Aasiya, and that his own older children have given strong statements against him, he has been going on and on for last 3 days of trial. It's expected that he will finish his testimony on Tuesday, February 1, 2011.

No matter how much and whatever he speaks and presents, I hope and pray that the jury would serve this man with the punishment he deserves. He did not just kill his wife, but he heartlessly slaughtered the mother of his two little children while they were waiting for their mom in the parking lot.

In fact, Muzzammil Hassan has blown several minds and has opened eyes of even more. By his brutal actions and nasty, manipulative testimony, he has broken several stereotypes within American Muslim community too.  He has proven that a well educated, well groomed, high achiever in the twenty first century can also be as brutal as a caveman or even worse. Regardless of the fact that he launched a Muslim TV channel to educate non-Muslims about the beauty of Islam; he proved that he himself needed that education the most. His abusive relationships with all three of his wives proved that he was not following the polite and loving way of the blessed Prophet Muhammad.    

On February 12, 2009, the Muslims in America and abroad also learned the hard way that they could not ignore the issue of domestic violence anymore; that they could not pretend that it does not exist; and that they could not blame, shut up or simply label the victims anymore.

It was a wakeup call. Several individuals and organizations responded to it immediately. New organizations have been founded and new projects have been launched since then. Project Sakinah, and altmuslimah.com are on top of those efforts on national level.

Project Sakinah is an initiative of Dar al Islam, a New Mexico based nonprofit organization under the leadership of Dr. Mohammad Shafi. As a first response to the murder, Dar al Islam called for and facilitated a meeting of several national and local Muslim DV prevention organizations  and advocates. This meeting, Voice to Action: Muslims against Domestic Violence, was co-sponsored by altmuslimah.com, Peaceful Families Project, Karamah, and Islamic Social Services Association - USA and was held in Arlington, VA, on October 17, 2009. According to the participants, this meeting became first ever brainstorming platform for all those organizations and DV prevention advocates who would draw a road map to the prevention of domestic violence within American Muslim community. The video highlights of this meeting can be seen here.

Simultaneous to the call of Voice to Action meeting, Dar al Islam also decided to launch Project Sakinah to initiate a community response to the various types of family violence in the American Muslim community. In last 23 months, Dar al Islam has provided its resources and manpower to establish and facilitate Project Sakinah. Its interactive website is in its final stages of development. This is the first of its kind website developed to mobilize American Muslim community against family violence.  

In the second round of meeting and efforts, the project is now gathering community to end domestic violence. The first gathering was held in California on October 17, 2010. The project is willing to partner with local organizations in various cities to facilitate a real movement in coming months and years.

Similar to Project Sakinah, altmuslimah.com has also been playing a major role in this regard. It was launched on Mrach 8, 2009. Asma  T. Uddin, the founder and editor-in-chief of the online publication took it upon herself to burst various myths and mysteries surrounding gender-related issues in Islam.  In last 22 months, this site has proven to be a great space for open dialogue addressing not only domestic violence but also many other taboo topics in Muslim community.  This site is unprecedented in many ways. 

Another unprecedented effort was the foundation of Muslim Men Against Domestic Abuse on day twelve of Aasiya’s murder. Mohammad Khalil, the founder of MMADA called upon all Muslim men to stand up against domestic violence. Simultaneously, Baitul Salaam Network in Atlana, GA, launched a similar initiative, Muslim Men Against Domestic Violence.  Their call was heard loud and clear all over the United States.  Both organizations have been instrumental in mobilizing Muslim men in last 23 months.

In October 2010, Muslim Consultative Network, a NY based nonprofit organization launched another initiative entitled, “10,000 Muslim Men Against Domestic Violence.” This is a pledge of Muslim men to stand “against this societal ill that is strictly forbidden in Islam.”  So far only 756 men have signed on the pledge, but it does not mean that the rest of the Muslim men are in favor of domestic violence. It’s only a matter of how many Muslim men are actually active online and how far the message has been reached by now.  This definitely needs more publicity within Muslim community, both online and on grounds.

When it comes to on-ground local activism, Turning Points for Women and Families in Queens, NY, under the leadership of Robina Niaz is a great example. This organization has been working round the clock not only to serve the DV victims but also to engage and mobilize NY Muslim community against domestic violence. In October 2009, CNN selected Niaz as a CNN Hero and she was invited to Lary King Live show. In November 2010, Bank of America Charitable Foundation also recognized Niaz as a "Local Hero."   This is in addition to several other awards and recognitions by local organizations in NY.

Indeed, the success of Turning Points for Women and Families is a testimony of Muslims' commitment to ending domestic and other types of family violence. This organization is also a great model for other faith and ethnicity based local organizations focusing on the issue of domestic violence.

While Hassan’s trial is in the progress, American Muslim community is preparing for the second anniversary of Aasiya’s death. Several organizations and individuals are organizing memorial services on February 12.  They are also asking imams to address the issue of domestic violence in their Friday sermons and other community meetings during that week. Baitul Salaam Network, has also called for an “International Purple Hijab Day” on that day.

The purpose of all these activities in February is raising awareness against domestic violence. This is good news. This must be followed by solid actions and initiatives to end all types of family violence though. Local Muslim communities all over the states need to replicate Turning Points for Women and Families model. More project ideas and resources are available at Project Sakinah’s site too. 

Joining this campaign is not an option anymore; instead, it is a journey that we must go on for the sake of our little ones who may lose their parents otherwise as Aasiya’s little ones did. If awareness is step one in this journey, willingness and actions must be step two and three. 

May Allah, the almighty, bless the soul of Sr. Aasiya and place her in the highest levels of paradise, may He always protect and provide her little ones with the best in this life and in the hereafter, may He heal the suffering of her parents, family and friends, may He give the wisdom to the jury of Muzzammil’s trial to serve the justice well, may He guide all communities to stand against all types of family violence. Amen.
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Other posts on this topic:

Did we ever bother to know Muzzammil?
Voice to Action: Muslims Against Domestic Violence
Do we have a Will to End Domestic Violence?


Useful Links:

Muzzammil Hassan Trial Follow Up by Buffalo News
Project Sakinah 
Project Sakinah's Facebook 
altmuslimah.com 
Turning Points for Women and Families