Washington, DC

  For as long as I can remember, when faced with sensationalistic media coverage of terrorism that immediately blames Islam for the acts of Muslims, I have responded confidently that such connections are simplistic and untrue. With the 9/11 attacks, my religious identity became inextricably linked with my spokesperson self, and in recent years, I have found it increasingly difficult to distinguish between the spiritual and the controversial – to find the faith among social commentary.

I am sure the same can be said of many of us who are concerned about how Islam is handled by the media and perceived by the American public. In rushing to defend Islam, we often find our connection with Islam somehow reduced to soundbytes; Islam's principles are simplified to convenient factual tidbits. Islam is a religion of peace, jihad is largely about the struggle for inner purification, Islam gave women their rights well before any other civilization did, and so on.

One favorite that I myself have used many times is "a religion cannot be judged solely on the misdeeds of its adherents." We spokespeople try to distance Islam from the corruption and terrorism of some Muslims, insisting that the two cannot be conflated. Each time another Muslim commits a heinous crime and the media jumps on his/her Muslim-ness as an explanation for his/her actions, we spokespeople are quick to point out the logical fallacy of such an equation.

The task has become increasingly complicated as more and more Muslim criminals use Islam as their justification. Islam becomes part of the motive, and is itself put on trial—literally—in the case of prosecuted terrorists. Islam, as interpreted by some and colored by sociopolitical factors, can and has been used to motivate violence.

As of last week, it became even more complicated. Muzzammil Hassan, the founder of Bridges TV, a Muslim-interest network which aims "to foster a greater understanding among many cultures and diverse populations," confessed to the police that he had beheaded his wife, Aasiya Zubair Hassan. As the news accounts go, Hassan walked to the police station after killing his wife and informed the police that his wife was dead. The police went to the Bridges TV headquarters to find Hassan's wife lying decapitated in the hallway, having apparently died hours earlier. The potential motive? According to the victim's lawyer, Hassan's wife had recently filed for divorce after eight years of a physically abusive marriage.

The incident has shocked and horrified the community, and many commentators have rushed to again state that the acts of one crazed individual cannot represent an entire religion. There is no doubt that this statement is true. Regardless of whether Hassan was or was not a devout Muslim, his actions are not necessarily rooted in his religious beliefs. Emotions, mental illness, his baser self—all of these are surely at the root of his professed violence.

However, Hassan himself has complicated the Muslim vs. Islam distinction. Like many of us, he strove to be Islam's spokesperson, and he did it in a much bigger and more public way. As founder of a TV channel devoted to dispelling stereotypes of Islam, he placed himself in a position of power and influence. He set himself out as a representative for Islam, and now that very act of representation will serve to conflate his actions with Islam.

At the very least, what do his actions say about the spokespeople for peaceful Islam? How credible are the soundbytes when the spokesperson himself does not act on them?

"A religion cannot not be judged solely on the misdeeds of its adherents – or of its spokespeople." Fair enough, but the argument is beginning to feel a bit strained.

Further blurring the line between the actor and the religion is Hassan's choice to kill his wife by beheading her, thus invoking images of a male master punishing a female for violating his orders. Indeed, the incident has already been labeled an honor killing by a number of commentators, some of whom are careful to distinguish between domestic violence and the largely Muslim phenomenon of honor killings. Not only did Hassan fail to serve as a spokesperson for peaceful Islam, he also helped fortify some of the most extreme stereotypes about the religion.

Beyond the slogans

While Bridges may have been founded to bridge the gap between East and West and help bring about cultural understanding, Hassan's actions have made the road painfully longer and more tortuous. He has undermined the credibility of the very spokespeople who work to create a more positive image of Islam.

In exposing the hypocrisy of the spokesperson, though, Hassan's actions serve as an urgent call to all of us spokespeople to step away from the soundbytes and begin to live our religion again. Constantly caught up in the social commentary—the debates and blogs and conferences and, yes, TV channels—we need to delve deeper and take more seriously the task of representing Islam through our actions and character rather than the slogans and clichés.

It seems that the call is being heard already. Imam Mohamed Hagmajid Ali, the Executive Director of the ADAMS Center and the Vice-President of ISNA, issued an open letter in response to the Hassan incident, urging "fellow imams and community leaders to never second-guess a woman who comes to [them] indicating that she feels her life to be in danger." He points out that no woman in a healthy marriage would accuse her husband wrongfully, and that the credibility of her claims should thus never be doubted. Abused women should be given a safe haven, while the abusive spouses should be dealt with strongly and categorically. As the imam notes, "Our community needs to take strong stand against abusive spouses and we should not make it easy for them to remarry if they chose a path of abusive behavior."

He goes on to say that young men should be taught that terror has no place in marriage, and young woman should be taught to never accept and keep silent about marital abuse. And "[n]o imam, mosque leader or social worker should suggest that [the abused woman] return to such a relationship and to be patient if she feels the relationship is abusive."

The absolutism and specificity of the imam's words makes his message a call to action rather than a mere pep talk. He is not merely a spokesperson; he is setting the parameters of appropriate action and communicating a zero tolerance policy for domestic abuse. The shift is a critical one.

I personally know of other women in the ADAMS Center community who have approached the imam for help with domestic abuse issues and hope to see the zero tolerance policy translated into similarly concrete action for them, just as Muslim leaders across the nation and the world need to do that for their communities. A national event has already been planned for the Friday sermon on February 20, 2009, where imams across the nation are being asked to make clear that domestic violence will not be tolerated in our communities.

The Hassan incident beckons these imams, and all of us spokespeople for Islam, to take the offensive rather than merely the defensive—to go beyond the soundbytes to criticize the wrongdoers among us and eradicate the source of abuse.

Asalamu Aliakum Liaquat,

I do not believe misunderstanding or misinterpretation of the verse is the problem. The relations between the spouses in Islam should be based on tranquility, love and mercy. Allah says: "And among His Signs is this, that He created for you mates from among yourselves, that you may dwell in tranquility with them, and He has put love and mercy between your (hearts): verily in that are Signs for those who reflect." (Ar-Rum: 21) And He says: “Permitted to you, on the night of the fasts, is the approach to your wives. They are your garments and ye are their garments….” (Al-Baqarah: 187) Commentators on the Qur’an understand this to mean that husbands and wives are for mutual support, mutual comfort, and mutual protection.
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "Treat women nicely…" and "The best amongst you, are the best for their wives, and I am the best of you for my wives."
The criminal actions of Muzzammil Hassan are his own and done in spite of Islam. Based on the history of his behavior I see his interest in Bridges TV as being nothing more then a business venture.

Thanks for your informative post DrM. I really appreciate it.

Everyone knows that domestic abuse and spousal murder are universal, it's just that beheading is so Islamicky. More important are the heads struck off in Swat, where the usual terrorist thugs have implemented shariah. Now, THAT's Islamic!

Nice verses, Mengele, but you shouldn't call yourself a doctor just because you took a first aid course in reform school.

...Aasiya was also a dear friend with whom I was privileged to produce two series that I hosted for their network -- Building Bridges and American Pilgrimage. Everything about her work and her life, as well as her husband's, was violated when he apparently beheaded his wife in what appears to be an honor killing inspired by her desire to divorce her husband who had a history of abusing his wife.

Now is not the time to debate the cultural/religious context of this murder, or how Islam does or does not play a role in fostering such behavior. There will time for that later. I will only say to those who leap to the conclusion that this kind of thing is intrinsic to Islam, ask yourselves if you think that drunkenness in intrinsic to Irish Catholics, or cheating in business is to Jews...

- Rabbi Brad Hirschfield

All the mass media blaming Islam and the rest of Ummah for the acts of a few - is well planned strategy of 'Islamophobic' westerners - most of whom are working for the pleasure of the Jewish lobby groups. While the US and Israel share the honour of being the top countries involved in pornography, abortion, drugs, prostitution, sex-slavery, rape, criminals (2.1 % or American population is in jails), etc. etc. - but have you ever read mass-media blaming the entire Jewish or Christian people?

According to church sources - close to 40% of Nuns have been sexually abused; in Canada, 23% of scholl girls are reported to have sex before the age of 13 - and let us not forget the Australian Bishop, who was sentenced to six months in jail for having sex with his twi teenage girls - to teach them "how to be good Christian wives!!"

Hello again, Rehmat. This fellow reminds me of you. Why? Because rather than deal squarely with the author and what he wrote you prefer distract the reader's attentions elsewhere.

>Everyone knows that domestic abuse and spousal murder are universal, it's just that beheading is so Islamicky. More important are the heads struck off in Swat, where the usual terrorist thugs have implemented shariah. Now, THAT's Islamic!

Nice verses, Mengele, but you shouldn't call yourself a doctor just because you took a first aid course in reform school.<

Well, well, well, if it isn't Elizard the syphilitic Zionist troll from Umar Lee's blog. Oy Gevalt indeed.As usual nothing to add but that same old failed LGF/Geehad(Jewhad) watch talking points, I guess you're still recovering from the last time I trashed your nonsense. Since when have anti-Muslim scavengers like you been offended at terrorism? You were giddily supporting the murder of Iraqis and Palestinians, so drop the charade. You have no problems with murders, bombings, beheadings as long you're the one firing a missile into a civilian neighbourhood. There's nothing wrong with you that couldn't be cured with a little Prozac and a polo mallet, or, better yet, suicide.
Get back to me when you find those WMDs,bottom feeder.

And really Solomoan, you calling others moonbats? The irony is too amusing to ignore.

@ OmarG ... you know full well that DruM is only interested in beating his chest and humiliating any difference in opinion. Just as you'd expect there is no discussing the very rampant issue of abuse of women in our community and the sexist attitudes and sexist values that nefariously are covered up with "shariah" by ordinary mussallees.

And I agree with you fully that scores of people who talk about Shariah law tend to apply that law in very sexist, elitist and racist ways. Sexism is actually very common in our community and the glorious defenders of the faith on this site have proven to be no better. Sabr brother. Noone on this site has had more than you.

Rehmat >>> All the mass media blaming Islam and the rest of Ummah for the acts of a few - is well planned strategy of 'Islamophobic' westerners - most of whom are working for the pleasure of the Jewish lobby groups.

But you're so obviously doing the same thing and you even consider it Islamic.

>>> I will only say to those who leap to the conclusion that this kind of thing is intrinsic to Islam, ask yourselves if you think that drunkenness in intrinsic to Irish Catholics, or cheating in business is to Jews...

It wasn't your words but the sentiment is fair. Thank you for including it.

I wonder why more of these abused women or their male relatives aren't fighting back. The strongest man must sleep...

One year in the US a wife sewed her sleeping abusive husband into his bedsheets and then awakened him with numerous clouts of a baseball bat.

A fitting fate for you, Dr. Moonbat.

>OmarG ... you know full well that DruM is only interested in beating his chest and humiliating any difference in opinion. Just as you'd expect there is no discussing the very rampant issue of abuse of women in our community<

Wrong as ever, my dear inferiority complex riddled, third world communist, eager-for-a-green-card weaving straw man arguments. As usual your abject stupidity and ignorance shines through as you . OmarG is not a member of the Muslim community yet demonizes everything with community, including grass roots organizations, including his pathological hatred of Arabs and Desis(much less supporting the murder of innocent men, woman and children in one part of the world and shedding crocodile tears in another). This isn't about a difference of opinion, but bold faced lying. Given his history I find his "concerns" as bogus as I find your deception about the "rampant abuse of woman" in the community.

To quote Parvez Ahmed from the other article "Aasiya Hassan's murder was the result of a private failure of a man who used community organizations to promote his business. Does this make those organizations or individuals that gave Muzzammil a platform to promote Bridges complicit or culpable? Absolutely not."

>I wonder why more of these abused women or their male relatives aren't fighting back. The strongest man must sleep...

One year in the US a wife sewed her sleeping abusive husband into his bedsheets and then awakened him with numerous clouts of a baseball bat.

A fitting fate for you, Dr. Moonbat.<

Aren't we bitter..LoL. I see the Muslim hating neo-Nazi troll is trying in vain to gain traction from a tragedy. You might fool those unfamiliar with your antics on other Muslim sites but not anymore, elizard. Seriously, why do you pretend to be something you're not? You hate Muslim woman just as much as Muslim men. Your trolling on Umar Lee's blog with "Europe must be a 100% white" and repeated fantasies about genociding Muslims out of Europe proves that.

Like flies on a turd, all you sick bastards and your disingenuous agenda stands revealed again. So how do you feel about belonging to the same species as Josef Fritzl? You the know that lovable father who kept his daughter captive in a dungeon for 24 years, raping and fathering 7 children with, 2 of whom he incinerated. Or perhaps the case of British and Australian men engaged in similar behavior. Regardless it shouldn't matter b/c none of these monsters will be put to death. That's "civilization" for you.
Hmm could the loonies at "WhiteWatch" be on to something? A fitting fate for all you Nazi slatterns is a trip to the vet to "fix" you and ensure you no longer pollute the animal kingdom's gene pool.

>>> Wrong as ever, my dear inferiority complex riddled, third world communist, eager-for-a-green-card weaving straw man

Lol .. you or your father happily accepted his green card from Uncle Sam .. why can't I at least try and live the American dream ... like the proud dingbat that you are. I have no inferiority complex around someone whose only mastery is hypocrisy, self-righteousness and insults.

You target OmarG because he doesn't want to demonise his country.

More so, who else can you demonize when violence against women stems from the Muslim community itself? Moreover when the community is applying (poorly or not) the shariah derived advices regarding the relationship of the sexes? Yes ... all the basis for abuse is infact from orthodox view of the relationship between the sexes. And by orthodox I'd like to just add .. not necessarily correct Islamically.

And for your information, anyone who professes LailahaIllAllahMuhammaduRasullallah is a member of the community and you and noone else can judge otherwise, even if we don't like their opinions. Kissing the feet of every second rate Muslim academic who loves to hate the west is not in fact the basis of being a member. A little lesson for you my dear Muslim brother .. in Islam, civility, and where your opinions end and Allah's judgement begins. Your views are the chains that drown the Ummah and will soon be discarded when our community embraces its best values.

>Lol .. you or your father happily accepted his green card from Uncle Sam .. why can't I at least try and live the American dream ... like the proud dingbat that you are.<

No, you have it wrong again, comrade. Getting a green card doesn't mean you become a brain dead copy cat of Europe or internalize and parrot whatever propaganda they have on TV. Sycophants make good yes men, but not good citizens.

>I have no inferiority complex around someone whose only mastery is hypocrisy, self-righteousness and insults.<

Ofcourse you have an inferiority complex along with a chronic case of foot in mouth disease. You sound like a sepoy out of "A passage to India." Speaking of insults. You attack me and expect me to treat you with anything less? I don't play that, and Gumby knows it. This isn't FOX news.

>You target OmarG because he doesn't want to demonise his country. <

You're getting dumber by each post. I have no interest in omarg, or his misguided "Joe the Plumber" sense of jingoistic "patriotism." My "problem" is his ethnocentrism and racism, his RAND style neocon antics to slander and demonize the Muslim community. Get a clue or go shack up with the guy instead of fighting his battles like a sycophantic lackey.

>And for your information, anyone who professes LailahaIllAllahMuhammaduRasullallah is a member of the community and you and noone else can judge otherwise, even if we don't like their opinions.<

Wrong. There are several conditions of Shahadah and the proper understanding of Aquueda. I don't expect you to know what they are. That's the reason a black supremacist like Louis Farakhan isn't a Muslim. Anybody who calls himself a Muslim and makes the blood of innocent Muslim men, woman and children halal is NOT a member of the community. Not even a Scholar or Mufti can get away with that, so who does he think he is? This is not a difference of opinion on esoteric matters but of peoples lives. If you side with oppressors, then you will be judged as one of them.

>Kissing the feet of every second rate Muslim academic who loves to hate the west is not in fact the basis of being a member.<<

You're having a conversation with yourself again. You've tried this idiotic "hating the West" line before just like all the dittohead simpletons who consider any criticism sacrilege. What was that you were saying about "opposing opinions"? You're welcome to become a native informant and kiss and lick the behind of master all you want, but don't expect others to line up or share your brain dead enthusiasm. Be all you can be : a house slave. The only chains dragging the Ummah down as those of shameless and spineless munafiqs.
And no, I will not be civil with idiots and haters who try to use the tragic death of a woman as anecdotal evidence to slander and manipulate the Muslim community for their own agenda.

You ought to go see a doctor, Dr. Madman. You might explode in mid sentence one of these days.

You must have me mixed up with someone else, I never said "Europe must be 100% white." I did mention that historically, muslims have been driven out of Europe several times. Europe is not 100% white even without muslims. Lots of us are mixed.

I agree with previous poster. It is your sort that drive the ummah down and perhaps away.

Besides, it is not about race. The contention is that muslims wish to impose their version of theocratic government on the world. They are trying to do this by terrorism, which their own prophet praised.

You bring up race to avoid the truth.

>> I did mention that historically, muslims have been driven out of Europe several times. <<

There are even those who contend that Europe was driven out of the dark ages by the presence of Muslims at their borders ;---) So the Muslim drive to conquer and convert was the reason for Europe coming out of a drunk stupor. Some contend that the conquest of the new world was a direct result of the work ethic developed by the 'hard scrabble' spanish men from just having thrown out the moors from spain. And that Columbus' captains in his initial journey were sons of berber muslims who had been converted back to christianity.

although i can't escape the irony that this means muslims ultimately ended up being responsible for:

- Native American Genocide
- Transatlantic Slave Trade
- South American Genocide
- Napolenic Wars
- WWI
- WWII
- Stalinic Purges
- the Cold War
- Vietnam
- The Oil Wars of 1970-2010

*sigh*

>> Lol .. you or your father happily accepted his green card from Uncle Sam .. why can't I at least try and live the American dream ... like the proud dingbat that you are.<

> No, you have it wrong again, comrade. Getting a green card doesn't mean you become a brain dead copy cat of Europe or internalize and parrot whatever propaganda they have on TV. Sycophants make good yes men, but not good citizens.

And in your case, it doesn't even entail liking the natives. Too bad for you I'm happy living in my country, don't watch TV and am not the sycophant you clearly are.

> You're getting dumber by each post. I have no interest in omarg, or his misguided "Joe the Plumber"

lol ... then stop discussing him and making public musings about his personal life. You're like disillusioned Brad Pitt fan.

>> There are several conditions of Shahadah and the proper understanding of Aquueda. I don't expect you to know what they are

Lol .. you've never even mentioned Aqeedah before. And if you can show me once where the Prophet SAW permitted your random pronounciations of takfeer (as if any sane caliphate would even grant the town cryer that role), I'll happily concede. "11h00 and I'm going to humiliate someone", "12h00 and the weather is fine and I hate that oppressor for crossing the road so bashfully", "13h00 a crow flies south and you are a 3rd worl communist sycophant" .. oh what fun.

>> This is not a difference of opinion on esoteric matters but of peoples lives. If you side with oppressors, then you will be judged as one of them.

What are you talking about? The only oppressive voice here is yours. And being Muslim does not make you oppressed by default. And being a white male doesn't make you the default oppressor either.

>> You're welcome to become a native informant and kiss and lick the behind of master all you want,
>> Be all you can be : a house slave. The only chains dragging the Ummah down as those of shameless and spineless munafiqs.

Priceless insights from Mr Immigrant who at some point has pledged allegiance to the flag of the US, professed respect for his colleagues and pretended to care for his neighbours and their country too .. all with his fingers and toes crossed behind his back. Destroyer of reason, purveyor of illogic, distraction and loud noises from the easily distracted and loud.

Yes, Greybeard, and long ago some cavemen turned muslim and thus were able to invent the wheel.

I would definitely say that the Moors were more advanced than the Visigoths.

Christians invented the bombard, a powerful cannon, then blasted and besieged the Moors out of Spain. Areas now called France and Germany assisted the Spanish in this.

Probably everybody in Spain was and is a mixture of Jewish, Moorish and old Christian tribal blood. Are you saying the Pinzons were muslim?

>You must have me mixed up with someone else, I never said "Europe must be 100% white."<

No, I'm not confusing you with anyone else, elizard. You've posted numerous racist rants on Umar Lee's blog endorsing racism and genocide. That's the same exact reason you've slithered onto this site.
Its too late to lie about it now.

>Besides, it is not about race. The contention is that muslims wish to impose their version of theocratic government on the world. They are trying to do this by terrorism, which their own prophet praised.<

Wrong, its always been about race. You and your fellow neo-Nazis views Muslims as enough of an "other" to view them as a race. Even poor Slavic immigrants in Western Europe are now being targeted by local neo-Nazis as a "race." Just like your conspiracy theories about Muslims trying to take over the world. And no, my dear gutter snipe, it is YOU Europeans who have historically and currently trying to dominate the rest of the planet, and you've been doing it through terrorism for centuries. You European throwbacks managed annihilate half of your own population during the Hundred Years war. Thats the kind of blood thirsty that you are. "Civilization" indeed.
Your behavior and attitude today towards Muslims is the same old primitive mindset prevalent during the Black Plague ravaged Europe. With your numbers drastically reduced you blamed all minorities, particularly Jews who you proceeded to massacre. Today with your numbers declining thanks to decades of extreme liberalism, atheism, perversion, rampant drug abuse and the break up of the family, yet you blame Muslims. What a failed and petty people you are.
Too bad you don't have the honesty to admit that you'd still be languishing in caves picking each others behinds contemplating how bread transformed into roaches were it not for the knowledge given to you by us.

>And in your case, it doesn't even entail liking the natives. Too bad for you I'm happy living in my country, don't watch TV and am not the sycophant you clearly are.<

More balderdash, Mr.Slumdog millionaire wannabe. I've always differentiated between the public and the politicians. If you were so happy living where you are, you wouldn't spend so much time commenting on the situation in the US like an an uninformed tourist lost at Disney Land. The irony is you've never set foot here, you've just another inferiority complex ridden desi who watches Oprah and reads X-men comic books and thinks that's what makes America tick. And do look up the meaning of "sycophant," you'll see your name right there.

>lol ... then stop discussing him and making public musings about his personal life. You're like disillusioned Brad Pitt fan.<

Maybe you should stop latching onto to him and let him fight his own battles. He's made his public life rather public picking fights and lecturing woman on Islamic forums so he's fair game now. If you can't even keep your own marriage intact don't lecture others on theirs. Simple logic. Brad Pitt? Put the tabloids down my starstruck friend. Its doesn't get better then Gregory Peck, Sidney Poitier, and Charleton Heston(before he become a gun nut).


>Lol .. you've never even mentioned Aqeedah before. And if you can show me once where the Prophet SAW permitted your random pronounciations of takfeer<

Wrong yet again. Show me a single place where I despite my strongest disagreements with Gumby have ever called him a kafir. You wont find it because it doesn't exist. Its not takfeer to say that one is not a member of the Muslim community when you have nothing whatsoever to do with the community, attack our civil rights organizations, repeatedly label any political mobilization as part of some "islamist" conspiracy theory, support illegal wars of conquest, race baiting Muslims of Arab and desi backgrounds etc.
With a record like that, good luck being taken seriously.

>What are you talking about? And being Muslim does not make you oppressed by default. And being a white male doesn't make you the default oppressor either.<

I agree with you whole heatedly, as you have no clue what I'm talking about. This is what happens when you start fighting other peoples battles, you get mired down in confusion and end up looking like a buffoon. "Siding with oppressors" refers to OmarG's unapologetic cheer leading of the US destruction of Iraq. Now the "brother" can say "I was wrong" and that would be the end of it. But no! "We're going to demolish old Arab culture with our tanks and airforce." "We can do it and redraw the borders of the region before the Brits and French did it before." His words, not mine. That's lending support to aggression and oppression.

>Priceless insights from Mr Immigrant who at some point has pledged allegiance to the flag of the US, professed respect for his colleagues and pretended to care for his neighbours and their country too .. all with his fingers and toes crossed behind his back. Destroyer of reason, purveyor of illogic, distraction and loud noises from the easily distracted and loud.<

Now, now, don't be so harsh on yourself. Hilarious that I'm being lectured on patriotism by a communist half a world away. As I said before, if you want to be a Native Informant, knock yourself out but don't expect others to join you in working for those knee caps.