Muslim TV Executive Muzzamil Hassan Charged With Beheading His Wife

The founder of a television station which aims to counteract negative stereotypes of Muslims in America has been charged with beheading his wife.

Muzzamil Hassan, 44, walked into a police station last Thursday evening, February 12^th, and told detectives that his wife’s body was lying at the Bridges TV station where they both worked. Officers went to the headquarters of Bridges TV and found Mrs. Hassan lying decapitated in a hallway.

Mrs. Hassan’s lawyer said that she had recently filed for divorce from her husband after eight years of marriage, citing previous incidents of domestic violence. Police confirmed that an order of protection was in force, barring Mr. Hassan from the family home as of Friday February 6^th.

A family court hearing was to be February 17^th to address the future of the couple’s two children, aged four and six. Their grandparents traveled from Texas and Pakistan to attend the hearing, according to John Tregilio, a lawyer for the children. Mr. Hassan also has two other children, aged 17 and 18, from a previous marriage, according to reports.

Mr. Hassan has been charged with second degree murder, and was remanded to the Erie County holding centre.

“Obviously this is the worst form of domestic violence possible,” said Frank A Sedita III, the Erie County district attorney.

Muzzammil Hassan graduated magna cum laude with an MBA from the Simon School of Business at the University of Rochester in 1996. In a 2005 interview with The Buffalo News, he said that the idea for the TV station was sparked two years earlier when the couple heard derogatory remarks about American Muslims on a radio talk show.

Mr. Hassan was the chief executive officer of the satellite-distributed news and opinion channel that he and his wife set up in 2004 to portray Muslims in a more positive light.