Prosecution's Closing Argument at Beheading Trial

Aasiya and Muzzamil at Bridges TV

"Mo" Hassan claimed that he beheaded his wife because she had humiliated him. Then he decided that people were all upset with him because they are Islamophobes. Finally, he settled on a defense of being an abused husband, though his children testified in court that he frequently beat his victim, Aasiya, their stepmother.

It took Aasiya years to bring herself to file for divorce because she knew that her life, and the lives of their children, were at risk. When she finally did, it took Muzzamil Hussan less than a week to purchase two hunting knives and less than 40 seconds to stab her almost 60 times and behead her, while their children waited outside in a cold van on a freezing February night two years ago. You can read all about it in the Buffalo Evening News.

Part of Muzzamil's defense (he insisted on acting as his own defense attorney after going through a series of lawyers) was that he was courteous to the staff who sold him the knives and who gave him a cardboard box, at his request, so he could test their sharpness. Courteous = nice guy, in Muzzamil's universe.

The beheading was bad for Hussan's business, Bridges TV, a cable station that he had founded with Aasiya to eliminate stereotypes of Muslims and to show the world what Islam is really like. [Added: As Aasiaya said about her role in founding the station, "I did not want my kids growing up to watch Muslims being portrayed as terrorists." (h/t Pundette)]

After the crime, Bridges TV suspended its news programming for several months. At Bridges TV, some news is more equal than other news.

In his self-defense claim, Mo pleaded that he "didn't start it."

Here is a portion of the prosecution's summation yesterday at the close of Mo Hussan's trial, in answer to that self-defense claim:

It took the jury one hour to find Muzzamil Hussan guilty of second degree murder.

Hat tip: Atlas Shrugs.
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Related: It's a Tough Life: "Mo" Hassan Weeps Again