Losing our Heads Over Multiculturalism

You don't normally hear about beheadings in the United States. But perhaps you should prepare yourself to hear more about them in the future.

The day before Valentine's Day, which has always been a holiday associated with maximum repression against women in the Islamic world, a Muslim TV executive in New York decapitated his wife.

Mo Hassan, founder of Bridges TV — a station whose mission was "fostering understanding between cultures and diverse populations" — cut off the head of his wife, Aasiya Hassan, 37, who had recently filed for divorce. What she got instead was, what I call, "divorce Islamist-style."

By the way, Mrs. Hassan was listed as general manager of the station. Perhaps the couple should have focused on fostering mutual understanding between themselves rather than preaching to Americans unaccustomed to the concept of divorce through beheading.

Mo Hassan wanted to portray Muslims in a more positive light. That was the goal of his TV station. My guess is he never reported how common beheading is in his former homeland of Pakistan or throughout the Islamic world:

— Just a week ago, Taliban terrorists in that country beheaded a Polish geologist abducted in an effort to arrange a prisoner swap.

— An American U.N. worker, John Solecki, is currently facing a similar fate at the hands of Islamic terrorists in that country.

— Terrorists in Pakistan videotaped the beheading of American reporter Daniel Pearl.

— Terrorists in Iraq videotaped the beheading of American Nicholas Berg.

— Beheading is a common form of execution in Saudi Arabia.

— Beheading is a common way to conduct a so-called "honor killing" — the murder of a wife — throughout the Islamic world.

The question Americans need to consider very carefully is whether they want this kind of "cultural diversity" in their country.

Who was behind Bridges TV? Some familiar names:

— Nihad Awad, executive director of the controversial Council on American-Islamic Relations

— Imam W. Deen Muhammad, president of the American Society of Muslims

— Muhammad Ali

— NBA star Hakeem Olajuwon

When the station was founded, Awad emphasized the importance of North American Muslims having "our own media outlets, our own timing and our own kind of programming."

"Therefore, we can decide what kind of messages we send out," he said.

CAIR's communications director, Ibrahim Hooper, said Bridges TV "is just an example of the growing maturity and sophistication of the American Muslim community that people are even at this stage where we can contemplate this kind of network."

"So I think it's a good sign for the community, and we encourage everyone to support it," Hooper said.

By the way, perhaps you'd like to explore the kind of programming Hassan offered before he was charged with second-degree murder.

(I wonder what you have to do to get charged with first-degree murder in New York.) The Middle East Media Research Institute had monitored Bridges TV to see just what kind of bridges were being built:

— One religious figure that appeared Oct. 3 said Muslims have a duty to change America and to increase their numbers to 50 percent of the population from 2 percent. He recommended that Shariah, or Islamic law, be implemented in American courts.

— During a roundtable discussion on the Arab-Israeli conflict Oct. 5, one participant offered a solution: "For the Jews to leave and return to Europe."

— Bridges TV aired a speech by the influential Muslim scholar Jamal Badawi on Oct. 4. Badawi, who teaches Islam throughout North America, gave an interview to the Saudi Gazette on June 24, 2005; he raised questions about who was behind the 9/11 attacks and suggested that Americans could be behind the car bombings of Iraqi markets.

— Every night, Bridges TV showed a news program, "Talking Points." Its guest Oct. 4 was Imam Mohammad Ali Elahi, whom it described as a leading "interfaith figure." According to his own website, Imam Elahi was a spiritual leader in Ayatollah Khomeini's Iranian navy and also is the leader of "one of the largest mosques in the U.S.," in Dearborn, Mich. The site also describes his meetings with world leaders and shows photographs of him with the spiritual adviser of Hezbollah, Ayatollah Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah; Ayatollah Khomeini; two more recent leaders of Iran and Louis Farrakhan.

— Throughout the day, Bridges TV aired segments of Quranic verses, quite a few of which denounce "unbelievers." One notable verse that aired Oct. 9 praised martyrdom.

— During the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, the channel showed official, Saudi government-controlled Wahhabi sermons from Mecca's holiest mosque, Al-Haram. The sermons streamed live via Saudi TV Channel, one every day at 4 p.m., and Bridges TV added its own English subtitles. An anti-Jewish, anti-Christian sermon from Oct. 5 included the call, "May God destroy them!"

Well, as they say, who are we to judge? One culture is not better than another, is it?

We just need to be a little more tolerant. We just need to build more bridges.

Joseph Farah's newest book, "None of the Above: Why 2008 Is the Year To Cast the Ultimate Protest Vote," is available now. To find out more about Joseph Farah and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.

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