Category: Women’s Rights Matter

Buffalo Beheading Trial: “Man accused of killing wife to get mental examination”

Buffalo News reports:

Man accused of killing wife to get mental examination
Lawyers may seek insanity defense
By Matt Gryta
NEWS STAFF REPORTER
August 08, 2009

“Muzzammil S. ‘Mo’ Hassan, who is accused of beheading his wife, is expected to undergo psychiatric examinations that will determine whether his lawyers will be able to raise insanity issues at his upcoming trial.”

“During a hearing Friday, attorney James P. Harrington told Erie County Judge Thomas P. Franczyk that psychiatric examinations of Hassan, 44, are expected to be completed by mid-September.”

“Hassan, who was born in Pakistan, cofounded Bridges cable TV network, based in Orchard Park.”

“He has been jailed since turning himself into Orchard Park police about an hour after allegedly beheading his estranged wife and business partner, Aasiya Zubair Hassan, 37, in their TV studio on Feb. 12.”

“The week before, the victim had filed for divorce and obtained a court order of protection against Hassan, to keep him away from their Big Tree Road home — the scene of a dozen domestic problem incidents in recent years, according to police.”

“On March 12, an Erie County grand jury indicted Hassan on a single count of second-degree murder.”

“The victim, Hassan’s third wife and mother of the two youngest of his four children, was attacked in the Thorn Avenue office of the Muslim-oriented cable station the two launched about five years ago.”

“The couple’s children currently are living with relatives under court supervision.”

“During Friday’s brief court session, Colleen Curtin Gable, the chief homicide prosecutor in the case, complained to the judge about “repeated demands” of the Erie County District Attorney’s office as to how Harrington plans to defend Hassan.”

“Harrington, without showing his legal hand, told the judge and prosecutor he has been “working through some practical matters” in the case, which have delayed Hassan’s ‘evaluation’ by defense mental health experts.”

“After prosecutors receive the required pretrial notice on the defense strategy, they will be able to arrange for their own mental health professionals to examine the defendant — if insanity-linked issues are part of the defense strategy.”

“After Harrington said he is confident he can provide prosecutors with his defense strategy by mid-September the judge scheduled another session in the for Sept. 18. To give both sides enough time to prepare Franczyk has scheduled a tentative Jan. 19 start of jury selection in the murder trial.”

Iraq: Children Taught to Kill by Extremists for $80

— MEMRI reports:  ‘Cubs of Al-Qaeda’ In Iraq Arrested
— “A spokesman for the Operations Command, Major-General Qassim ‘Atta, said that Al-Qaeda is currently focusing on recruiting children, single and divorced women, and the uneducated.”
— “The children carried explosive devices for a payment of the equivalent of $80.”
— “In Kirkuk, the commander of the 12th Division announced the arrest of children and young people, including four below the age of 14, who are called the ‘Birds of Paradise’ [tuyoor al-jannah].”

Iraq: “Modern Day Harriet Tubmans Help Iraqi Women Escape Violence”

(Iraq) “Modern Day Harriet Tubmans Help Iraqi Women Escape Violence”
— Judith Rich reports:
— “No one knows how many so called ‘honor killings’ have taken place since the war began, but activists in Iraq and abroad believe it’s thousands”
— “The Safe Houses project and the Underground Railroad for Iraqi Women provide emergency shelter for women in danger of ‘honor killings’, and other forms of domestic violence and sex trafficking.”
— “Honor killing is punishable by 3-6 months in prison. Sometimes the men are let go because Iraqi law does not protect rape victims.”
— “In 2006, women could be pulled out of their cars and executed for driving. In 2007, they could be executed for not covering themselves properly or for walking outside without a male to accompany them.”

Saudi Arabia: Women Hold University Protest

Saudi Arabia: Girl students protest, clash with Taif University guards
— Saudi Gazette reports:
— “Scuffles broke out Sunday as female security guards of Taif University tried to disperse about 1,000 girl students who staged a sit-in after being turned away on admissions day.”
— “Red Crescent teams treated one girl’s female guardian who was beaten up by the security women, witnesses said”
— “Security agencies of the governorate were called in to restore order after the squatting girls and their guardians blocked the streets in front of the university gates”
— “Security men from the university also assaulted a press photographer and confiscated his camera”

Saudi women hold university protest
— AFP reports:
— “Scuffles broke out on Sunday when hundreds of Saudi women students held a rare protest at a university over alleged corrupt admission policies, local newspapers reported.”

Saudi Arabia: Women Hold University Protest
— Stratfor also reports:
— “Hundreds of female Saudi students staged a protest at a university near Mecca over alleged corruption in admission policies, Agence France-Presse reported Aug. 2, citing local Saudi newspapers. The protest began after female students were denied admission to Taif University. Students blocked the university entrance and nearby streets and Al-Medina newspaper reported that female security guards clashed with the students after the students attempted to enter though the university gates.”

Saudi Gazette reports on Taif University’s response:
— “Taif University claimed Monday that its refusal to pay heed to recommendations for admission was the reason why ‘400 girl applicants who scored low marks,’ staged a chaotic sit-in protest here.”

Sudan: Police beat women opposing Sudan dress code trial

(Sudan) Police beat women opposing Sudan dress code trial
— AP reports: “Sudanese police fired tear gas and beat women protesting outside a Sudanese court Tuesday during the trial of a female journalist accused of violating the Islamic dress code by wearing trousers in public.”
— “Police moved in swiftly and dispersed about 50 protesters, mostly women, who were supporting Lubna Hussein, a former U.N. worker facing 40 lashes on the charge of ‘indecent dressing.’ Some of the women demonstrators wore trousers in solidarity with Hussein while others wore more traditional dress.”
— “In the clashes outside the courtroom, witnesses said police wielding batons beat up one of Hussein’s lawyers, Manal Awad Khogali, while keeping media and cameras at bay. No injuries were immediately reported.”
— “‘We are here to protest against this law that oppresses women and debases them,’ said one of the protesters, Amal Habani, a female columnist for the daily Ajraas Al Hurria, or Bells of Freedom in Arabic.”
— Tear gas fired at protesters outside Lubna Hussein trial

Sudanese Feminist Hero Forced into Hiding — Phyllis Chesler report on Lubna al-Hussein

Sudanese Feminist Hero Forced into Hiding — Phyllis Chesler report on Lubna al-Hussein
— Phyllis Chesler reports: “Lubna al-Hussein, is now moving from one relative’s house to another’s. Why? Because she was threatened by a man on a motorcycle who told her ‘she would end up like (that) Egyptian woman who was murdered in a recent notorious case.'”
— Sudanese Women Activists’ petition

Afghan women victims of ‘widespread’ rape: UN

Afghan women victims of ‘widespread’ rape: UN
— “Rape in Afghanistan is ‘widespread’ and violence against women serving in public life is on the rise, a UN report said Wednesday, nearly eight years after the fall of the Taliban.”
— “The 32-page report denounces an institutional failure to curb violence against women and a culture of impunity that leaves such crimes unpunished.”
— “The report, issued by the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, warned of a ‘growing trend’ of violence and threats against women in public life”
— “Women are also the victims of so-called ‘honour’ killings, trafficking and abduction, as well as early and forced marriages and domestic violence, it said. Girls and women are exchanged to resolve disputes over land and property.”
— UN Special Representative Eide Urges Afghans to Challenge Violence Against Women
— “Silence is Violence: End the Abuse of Women in Afghanistan – July 8, 2009”

Egypt: Two Christians Coptic Girls Abducted for “forced Islamization”

AINA reports: “Muslims Abduct Two Christian Coptic Girls in Egypt”
— “Mrs. Samira Markos, who lives in Alexandria, sent an appeal to Egypt4Christ advocacy, pleading with them to rescue her daughter from forced Islamization. The mother said that her daughter Amira Morgan (born 9/9/1992) was abducted on 7-18-2009 on her way to work in the plastics factory near their home.”
— “Another episode of Coptic female abduction took place on 7-22-2009, also in Alexandria, when 18-year old Ingy Basta went to repair her cell phone in the Nozha Airport area, and was never seen again. Her father reported the case to the police on 23/7/2009 but she has not been found yet. Ingy was be engaged on Sunday 7/26/2009 to a Coptic man.”
— “Egypt4Christ believes that Ingy was abducted by the same Muslim group which operates in the Nozha Airport area of Alexandria. On 28/5/2009 their Imam falsely accused a Coptic young man of stealing the donations box from the Zawiya corner (prayer room) of El-Nour Mosque, after he refused to convert to Islam. Maged Saad was found innocent of this theft by the court.”