Coalition decries ‘honor killing’ label
But NOW leader won’t retract term
A coalition of eight family and women’s groups are calling on the National Organization for Women to retract comments by its New York president linking the death of Aasiya Z. Hassan to a Muslim “honor killing.”
“We were so shocked by her comments,” said Laura Grube, coordinator for Child & Family Services Haven House, a coalition member.
The comments by Marcia Pappas, NOW’s state president, were insensitive and harmful to domestic violence victims, she said.
But Pappas stood her ground and said that dozens of Muslim women have written to thank her for speaking out.
“There will be no retraction,” she said.
Hassan was found beheaded Feb. 12 in the office of Bridges TV in Orchard Park. Her husband, Muzzammil Hassan, the chief executive officer of the television channel, is charged with her slaying.
In a statement Feb. 16, Pappas criticized the media for paying little attention to the case, which came to light the same day as the crash of Continental Flight 3407 in Clarence.
“Why is this horrendous story not all over the news?” Pappas asked in the news release.
“Is a Muslim woman’s life not worth a five-minute report? This was, apparently, a terroristic version of ‘honor killing,’ a murder rooted in cultural notions about women’s subordination to men.”
Linking the death to the couple’s religion “inflamed anti-Muslim sentiment and let the non-Muslim community off the hook for addressing the real issue—ending domestic violence,” the coalition said in a statement.
Based on the facts in the Hassan case, the death appears to represent a typical progression and escalation of domestic violence that led to homicide, Grube said. Aasiya Hassan had called police numerous times in earlier confrontations with her husband.
The local coalition wrote to Kim Gandy, NOW national president, last week disputing Pappas’ remarks. Mai Shiozaki, NOW spokeswoman, said she wasn’t aware of the letter and didn’t know if Gandy had received it.
But Pappas said she has no reason to back away from her statements.
“I think it’s high time that rights advocates speak the truth about violence against women,” she said.
The beheading of the victim and the fact that the body was left for people to see — rather than hidden as in most homicides — coincide with elements of an honor killing, Pappas said.
The fact that the accused wasn’t known as devout doesn’t mean he wasn’t acting out of beliefs, she said.
NOW also has been critical of Christian groups, Pappas added.
The local coalition also criticized Pappas’ portrayal of orders of protection as ineffective. Aasiya Hassan had obtained an order of protection barring her husband from their home in Orchard Park.
Experts on domestic violence urge women in abusive situations to obtain such a court order, Grube said.
“There has been research that shows women are safer if women have orders of protection than when they don’t,” she said. Many organizations have been battling for 15 years to strengthen orders of protection, she said.
The local coalition includes Child & Family Services, the Erie County Coalition Against Family Violence and the International Institute of Buffalo.
The coalition also disagreed with Pappas’ criticism of District Attorney Frank A. Sedita III’s characterization of the crime as domestic violence.
“We thought that was the most appropriate thing for the DA to say,” Grube said. “We were glad that that is how he framed this case.”
Pappas replied that the phrase “domestic violence” weakens what should be seen as a hate crime into a “lovers’ quarrel gone bad.” NOW backs legislation to stiffen penalties in domestic crimes.
One local organization for Muslim women didn’t support Pappas linking the crime to religion and culture.
“It does no justice at all to say a certain religion or culture causes it,” said April Arman, a member of Resources and Help Against Marital Abuse, a grass-roots group that acts as resource for Muslim women and a liaison with family support groups.
“It’s not Catholic domestic violence, it’s not Jewish domestic violence,” she said, “It’s just domestic violence.”
fwilliams@buffnews.com and stan@buffnews.com/a>
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