Moderate American-Muslim TV Executive Charged With Beheading His Wife

Muzzammil Hassan started a cable TV network after 9/11 in New York state to prove to America that American Muslims are a moderate, peaceful people. Today he is charged with killing his wife, Aasiya, by beheading after she served him with divorce papers and a restraining order. Blogger Debbie Schlussel wonders why Hassan has only been charged with second-degree murder. "It's not that easy to behead someone, and it was likely planned in advance 'with malice aforethought,'" she writes. Schlussel notes that such killings are not rare among Muslims. Known as honor killings, they are typically directed by a male head of household against his spouse or other female family members for violating the honor of their family.