Prominent (muslim) Orchard Park man charged with beheading his wife

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Muslims in America come from many countries and have diverse backgrounds, but they are united by their desire to practice their religion in peace and to replace the negative image many non-Muslim Americans have about Islam. In this report by Carol Pearson we meet three very different Americans who practice Islam.






A control room at Bridges TV
Muzzammil Hassan came to America from Pakistan 25 years ago. He became a successful banker in Buffalo, New York, near the famed Niagara Falls.



While he and his wife were happy to be in the United States, they were upset by the negative perceptions of Muslims, and particularly how this perception might affect their children.



That is how they came up with the idea of Bridges TV. Mr. Hassan's wife challenged him to start it.




Muzzammil Hassan
MUZZAMMIL HASSAN, FOUNDER, BRIDGES TV

"I had no background in television. I didn't know anything about TV. Her comment was, 'you have an M.B.A. (masters degree in business) why don't you write a business plan?'"



And so he did. He quit his job at the bank and for the next two to three years worked almost non-stop in developing an English language television network that offers news and entertainment for Muslims.



Mr. Hassan hopes Bridges TV lives up to its name by uniting American Muslims and by helping non-Muslims overcome the negative images they may have of both Muslims and Islam.



MUZZAMMIL HASSAN, FOUNDER, BRIDGES TV

"There should be a Muslim media so that Muslim children growing up in America grow up with the self confidence and high self esteem about their identity both as Americans and as Muslims."