mwViews and News

Muslim Women Voice Opinions on Spousal Abuse

2009-04-02T17:48:00.000-07:00

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mwNews and Views
theVoice Video Talk Show
-- March 28, 2009
(right, Chapter 4, Verse 34, of the Holy Qur'an)

MANASSAS - The second uViews segment of "theVoice" video talk show held in a sprawling northern Virginia suburb was anything but ordinary. Five American Muslim women from diverse backgrounds gathered for a frank discussion on marriage, domestic violence, and spousal abuse. Interest in holding public discussions on spousal abuse has increased significantly since the death of Bridges TV executive Aasiya Zubair Hassan, allegedly murdered by her husband, Muzzamil Hassan, in February. 'Aqila Mujahid Al-Bayati, producer of the segment and CEO of the Association of Muslim Women in America, the organization sponsoring the program, developed the idea for the video discussions as a way to use technology to reach a wide audience on various topics of interest to Muslim women. "It's important for our opinions to be heard on topics that impact us, to change the perception that Muslim women are out of touch and unable to think and respond to issues which affect us", said Al-Bayati. "We need to create our own media that lets our voices be heard and that reflects our beliefs and values rather than letting others speak for us."

Key to the discussion was Chapter 4, Surah Al Nisaa ("The Women"), Verse 34, which describes men as the "protectors of women". The controversial english translation of this verse implies that a man may strike his wife as a way to resolve marital conflict. Different uses and translations of the arabic word duraba were central to the argument against striking the wife as a way to resolve conflict, citing the actual practices of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and the fact that it was not part of his sunnah (daily practice and habits) to strike his wives or children.

After 30 minutes of lively discussion, the panel determined that the discussion should be continued in future segments to help women get a better understanding on the subject. Followup segments are planned for the near future.

Muslim Women "Break The Silence" In WebEx Conference

2009-03-09T12:33:00.000-07:00

Breaking the Silence: Answering Spousal Abuse with Proactive Intervention Strategies

[PRESS RELEASE - March 7, 2009, Midlothian, VA] Beyond the public condemnations and statements made denouncing domestic violence and spousal abuse, what strategies are needed now to address domestic violence and prevent spousal abuse? In communities with conservative religious values and ethnically-diverse populations, how do we develop effective interventions to help at-risk families and break the cycle of violence?

Culturally-diverse populations need culturally-sensitive interventions which reflect input from practitioners working in those communities. But in communities with conservative religious values, how do we create opportunities for troubled individuals and families to seek help to break the cycle of violence?

On Saturday, March 21, 2 p.m. (EDT), a group of Muslim practitioners from national and regional organizations will discuss these issues in a scheduled internet Webex conference entitled "Breaking the Silence: Answering Spousal Abuse with Proactive Intervention Strategies." Community leaders and service providers are strongly encouraged to attend. Pre-registration is required to join the session. Session seats for this free web conference are limited to the first 25 registrations. Register for Meeting ID 927 512 936 at http://my.webex.com/join

WebEx Conference Title:
Breaking the Silence: Answering Spousal Abuse with Proactive Intervention Strategies

WebEx Conference Session ID: 927 512 936
Website: http://my.webex.com/join

About The Presenters:

Aneesah Nadir, MSW, Ph.D, is President of the Islamic Social Services Association-US (ISSA) and Director of the Muslim Alliance of North America (MANA) "Healthy Marriage Initiative". She co-authored the chapter, Islam, in Spirituality and Religious Traditions in Social Work Practice (edited by Van Hoo, Hugen and Aguilar, 2001) and is author of the chapter, Promoting Positive Marital Outcomes Among Muslims in America in Islam in America: Images and Challenges (edited by Lin, 1998).

Salma Abugideiri, M.Ed., LPC, is a licensed professional counselor and co-director of the "Peaceful Families Project", a program dedicated to educating Muslim community members and leaders about domestic violence. She provides culturally-sensitive training to professionals and practitioners from other faiths and beliefs who serve Muslim families. Ms. Abugideiri co-authored a guide entitled "What Islam Says About Domestic Violence" and wrote a chapter in Change from Within: Diverse Perspectives on Domestic Violence in Muslim Communities.

Robina Niaz, MS, MSW, is founder and Executive Director of "Turning Point for Women and Families" a social services agency serving Muslim women and families based in Queens, NY. As a social worker, community/women's rights activist and trained sexual assault counselor, she has provided services as a social work consultant to several organizations including ICNA-Relief.

Bonita McGee, MA, President and co-founder of Muslim Family Services-OH, and board member of ISSA-US, has been involved in research evaluating attitudes and perceptions of religious leaders within the Muslim community towards domestic violence. She has served as counselor in the Domestic Violence Unit of the DC Superior Court and is the co-chair of the Domestic Violence Awareness Program for the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA).

Bridges TV Exec Will Plead "Not Guilty" to Charge of Murdering Wife

2009-02-19T11:25:00.000-08:00

Muzzammil Hassan, left, founder of Bridges TV, charged with murder in the beheading of his wife, Aasiya Hassan in Orchard Park, is confined to the backseat of an Erie County Sheriff's patrol vehicle entering the garage of the Orchard Park Courthouse in Orchard Park, N.Y. on Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2009. Hassan is accused of beheading his wife Aasiya Zubair Hassan.

Suspect ‘almost in shock’ over wife’s beheading
By Fred O. Williams
NEWS STAFF REPORTER
Updated: 02/19/09 08:22 AM

ORCHARD PARK - Under arrest in his wife’s brutal death, Muzzammil Hassan is “almost in shock,” his attorney said Wednesday following a court appearance in Orchard Park.

“He’s having difficulty coping with this,” attorney James Harrington said.

Hassan, 44, appeared briefly in the Orchard Park courtroom Wednesday for the first official proceeding since he was arrested last week and charged with seconddegree murder. His wife, Aasiya, was found beheaded at the office of their business in the Village of Orchard Park.

Tall and stout in a tan suit, he was led into the courtroom in handcuffs, blinking through his glasses at the approximately two dozen people gathered.

Police had blocked off the street in front of the municipal building on South Buffalo Street and prevented attendees from taking cell phones, cameras or recorders into the courtroom.

During the brief felony hearing, Harrington waived the presentation of evidence, clearing the way for a grand jury proceeding.

“If and when he’s indicted, he’ll plead not guilty,” said Harrington, adding, “It’s too early to know what approach we’ll take, but we’re exploring everything.”

Assistant District Attorney Colleen Curtin Gable said her office would seek an indictment against Hassan within 45 days on a charge of seconddegree murder. The first-degree charge is reserved for special circumstances, including torture or the death of police.

Conviction on second-degree murder carries penalties ranging from 15 years to life in prison, to 25 years to life, she said.

Hassan was returned to the Erie County Holding Center after his court appearance.

Harrington said that a history of domestic violence will be part of the case.

“They had their problems,” he said.

Orchard Park police said they had been called to the couple’s home on Big Tree Road because of domestic disputes previously. The most recent occasion was Feb. 6, the day Aasiya Hassan filed for divorce and obtained an order of protection barring Muzzammil Hassan from the house.

Although Hassan told police where to find his wife’s body, he has not confessed, Harrington said. Hassan went to Police Headquarters last Thursday evening and said his wife was dead at their business office, a Muslim-oriented television channel on Thorn Avenue.

Harrington rejected a connection between the beheading of Aasiya Hassan and the couple’s Muslim religion and culture.

“No, it does not [have any bearing],” he said, adding, “I think the media is doing a very great disservice to the Muslim community.”

The brutal nature of the crime has raised questions about whether it was a so-called “honor killing,” a possibility that the district attorney’s office is investigating. Harrington called questions about the extreme violence of the act inappropriate.

Advocates for women — some of them Muslims — have called for the community to acknowledge religious and cultural traditions that stigmatize divorce and heighten the danger of violence in divorce cases.

Meanwhile, the Imams Council of Greater Western New York on Tuesday issued a statement calling it “unfair to vilify the Islamic faith or Muslims” in the homicide.

“To generalize the issue is misleading and masks the real problem that women globally are being abused and domestic violence is on the rise. We must all unite in condemning anyone, of any faith or culture, who harms the innocent and recognize that the causes of domestic violence are not limited to any religion or culture.”

fwilliams@buffnews.com
http://www.buffalonews.com/cityregion/story/583859.html

Asma Firfirey: "Monster Decapitated My Sister"

2009-02-19T10:21:00.000-08:00

'Monster decapitated my Sister'
Beheading may have been heard on phone in S.Africa

Updated: Wednesday, 18 Feb 2009, 12:26 PM EST
Published : Tuesday, 17 Feb 2009, 6:31 PM EST

* WIVB.com with Reports from News24, Die Berger

(Aasiya Hassan on the cover of a recent issue of "Azizah" magazine. The caption ironically reads, "SEEKING SANCTUARY")

BUFFALO, N.Y. - Several South African media outlets are reporting that the sister of Aasiya Zubair Hassan may have been on the cell phone with her sister during her beheading at the Orchard Park offices of Bridges TV.

Hassan was brutally murdered on the premises of the Bridges TV network, an English Islamic cable network started in 2004 with the mission of improving the image of Muslims in America.

News 24 in Cape Town reports that Asma Firfirey was on the phone with her sister when she heard the couple arguing and her sister Aasiya struggling for air. When she called back a receptionist told her that everyhing was okay.

Muzzammil Hassan, 44, the founder and CEO of Bridges Television Network, turned himself into police on Thursday night, telling police that his wife was dead. Hassan had just been served with divorce papers and ordered to stay out of the couple's Orchard Park home.

The victim's sister, AsmaFirfirey told News 24 in Cape Town, "I can only imagine how scared and emotional she must have been before she died."

Firfirey is concerned about the welfare of the couple's young children, Rania, 4, and Danyal, 6, who are now being cared for by a colleague. A court proceeding was scheduled for Tuesday afternoon to discuss the matter.

The news reports also state that when Aasiya visited South Africa last May 'she had been assaulted so badly she had to pay R30,000 (aprox. $2929) in medical fees.

Aasiya Zubair Hassan was 37 years old and reportedly had met her husband on the Internet. This was the third marriage for her husband, Mo Hassan.

Firefirey calls her brother-in-law 'the fat man with evil eyes'.

Muzzammil (Mo) Hassan is slated to appear at a felony court hearing Wednesday afternoon.

http://www.wivb.com/dpp/news/Monster_decapitated_my_sister_20090217

Silent Shame: "Community Knew Aasiya Hassan Was Being Abused"

2009-02-19T09:20:00.000-08:00

Muslim community knew of Hassan's abuse

Grand Jury will decide if he heads to trial

Updated: Thursday, 19 Feb 2009, 9:48 AM EST
Published : Thursday, 19 Feb 2009, 7:33 AM EST

Mylous Hairston
Posted by: Emily Lenihan

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (WIVB) - A grand jury will now decide whether the founder of Bridges TV will go to trial for the decapitation murder of his wife, Aasiya Zubair Hassan.

"Everyone in the Muslim community was aware that she was indeed going through abuse," said Attorney Nadia Shahram."

Although not evident in family pictures, investigators say the 37-year-old mother endured abuse at the hands of her husband, Muzzammil Hassan.

Hassan is accused of beheading his wife last Thursday at Bridges TV in Orchard Park.

He walked into Orchard police headquarters and told them that his wife is dead. "Well, obviously that statement is part of the case and will be part of the proof the prosecution has," said James Harrington, Hassan's Defense Attorney.

Hassan founded Bridges TV following the 9/11 attacks against America. He wanted to dispel stereotypes about Muslims and to bridge cultures.

"We have to make sure act of one Muslim does not create any doubt on the religion of Islam," said Shahram.

Shahram added, "This act has no roots in the religion of Islam. It's just unfortunate that we have a bad practioner of Islam."

Aasiyah had recently filed for divorce and got a court order of protection.

"Divorce means shame for Muslim woman," said Shahram.

When asked if the history of domestic violence will play a role in this case Hassan's defense attorney James Harrington answered, "Yes, sure it will. That is an issue in this case."

Taking a stand against domestic violence is said to be especially difficult for Muslim women. Aasiya's decision may have cost her her life and her husband could spend the rest of his life in prison.

http://www.wivb.com/dpp/news/Muslim_community_knew_of_Hassans_abuse_20090219

Deja Vu? Bridges "Broken" As Couples Marital Problems Lead to Murder

2009-02-18T13:23:00.000-08:00

Man accused of beheading wife called 'gentle'

Couple founded TV station near Buffalo, N.Y. to counter Muslim stereotypes

The Associated Press

updated 7:56 p.m. ET, Tues., Feb. 17, 2009

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. - The crime drips with brutal irony: a woman decapitated, allegedly by her estranged husband, in the offices of the television network the couple founded with the hope of countering Muslim stereotypes.

Muzzammil "Mo" Hassan is accused of beheading his wife last week, days after she filed for divorce. Authorities have not discussed the role religion or culture might have played, but the slaying gave rise to speculation that it was the sort of "honor killing" more common in countries half a world away, including the couple's native Pakistan.

Funeral services for Aasiya Hassan, 37, were Tuesday. Her 44-year-old husband is scheduled to appear for a felony hearing Wednesday.

The Hassans lived in Orchard Park — a well-off Buffalo suburb that hadn't seen a homicide since 1986 — and started Bridges TV there in 2004 with the message of developing understanding between North America and the Middle East and South Asia. The network, available across the U.S. and Canada, was believed to be the first English-language cable station aimed at the rapidly growing Muslim demographic.

Orchard Park Police Chief Andrew Benz said his officers had responded to domestic incidents involving the couple, most recently Feb. 6, the day Mo Hassan was served with the divorce papers and an order of protection.

'Never heard him raise his voice'
"I've never heard him raise his voice," said Paul Moskal, who became friendly with the couple while he was chief counsel for the FBI in Buffalo. Moskal would answer questions in forums aired on Bridges TV that were intended to improve understanding between Muslim-Americans and law enforcement.

"His personal life kind of betrayed what he tried to portray publicly," Moskal said.

On Feb. 12, Hassan went to a police station and told officers his wife was dead at the TV studio.

"We found her laying in the hallway the offices were off of," Benz said. Aasiya Hassan's head was near her body.

"I don't know if (the method of death) does mean anything," said the chief, who would not discuss what weapon may have been used. "We certainly want to investigate anything that has any kind of merit. It's not a normal thing you would see."

Hassan was not represented by an attorney at an initial appearance on a charge of second-degree murder. Neither police nor the Erie County district attorney's office knew if he had hired a lawyer.

NOW condemns prosecutors
The New York president of the National Organization for Women, Marcia Pappas, condemned prosecutors for referring to the death as an apparent case of domestic violence.

"This was, apparently, a terroristic version of 'honor killing,'" a statement from NOW said.

Nadia Shahram, who teaches family law and Islam at the University at Buffalo Law School, explained honor killing as a practice still accepted among fanatical Muslim men who feel betrayed by their wives.

"If a woman breaks the law which the husband or father has placed for the wife or daughter, honor killing has been justified," said Shahram, who was a regular panelist on a law show produced by Bridges TV. "It happens all the time. It's been practiced in countries such as Pakistan and in India."

Acquaintances said Mo Hassan was not overtly religious — co-workers did not see him pray, for instance. But he seemed to adhere to many traditional practices.

Nancy Sanders, the television station's news director for 2 1/2 years, remembers him asking her to move her feet during her job interview so he would not see her legs. She was wearing a skirt and stockings.

He also would not let women enter his office unless his wife was there, and he blocked the station from airing a story about the first Muslim woman to win the title of Miss England in 2005, Sanders said.

Acquaintances said Aasiya Hassan was trained as an architect. Sanders described her as obedient to her husband, and that she wore a traditional hijab for a time but later stopped without explanation.

'Gentle giant'
"She was beautiful, small, delicately built," she said, "while Mo would fill up a door frame. I always thought of him as a gentle giant."

Sanders, who left Bridges TV a year ago, said co-workers traded stories about Hassan's apparent violent streak, including one which had him running his wife's car off the road while the couple's two young children were inside. Aasiya herself never spoke of it, she said.

"I just do not feel it was an honor killing," Sanders added. "I think it was domestic abuse that got out of control."

Erie County District Attorney Frank Sedita did not immediately respond to The Associated Press' request for a copy of the order of protection issued against Mo Hassan. Divorce records are sealed in New York state. Aasiya Hassan's lawyer would not reveal the reasons for the divorce filing.

Hassan graduated with an MBA from the Simon School of Business at the University of Rochester in 1996, according to the TV station's Web site. Bridges broadcasts all over the United States and in Canada on various cable providers and Verizon FiOS. As of 6 p.m. Tuesday, the network was not broadcasting in the Buffalo area.

There was no answer at the network on Tuesday and its Web site has a message saying Bridges is shocked and saddened and requests privacy.

URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29245206/

Bridges TV GM Appeals for "Privacy" and Support In Wake of Murder Case

2009-02-18T11:05:00.000-08:00

Station Embroiled in Controversy After CEO Charged With Grizzly Crime

mwViews News
-- February 18, 2009

BUFFALO, NY - (mwV) The interim general manager of Bridges TV, Hunaid Baliwala, made a public internet appeal today to respect "the right to privacy for the families and staff" in the aftermath of the brutal slaying of Aasiyah Hassan, estranged wife of Bridges CEO and co-founder, Muzzamil Hassan. Hassan allegedly decapitated his wife in his office on February 15 and then contacted the police. Details concerning the case remain sketchy but reportedly involved enforcement of a protective order that required Muzzamil Hassan to vacate the family home on February 6.

In the wake of this controversy, the future of the syndicated station Hassan helped established to present a positive image of Islam for the American viewing public remains unclear as does the impact of Budaila's public appeal (see below).

"Dear Friends,

My name is Hunaid Baliwala and I have been at Bridges since May of 2005. I am writing to you as the newly appointed interim General Manager of Bridges TV. Previously, I held a number of operations and business development roles.

We apologize that we have not been able to connect with you earlier, as we were trying to deal with this shocking event and did not have access to our facilities.

At Bridges TV, all the staff members are deeply shocked and saddened by the murder of Aasiya Hassan [Zubair] and subsequent arrest of Muzzammil Hassan. Our deepest condolences and prayers go out to the victim’s family. This appears to be the most tragic of domestic violence incidents and, although we have heard statistics that imply that more than three cases of domestic violence occur every day in the US, no one here could ever imagine that this may happen to our beloved colleague.

While the staff is obviously in a state of shock given how closely we all worked with both Aasiya and Muzzammil, we are all unwavering in our determination that, for the sake of Aasiyaʼs vision of this channel, we remain strong and continue the good work that she had initiated. We have a strong staff and I am confident in the success of the Company moving forward.

I would like to request that the right to privacy for the families and staff be respected as we continue to go about our daily business routine.

The two biggest issues that we currently face at Bridges TV are the negative publicity generated by this domestic violence incident and the ongoing funding constraint. Both are extremely time sensitive and are being addressed directly by myself and our Board of Directors (composed primarily of our investors). Without your support we would not have been able to come this far. Therefore, we value your continued support and will need it to get through this challenging time. If you have any ideas and suggestions please do not hesitate to contact me. Given all the myriad of activities at Bridges TV, I may not be able to respond to each correspondence but please let me assure you that all will be read and absorbed by our team. We are all resolute in fulfilling Aasiyaʼs mission for Bridges TV.

If you know anyone who would find this information useful or helpful please pass this along.

Hunaid Baliwala

Phone: 716-961-3140"

EM: hbaliwala@bridgestv.com"

Bridges TV Founder Accused of Beheading Wife

2009-02-16T14:51:00.000-08:00

American-Islamic TV station owner accused of beheading his wife

By Associated Press
Sunday, February 15, 2009 - Added 1d 5h ago

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. - A Buffalo-area man who runs an American-Islamic television station is accused of beheading his wife.

Orchard Park police say 44-year-old Muzzammil Hassan told police Thursday evening that his wife was dead at his office. That’s where police found the body of 37-year-old Aasiya Hassan.

Hassan is now charged with second-degree murder and police believe the killing occurred sometime late Thursday afternoon. Authorities say his wife had recently filed for divorce and had an order of protection that had him out of the home as of February 6th.

Hassan is the founder and chief executive of Bridges TV, which he launched in 2004 in hopes of portraying Muslims in a better light.

Police didn’t know Friday if Hassan had an attorney.

http://news.bostonherald.com/news/national/northeast/view/2009_02_15_American-Islamic_TV_station_owner_accused_of_beheading_his_wife/srvc=home&position=recent

Muslim Women Get "Their Space" at Ning.com

2009-02-15T13:38:00.000-08:00

Hayati "My Life" Social Network Gives Muslim Women "Their Space"

PRESS RELEASE, mwNews and Views
--February 15, 2009

MIDLOTHIAN, VA- A new social networking site for muslim woman integrating the latest web technologies went online yesterday at ning.com. Similar to the popular MySpace and Facebook online communities, Hayaati connects muslim women who join to blogs, videos, islamic study groups, and of course, each other. The private network for muslim women offers access to blogs, member photo galleries, forums, and video upload. Hayaati gives muslim women a secure, private place for creativity and self expression.

The decision to join the thousands of online communities at ning.com was made based on the popularity of the site's features. Several ning communities currently have very large membership bases, some in the tens of thousands. The ning site, which says the translation of the word means "peace", also has very easy-to-use, attractive user interfaces that personalize and enhance each member's online experience.

To learn more about Hayaati at ning.com, click on the Hayaati link or visit http://hayaati.ning.com.

[END]

2009-02-14T10:01:00.000-08:00

Polygamist who tortured his family is sentenced to 7 life terms

The 'reign of terror' merits the harshest punishment, Riverside County judge says. Mansa Musa Muhummed starved, beat and imprisoned his 3 wives and 19 children for decades.

By David Kelly
February 14, 2009

A polygamist who tortured, starved, imprisoned and beat his wives and children for decades was sentenced to seven life terms in prison Friday by a judge who said the man's "reign of terror" warranted the harshest punishment available.

Mansa Musa Muhummed, 55, spoke before sentencing and denied ever mistreating his three wives and 19 children.

"I never tortured anyone," he told Riverside County Superior Court Judge F. Paul Dickerson III. "I don't know where that came from."

The judge dismissed his comments. "Mr. Muhummed showed no remorse and accepted no responsibility for his twisted behavior, and the court is sending the strongest message possible," he said.

Family members filled the back row of the courtroom, some of the women wearing colorful head scarves.

"I'm very afraid of him. I really don't want him to get out of jail at all," his daughter Sharon Boddie, 28, told the judge. "Please, Your Honor, don't show him any mercy because he never showed any mercy to his kids."

Muhummed was arrested in 1999 at the family's house in rural Aguanga in Riverside County, but legal maneuvering delayed the trial for years.

Originally from Virginia, Muhummed came to California, converted to Islam and moved his family from place to place, living in houses, small apartments and vans.

Family members testified that he would beat them savagely with boat oars, hoses and electrical cords for any perceived infraction. Grounds for beatings included sneaking food, failing to recite a passage from the Koran accurately and not asking to use the bathroom. He also organized fights between his boys.

Muhummed tightly rationed food for everyone but himself. He carefully locked up the cabinets and chained the refrigerator. His children said he "ate like a king" while they went hungry.

In fact, they said, they went up to seven days without food. They had to beg for it or pick a lock and steal it. If caught, they were beaten or made to stand all night in a corner. Buckets in bedrooms usually served as their toilets, they said.

When police found Sharon Boddie in 1999, she was 18 years old, weighed 48 pounds and stood barely 4 feet tall. Her older brother Marlon weighed 53 pounds. Another brother, Curtis, 16, weighed 42 pounds.

Marlon Boddie, in an interview before the sentencing, said his father hung him upside down in the basement by a cord and beat him for hours. He said he was made to eat his own feces and vomit. Marlon Boddie, now 29, said he once smashed a bottle against his head in order to get sent to a hospital and out of the house.

"He broke my arm once and wrapped a towel around it real tight like a cast," he said. "Imagine what it's like to see your dad split open your head, then sew it up with a needle and thread."

Like many members of his family, Marlon Boddie is at loose ends, trying to navigate a world that was hidden from him for most of his life. The experience, he said, has irrevocably scarred him.

"It's like 20 years of my life has gone down the drain. Even now I get afraid to eat. I look around me to see if someone is watching," he said.

The family lived in Bakersfield, North Palm Springs, Desert Hot Springs, Moreno Valley, Riverside and Aguanga. Muhummed made money selling his food stamps and collecting Social Security on himself and his children, family members said. His children were pulled out of elementary school or never sent. Some still struggle with basic skills such as reading, writing a check and shopping for groceries.

"When I got out I couldn't read," Sharon Boddie said. "I had never been to school."

The wives and children were often locked up in a dark garage for days with no heating, air conditioning or toilets.

In 1999, one of the wives slipped a letter to the mailman, begging for help. Police raided the Aguanga home and arrested Muhummed. Another wife, Marva Barfield, was jailed for a year on charges of child endangerment. She was released after agreeing to testify against her husband.

"I married him at 18 and got out at 45," Barfield said in court Friday. "I was scared of him. I want to apologize to my kids for not doing more, but I was truly afraid of him."

A letter was read from another daughter, Felicia Boddie, asking the judge to show mercy: "If he didn't have emotional problems, would he have done this? . . . I want the hate to end and the healing to begin."

When it was Muhummed's turn to talk, all but two family members left the courtroom. He spoke defiantly, saying that he was innocent and that his children were pressured to say they were abused.

"I made mistakes, but they know how I looked after them their whole lives," he said. "I tried to keep them together. My family never suffered the way they say they did."

The judge denied a defense motion to sentence Muhummed to one life term so he might be eligible for parole someday. Instead, he gave him a life sentence for each of the seven counts of torture. Muhummed isn't eligible for parole for at least 65 years, said his attorney, Peter Morreale.

Marta Butterfield, one of the jurors in the case, showed up for the sentencing. "I think he is such a monster," she said, "and I wanted to see him get everything he deserved."

http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/california/la-me-torture14-2009feb14,0,3370120.story

david.kelly@latimes.com

Torture, Child Abuse Cited in Polygyny Case

2009-02-13T20:13:00.001-08:00

California Polygamist Gets Life Term For Family Crimes

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/02/13/ap/national/main4801203.shtml

Murrieta, CA (AP) A self-proclaimed polygamist has been sentenced in California to life in prison for torturing some of his 19 children and falsely imprisoning two of his three wives.

Mansa Musa Muhummed (MAN'-suh MOOS'-uh Moh-HAH'-med) was sentenced Friday in Riverside County Superior Court, nearly a decade after his arrest. A judge imposed seven consecutive life sentences and nearly 17 years of other prison time.

Muhummed went on trial last year after years of maneuvering. Several of his children testified that they were starved, beaten and strung up with electrical cord in the basement of their home.

The 55-year-old Muhummed was convicted of seven counts of torture, 12 counts of child endangerment, four counts of spousal abuse and two counts of false imprisonment.

Was Nadya Suleman Seeking Fame?

2009-02-12T06:15:00.001-08:00

Fame or Fortune? Was Nadya Motivated by Celebrity?

Nadya Suleman appeared in a KTLA video with Dr. Michael Kamrava of West Coast IVG Clinic in Beverly Hills, in 2006. The video discussed Kamrava's "guaranteed implantation seed method", a controversial procedure which injects the embryos into uterine tissue. Could the promise of fame and fortune have motivated Nadya to implant eight embryos?

The KTLA video raises more ethical issues regarding her relationship with her fertility doctor. . questions concerning medical ethnics and the doctor-patient relationship between Kamrava and Nadya Suleman. Ultimately, the decisions made will impact not only Kamrava and Nadya Suleman but the 14 children they brought into the world.

Watch Suleman call Dr. Kamrava's work "a miracle" in a KTLA video feature on Kamrava's clinic. You also get to see two of her other IVF kids.

(more at ttp://latimesblogs.latimes.com/thedishrag/2009/02/octo-mom-nadya.html)

Single Mother Defies Criticism for Octuplet Births

2009-02-12T06:05:00.000-08:00

By Mike Celizic

TODAYShow.com contributor

updated 10:29 p.m. ET, Fri., Feb. 6, 2009

The Southern California woman who gave birth to octuplets last week told TODAY’s Ann Curry in an exclusive interview that growing up as an only child, she had always dreamed of having “a huge family.” She also denied charges that she was irresponsible to have so many babies — especially with six other children already at home.

“People feel, you know, this woman is being completely irresponsible and selfish to bring these children in the world without a clear source of income and enough help to raise them,” Curry told Nadya Suleman in a segment that aired Friday on TODAY. “The world outside is saying, ‘What are you doing?’ ”

“I know I'll be able to afford them when I'm done with my schooling,” the 33-year-old single mom replied. Calm, poised and articulate in the glare of the media spotlight, Suleman added: “If I was just sitting down watching TV and not being as determined as I am to succeed and provide a better future for my children, I believe that would be considered, to a certain degree, selfish.”

'I love my children’
Suleman, who said she holds each premature infant 45 minutes each day, said she was hoping to have one more child after having six previous children, all of whom are under the age of 7. She said she had six embryos implanted, two of which resulted in twins. Curry reported that although Suleman has received disability payments from the state of California, she said she refuses to accept welfare payments. Suleman and her children live with her mother, Angela Suleman.

“All I wanted was children. I wanted to be a mom. That's all I ever wanted in my life. I love my children,” she told Curry.

Curry said that Suleman said she intends to return to college in the fall to complete a master’s degree in counseling. Suleman had worked in a state mental hospital from 1997-2006, but spent much of the time after 1999 on disability after injuring her back in a riot at the facility.

Suleman said she is a good mother.

“I'm providing myself to my children. I'm loving them unconditionally, accepting them unconditionally,” she told Curry. “Everything I do, I'll stop my life for them and be present with them. And hold them. And be with them. And how many parents do that? I'm sure there are many that do, but many don't. And that's unfortunate. That is selfish.”

‘Phenomenal risk’
Suleman said she was fully aware of the risks of carrying eight fetuses. “Those are my children, and that’s what was available,” she said. “It’s a gamble.”

In a separate segment, NBC’s chief medical editor, Dr. Nancy Snyderman, said the gamble didn’t end with the live births of all eight babies.

“That risk is not only to mom — her uterus can rupture and she can die — there’s a phenomenal risk to eight babies. Eight babies, by definition, cannot be born normal weight and robust,” Snyderman told TODAY’s Matt Lauer after watching Suleman’s interview with Curry.

She explained: “They’re going to watch these kids very carefully for eating problems, growing [problems], and then seizures, jaundice, heart problems, lung problems, blindness, developmental delays — there’s a laundry list of things. Long term, because some of these children will be physically or mentally challenged, there’s a looming price tag out here. The hospital bill alone will run $1.5 to $3 million. Forget about getting to college; just to get through special-needs stuff — it’s going to have to come from somewhere, either the taxpayers of California or her family or her church or the hospital. But she can’t do it alone.”

NBC contributor and psychiatrist Dr. Gail Saltz added that there will be emotional issues to deal with as well. “Undoubtedly these eight children are going to have issues: at the minimum, the issue of neglect,” Saltz told Lauer.

“Obviously, she’s saying she’s going to love them, but there are 14 children and [only] one of her,” Saltz continued. “There’s going to be an absence of some emotional needs. There will probably be developmental delays at best in these children; maybe learning disabilities. There are going to be major issues that they’re going to need various therapies for.”

Childhood dream
Suleman said she went to the same in vitro fertilization clinic to have all 14 of her children. All were conceived with donated sperm from the same father, Suleman said.

Suleman told Curry that the father is a bit overwhelmed right now, but she is hoping that he will want to get to know his children when he is ready.

“How did an only child end up with 14 children?” Curry asked Nadya Suleman. “That was always a dream of mine, to have a large family, a huge family, and I just longed for certain connections and attachments with another person that I really lacked, I believe, growing up,” she replied.

The entire exclusive interview will air along with exclusive video of the babies on TODAY Monday, Feb. 9, and on Dateline at 10 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 10.

“Describe what you felt you lacked within,” Curry said.

“Feeling of self and identity,” Suleman replied. “I didn't feel as though, when I was a child, I had much control of my environment. I felt powerless. And that gave me a sense of predictability. Reflecting back on my childhood, I know it wasn't functional. It was pretty dysfunctional, and whose isn't?”

Saltz later opined to Lauer that Suleman’s statement reveals emotional issues. “I think she’s in a bit of denial here and quite defensive, because in fact she does talk about the fact that this has been her life’s mission: to have babies, have babies, have babies. There’s an obsession to this, and I think it’s quite disturbing,” the psychiatrist said.

“When you don’t have a connection in childhood, you go see a therapist,” she added. “You don’t have 14 babies.”

An ethical debate
While the world celebrated the birth of fairly healthy octuplets, public sentiment has shifted as it's been revealed Suleman also has six other children, ages 2 to 7, and is a single parent who conceived all 14 of her children through in vitro fertilization.

The divorced single mom told Curry she tried to get pregnant for years before finally succeeding.

(full story and video at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29038814/)

Suleman Receiving Food Stamps, Disability Payments for Some of Her Children

2009-02-12T05:55:00.000-08:00

Taxpayers May Pay for Octuplet Costs

USA Today News / Nation
-- February 11, 2009

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A big share of the financial burden of raising Nadya Suleman's 14 children could fall on the shoulders of California's taxpayers, compounding the public furor in a state already billions of dollars in the red.

Even before the 33-year-old single, unemployed mother gave birth to octuplets last month, she had been caring for her six other children with the help of $490 a month in food stamps, plus Social Security disability payments for three of the youngsters. The public aid will almost certainly be increased with the new additions to her family.

Also, the hospital where the octuplets are expected to spend seven to 12 weeks has requested reimbursement from Medi-Cal, the state's Medicaid program, for care of the premature babies, according to the Los Angeles Times. The cost has not been disclosed.

Word of the public assistance has stoked the furor over Suleman's decision to have so many children by having embryos implanted in her womb. "It appears that, in the case of the Suleman family, raising 14 children takes not simply a village but the combined resources of the county, state and federal governments," Los Angeles Times columnist Tim Rutten wrote in Wednesday's paper. He called Suleman's story "grotesque."

On the Internet, bloggers rained insults on Suleman, calling her an "idiot," criticizing her decision to have more children when she couldn't afford the ones she had, and suggesting she be sterilized.

"It's my opinion that a woman's right to reproduce should be limited to a number which the parents can pay for," Charles Murray wrote in a letter to the Los Angeles Daily News. "Why should my wife and I, as taxpayers, pay child support for 14 Suleman kids?"

She was also berated on talk radio, where listeners accused her of manipulating the system and being an irresponsible mother.

"From the outside you can tell that this woman was playing the system," host Bryan Suits said on the "Kennedy and Suits" show on KFI-AM. "You're damn right the state should step in and seize the kids and adopt them out."

Suleman's spokesman, Mike Furtney, urged understanding. "I would just ask people to consider her situation and she has been under a tremendous amount of pressure that no one could be prepared for," Furtney said.

A call to Suleman's publicist Mike Furtney was not immediately returned.

In her only media interviews, Suleman told NBC's "Today" she doesn't consider the public assistance she receives to be welfare and doesn't intend to remain on it for long. Also, a Nadya Suleman Family website has been set up to collect donations for the children. It features pictures of the mother and each octuplet and has instructions for making donations by check or credit card.

Suleman, whose six older children range in age from 2 to 7, said three of them receive disability payments. She said one is autistic, but she has not disclosed the other youngsters' disabilities, and refused to say how much they get in payments.

(full story at http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2009-02-11-octuplets-money_N.htm?csp=34)

Woman Asked to Remove Scarf to Enter Bank Felt "Naked"

2009-02-03T15:14:00.000-08:00

By Charisse Yu, 10news.com, San Diego
- UPDATED: 2:47 pm PST February 3, 2009

Woman Claims Bank Singled Her Out For Head Scarf

SAN DIEGO-- A woman who wore an Islamic head scarf to a local bank said she was turned away and singled out, and is a victim of discrimination. Amal Hersi and her family moved to the U.S. from Somalia in search of freedom. Hersi said she's had the freedom she's wanted, up until last Saturday. "I felt like a criminal. I felt humiliated. I fell ashamed," said Hersi.

Hersi said she was waiting in line at the Navy Federal Credit Union in Mission Valley when she said she was stopped by an employee."So she goes, 'Ma'am, could you follow me?' And at that point I was like what did I do wrong?" said Hersi.Hersi said the reason was because she wore a traditional Muslim scarf."For her to approach me in front of 40 people and they're actually looking at me thinking, you know, what's wrong with her or why is she being singled out," said Hersi.Even after telling the employee she wore the scarf for religious reasons, she was asked to remove it. She compares herself to any other person wearing a garment, like a Jewish man wearing a Yarmulke or a Catholic nun wearing a habit."I feel naked because this is what I know; this is how I grew up. It's my religion," said Hersi.

Full story at http://www.10news.com/news/18625220/detail.html#-

Media Publicity Revealed as Likely Motive Behind Octuplet Births

2009-01-31T20:18:00.000-08:00

Octuplets' mother wants Oprah to turn her into a $2m TV star

John Harlow, Los Angeles

From The Sunday Times

February 1, 2009

THE single mother of octuplets born in California last week is seeking $2m (£1.37m) from media interviews and commercial sponsorship to help pay the cost of raising the children.

Nadya Suleman, 33, plans a career as a television childcare expert after it emerged last week that she already had six children before giving birth on Monday. She now has 14 below the age of eight.

Although still confined to an LA hospital bed, she intends to talk to two influential television hosts this week — media mogul Oprah Winfrey, and Diane Sawyer, who presents Good Morning America.

Her family has told agents she needs cash from deals such as nappy sponsorship — she will get through 250 a week in the next few months — and the agents will gauge public reaction to her story.

Her earning power, though, could be diminished by a growing ethical and medical controversy. Experts believe that the unnamed fertility specialists who gave her in vitro fertilisation (IVF) should not have implanted so many embryos, and in choosing to carry all eight to term, Suleman ignored guidelines, risking both their health and her own.

US public reaction has been mixed: many have asked how an unemployed single mother can raise 14 children, as her first six have already strained the family budget. Angela and Ed Suleman, Nadya’s parents,bought her a two-bedroom bungalow in the suburb of Whittier in March 2007, but soon after got into debt and had to leave their own home.

They filed for bankruptcy and moved in with their daughter and grandchildren. Last week her father said he would return to his native Iraq to work as a translator and driver.

Angela Suleman, who is caring for the first six children — one of whom is autistic — while her daughter is in hospital, said yesterday that she had consulted a psychologist over Nadya’s “obsession with children”.

Nadya Suleman, who describes herself as a “professional student” living off education grants and parental money, broke up with her boyfriend before the birth of her first child seven years ago.

The identity of the octuplets’ father remains unknown, but local reports suggest they were conceived with frozen sperm donated by a friend she met while working at a fertility clinic. He is the father of her twins, born two years ago.

Michael Tucker of the Georgia Reproductive Clinic, Atlanta, said Suleman’s story stunned him. “We are policed by the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, which frowns upon implanting more than two or three embryos at a time. It is remarkable that any practitioner would undertake such a practice.”

The babies, born nine weeks prematurely by C-section, were attended to by 46 medical staff, who expected seven babies. When the eighth — a boy — appeared, doctors were “confounded”.

Angela Suleman said her daughter was advised to terminate some of the embryos in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy for the sake of her health, but she refused because she did not know how to make such a life-or-death decision.

“She doesn’t have any more, so it’s over now. It has to be,” said the grandmother.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/health/article5627531.ece

"Nadya is not evil.. just obsessed with children" mom says

2009-01-31T16:27:00.000-08:00

Octuplets' mom was hoping for 'just one more girl,' grandmother says

Nadya Suleman, a 33-year-old mother of twins, octuplets and 4 other young children, loves being around kids and was not seeking fame or financial gain, her friends and family say.

By Jessica Garrison and Kimi Yoshino
January 31, 2009

Nadya Suleman's goal in life was to be a mother, her friends and family said. That is why, even with a brood of six, including 2-year-old twins, she decided to have more embryos transferred in hopes, her mother said Friday, of getting "just one more girl."

"And look what happened. Octuplets. Dear God," Angela Suleman said four days after her 33-year-old daughter became the second person in the U.S. ever to give birth to eight babies at once.

Suleman stressed that her daughter "is not evil, but she is obsessed with children. She loves children, she is very good with children, but obviously she overdid herself."

Angela Suleman said all the children are from the same sperm donor, but she did not identify him. Her daughter is divorced, but Suleman said the ex-husband was not the father.

Suleman said she is caring for her six grandchildren while their mother is in the hospital recovering. She said she had few details about how the octuplets were conceived and did not know the identity of the doctor or the clinic that transferred the frozen embryos into her daughter's uterus. Suleman said it was not Kaiser Permanente, where the babies were born.

Fertility experts have raised concerns about the number of embryos implanted and whether the procedure was within medical guidelines.

"I cannot see circumstances where any reasonable physician would transfer [so many] embryos into a woman under the age of 35 under any circumstance," said Arthur Wisot, a fertility doctor in Redondo Beach and the author of "Conceptions and Misconceptions."

Doctors probably could not deny treatment to a woman simply because she already has children, he said. However, he added, they should have taken steps to make sure she did not have so many babies at once.

"I certainly think you can talk to her about it if you feel like she's making a decision that's not in her best interest or the interest of her children," Wisot said. "You can send her for psychological evaluation, but I honestly don't know if you can say, 'No, I won't take care of you because you have too many children.' "

Dr. Geeta Swamy, an assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Duke University, told The Times this week that the American Society for Reproductive Medicine and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists advise doctors "to curb these higher-order multiple gestations," she said. "But it really is still up to the individual physician. There aren't any laws or legal ramifications to it."

The California Medical Board, which investigates doctors, and the California Department of Public Health, which licenses clinics and hospitals, said no doctors or facilities are currently being investigated regarding the births. It is also unlikely that the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services would get involved unless it receives a complaint of child abuse or neglect.

Allison Frickert, a friend of Nadya Suleman, said the mother was not seeking potential fame or financial benefit. "There was no overriding situation, other than having more children to love," she said.

"Her whole life, she couldn't wait to be a mom," Frickert said. "That was her No. 1 goal."

Friends and family also reported that Nadya Suleman worked as a psychiatric technician until she was injured on the job. Then she began having children and enrolled in school.

She graduated from Cal State Fullerton in 2006 with a bachelor of science degree in child and adolescent development, school officials said. She returned to pursue a master's in counseling, but last attended in the spring of 2008.

By juggling school and six children, Frickert said, Nadya Suleman proved to be "a lot more capable than the average person in handling stress."

She and her children live with her mother in a 1,550-square-foot home in Whittier, and her father has been working in Iraq as a translator to help support the family.

In 2008, Angela Suleman filed for bankruptcy, claiming nearly $1 million in liabilities mostly due to a bad housing investment, her bankruptcy attorney said. Suleman said Friday that she had withdrawn the filing and paid her debts.

As the media camped outside the house, Angela Suleman said in a telephone interview that she could not explain her daughter's decision.

Nadya Suleman has always loved children, her mother said. Then she sighed. "I wish she would have become a kindergarten teacher."

jessica.garrison@latimes.com

kimi.yoshino@latimes.com

Times staff writers Alan Zarembo, Tony Barboza, Corina Knoll, Richard Winton, Garrett Therolf, Janet Lundblad and Scott Wilson contributed to this article.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-octuplets31-2009jan31,0,6246659.story

Indiana Woman Waits for Infant Son Stranded in Iraq

2009-01-31T13:44:00.000-08:00

By TOM COYNE, Associated Press Writer

FORT WAYNE, Ind. – Baby Amir's crib is lined with blankets crocheted by his mother and stuffed animals from his 8-year-old sister. Framed photos of him hang on the walls and sit atop shelves and tables throughout his family's three-bedroom home.

He has yet to see any of it.

Eight-month-old Amir Alshemmari remains in his aunt's concrete house in the holy city of Najaf in central Iraq, where his relatives' home has electricity two hours a day. His mother, Grace, is more than 6,000 miles away in Fort Wayne, writing letters to everyone from politicians to Dr. Phil looking for help to get her son home.

She's willing to do all but the one thing the U.S. government says she must: take her son to the U.S. embassy in Baghdad to obtain the paperwork proving he is a U.S. citizen so he can get the passport needed to leave the country.

"Just watch the news. You can see Baghdad isn't a safe place," Alshemmari said. "That's where most of the conflict is, and I think that's where most of the anti-American groups have centered their organizations."

Alshemmari, a lifelong Indiana resident, didn't plan to give birth in the war-torn country when she and husband Raad, an Iraqi refugee who came to the United States in 1993, learned she was pregnant with their second child.

The couple met in 1998, had a daughter in 2000 and married in 2007. She had never been out of the country. Her husband convinced her to go to Iraq because his 86-year-old mother was in failing health.

Alshemmari left for the trip almost a year ago, when she was nearly six months pregnant. She planned to return in time for her mother's birthday on April 22 — about a month before her due date.

But the couple and their daughter stayed too long, Iraqi Airways officials said. The airline refused to issue her a ticket to fly home because it does not allow expecting women to fly beyond the pregnancy's 35th week.

Alshemmari, who was 35 weeks pregnant at the time, was devastated, but her husband said they had no choice.

"Let's just have the baby here, and we'll all come home together," he said.

Alshemmari agreed, but told him: "As soon as this baby's born, we're out of here."

She gave birth by cesarean section at a hospital in Najaf, about 100 miles south of Baghdad, on May 25.

The couple thought they could get the necessary paperwork to bring home the baby by going to Iraqi offices in Diwaniyah, about 30 minutes away. After a half dozen trips and a call to the U.S. embassy, they learned they needed to go to Baghdad.

But her husband's family told her the trip was too dangerous, especially for an American.

"They said, 'We're Iraqi and we don't go there. Don't go there,'" Alshemmari said.

The couple flew to Jordan without Amir in hopes of finding a solution, even though they knew the United States required the baby be present at an embassy to receive the paper proving American citizenship. They were given a seven-day visa, which Alshemmari said wouldn't be enough time to get an appointment at the U.S. embassy there.

"It seems to me she's stuck between a rock and a hard place," State Department spokesman Noel Clay said.

Clay said the Alshemmaris' predicament is rare but that the State Department can't make an exception in their case because its policies for verifying U.S. citizenship guard against baby smuggling.

"We can't change the procedures," he said.

After their unsuccessful trip to Jordan, the Alshemmaris returned to Fort Wayne without Amir in hopes of getting help at home. But so far, little has changed.

"It just doesn't seem to be going anywhere. We're just mired down," Alshemmari said.

The offices of Sens. Richard Lugar and Evan Bayh have been involved in the case since late October, trying to determine whether the family can give power of attorney to Raad Alshemmari's sister, Sadiea, so she can take Amir to the embassy.

Lugar's office also provided access to a computer at his Fort Wayne office that would allow her to see Amir via the Web camera on Sadiea's family computer. Alshemmari, however, chooses to look at pictures and video taken while she was with him.

"I'm torn. I want to see his face. I want to see how he's doing. But then I know it's going to kill me because I don't know how much longer until I get him home," she said. "I want him so bad."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090131/ap_on_re_us/stranded_son;_ylt=Arltyg5p0vseJvHbCcTgmTBvzwcF

Single Mom Filed Bankruptcy Prior to Fertility Treatment

2009-01-31T12:06:00.000-08:00

Reports Cast Octuplets' Mother in Less-Flattering Light

Reports are circulating that cast an unflattering light on the miracle mom who gave birth to octuplets in California Monday.

CBS News reported Friday that the mother of eight newborns, who already had six children, filed for bankruptcy and abandoned her home less than two years ago. She hasn't been identified publicly yet, though CBS News described her as a woman in her 30s who lives with her parents.

The woman's mother revealed to the Los Angeles Times that her daughter already had six children before seeking fertility treatment, though she had no idea she would become pregnant with so many babies.

Britain's Sun newspaper reported that the mother works in a fertility clinic. The grandmother said she had multiple embryos implanted last year and declined to abort any of them.

The hospital, Kaiser Permanente in Bellflower, Calif., did not release the mother's name, but the Sun, without citing sources, identified her as 33-year-old Nadya Suleman. She does not appear to have a husband.

CBS News reported that the woman's father is Iraqi and is heading back to his native country to earn money for the growing family.

The babies were born nine weeks premature, adding to their health risks, the Associated Press reported. Because of the risks, doctors generally advise against births with so many multiples — though the decision is left up to the mother.

Stress comes along with any pregnancy, but giving birth to octuplets could be overwhelming, according to Dr. Charles Sophy, medical director of Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services,

"Any new parent is going to be under stress and multiple that by 8, it's a lot of stress," Sophy told FOXNews.com. "Hopefully the upfront work and due diligence was done."

Sophy said the most pressing concern for Suleman should be getting the youngsters on a schedule.

"Eating, sleeping and bathing are the key areas to get scheduled," he said. "The same goes for mom and dad. Parents need to make sure they're whole or else they won't be valuable to their children."

Sophy said the expense of raising 14 children will likely be prohibitive, citing studies that estimate it costs roughly $2.5 million to raise a child to adulthood. Using that math, raising 14 children would cost roughly $35 million.

"And that's basic stuff," he said. "That doesn't include swimming lessons and things like that. It's very costly and hopefully the planning that needs to be done was done upfront."

Sophy continued, "14 is a large number of children, so yes, it'll be 14 times the stress."

Dr. Manny Alvarez, managing editor of foxnewshealth.com, wrote that the pregnancy could have easily resulted in serious complications, including prematurity, the most common complication for multiple pregnancies.

"There are also a number of maternal complications that can arise from multiple pregnancies like high blood pressure, diabetes and significant post-partum bleeding," Alvarez wrote.

FOXNews.com's Joshua Rhett Miller contributed to this report.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,485924,00.html

"Single Mom, Frozen Embryos At Root of Octuplet Drama"

2009-01-31T11:07:00.000-08:00

By RAQUEL MARIA DILLON, Associated Press Writer Raquel Maria Dillon, Associated Press Writer – Sat Jan 31, 10:30 am ET

LOS ANGELES – The woman who gave birth to octuplets this week conceived all 14 of her children through in vitro fertilization, is not married and has been obsessed with having children since she was a teenager, her mother said.

Angela Suleman told The Associated Press she was not supportive when her daughter, Nadya Suleman, decided to have more embryos implanted last year.

"It can't go on any longer," she said in a phone interview Friday. "She's got six children and no husband. I was brought up the traditional way. I firmly believe in marriage. But she didn't want to get married."

Nadya Suleman, 33, gave birth Monday in nearby Bellflower. She was expected to remain in the hospital for at least a few more days, and her newborns for at least a month.

A spokeswoman at Kaiser Permanente Bellflower Medical Center said the babies were doing well and seven were breathing unassisted.

While her daughter recovers, Angela Suleman is taking care of the other six children, ages 2 through 7, at the family home in Whittier, about 15 miles east of downtown Los Angeles.

She said she warned her daughter that when she gets home from the hospital, "I'm going to be gone."

Angela Suleman said her daughter always had trouble conceiving and underwent in vitro fertilization treatments because her fallopian tubes are "plugged up."

There were frozen embryos left over after her previous pregnancies and her daughter didn't want them destroyed, so she decided to have more children.

Her mother and doctors have said the woman was told she had the option to abort some of the embryos and, later, the fetuses. She refused.

Her mother said she does not believe her daughter will have any more children.

"She doesn't have any more (frozen embryos), so it's over now," she said. "It has to be."

Nadya Suleman wanted to have children since she was a teenager, "but luckily she couldn't," her mother said.

"Instead of becoming a kindergarten teacher or something, she started having them, but not the normal way," he mother said.

Her daughter's obsession with children caused Angela Suleman considerable stress, so she sought help from a psychologist, who told her to order her daughter out of the house.

"Maybe she wouldn't have had so many kids then, but she is a grown woman," Angela Suleman said. "I feel responsible and I didn't want to throw her out."

Yolanda Garcia, 49, of Whittier, said she helped care for Nadya Suleman's autistic son three years ago.

"From what I could tell back then, she was pretty happy with herself, saying she liked having kids and she wanted 12 kids in all," Garcia told the Long Beach Press-Telegram.

"She told me that all of her kids were through in vitro, and I said 'Gosh, how can you afford that and go to school at the same time?"' she added. "And she said it's because she got paid for it."

Garcia said she did not ask for details.

Nadya Suleman holds a 2006 degree in child and adolescent development from California State University, Fullerton, and as late as last spring she was studying for a master's degree in counseling, college spokeswoman Paula Selleck told the Press-Telegram.

Her fertility doctor has not been identified. Her mother told the Los Angeles Times all the children came from the same sperm donor but she declined to identify him.

Birth certificates reviewed by The Associated Press identify a David Solomon as the father for the four oldest children. Certificates for the other children were not immediately available.

The news that the octuplets' mother already had six children sparked an ethical debate. Some medical experts were disturbed to hear that she was offered fertility treatment, and troubled by the possibility that she was implanted with so many embryos.

Others worried that she would be overwhelmed trying to raise so many children and would end up relying on public support.

The eight babies — six boys and two girls — were delivered by Cesarean section weighing between 1 pound, 8 ounces and 3 pounds, 4 ounces. Forty-six physicians and staff assisted in the deliveries.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090131/ap_on_re_us/octuplets