Naveed Haq, the alleged perpetrator of the shooting rampage at the Seattle Jewish Center in the summer of 2006, plead insanity to all charges today. I am not surprised, Haq is whacked. He has a well established history of mental illness and suffered from bi-polar disorder. Is this why he went on a shooting rampage with Jewish women as his target? I don't think so. My guess is that hatred was the motive, religion was the catalyst, and metal illness is his excuse.
Damn
I feel like the son of sam
Don't make me wreck shit hectic
Next to the chair got me goin' like General Electric
Haq was raised a Muslim but converted to Christianity in December 2005. While shooting his helpless victims, Haq was recorded saying ""These are Jews and I'm tired of getting pushed around and our people getting pushed around by the situation in the Middle East." Haq was all about religion, which makes his actions hate crimes.
Bipolar disorder itself is not enough to allow Haq to escape punishment. There are plenty of highly functional people who do not go around shooting people. The defense will have to show Haq was not responsible for his actions, which will be difficult. Haq is a religious (or cultural) terrorist. Religion drove him to kill. Hopefully, the jury will see this and put him away for the rest of his life.
13 comments:
Thanks Mojoey, for doing your part in weakening the perception that there's a direct link between mental illness and violence.
I just wonder what "god" told him to do it? Allah or the christian god.
I have NO sympathy for any of the jews that got shot. If the jews had any intelligence they would have realized that christians hate jews and the only safe place for them is in Israel As a matter of fact I wrote a book entititled "Torah and Zionism?" and on page 178 I show how the jews asked for the holocaust.
BiPolar? Which one? I,II,III etc.?
The term Bi-Polar is so misused by laymen. Perhaps you should look into it; the term as you use it is too vague to establish any value.
@"author"
I have heard of christians not hating jews. Look up John Hagee. I'm so sick of hearing about hate in this world.
Anonymous - I did look it up. Provided a laymans link to wikipedia too.
any your point is?
Author - preach your version of insanity to someone who cares.
Nutball.
There is a DIRECT link between SEVERE mental illness and violence. If this guy was simply Bipolar II (severe depression but with hypomania- the stress on hypo) I see your point; but if the guy is Bipolar type 1 with mania, then he needs to be hospitalized (probably for life).
TV and Movie people have misreresented mental illness for years. What they portray as Schizophrenia is closer to the manic stage of Bipolar I. Understanding the disorders is not just reading about them in Wiki.
You seem to have an axe to grind against lawyers (who doesn't) and the judicial system (I admit it's broken); and a bias against the concept of mental illness as a mitigating factor in violent crime.
I guess what troubles me most is the attitide you seem to be taking is eerily similar to the overgeneralizing and pompous tone that Christians take against non-theists. It's much too rage inspired, polarized and not good critical thinking.
Otherwise, you are doing great. I applaud your diligence.
P.S. Author is a good candidate for a frontal lobotomy.
Anonymous - If there is a link between SERIOUS mental illness and VIOLENCE then I'm assuming you mean Schizophrenia.
In this sense you're right. However, the most prevalent type of violence in thie group is violence to oneself. The vast majority of 'schizophrenics' are shy, withdrawn people who are very much more inclined to hurt themselves, and even kill themselves, than they are to hurt others.
There are some of course, who do hurt others, but frankly, there are as many 'sane' people who are violent and aggressive.
The media has much to answer in this respect.
Please, get your facts right.
Oh, and if you're using DSM-IV to categorise mental illness, then you have my sympathies.
Rant over ;-)
Jamon,
Obviously you have credentials to back up your opinions, and they are...? Tone and swagger do not equal sound reasoning or evidence. Since NIMH, as well as most licensed Psychiatrists, use DSM-IV, I'm sure your methods are MUCH better...
My methods are as flawed as DSM-IV.
As any good psychiatrist will tell you, DSM diagnostic criteria are as much social constructs as they are firm medical diagnoses.
For what it's worth, I'm a senior manager of a UK mental health organisation who provides care for people with severe and enduring mental health problems. I have been in the business for some 17 years.
My background is in Psychology & Nursing.
I do however, know that nothing is certain. And I'm always happy to be proved wrong.
I'm Sorry if my tone was too aggressive.
Jamon,
I render my apology. Obviously you have credentials.
Do you agree that people in full manic states sre capable of very violent behavior? I cite the spate of cases here in Texas where BP-I mothers killed their children while in such states. Most of them did experienced delusions with religious overtones (audial, visual and olfactory hallucinations); however some were catholic, others belonged to Evangelical/charismatic churches. Thier manic states may have been shaped by their ideologis but I'm sure a non-theist BiPolar type I in a full manic state would be capable of the same mayhem without the delusion that God/Jesus/Satan was telling them to save their children by killing them.
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