Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Woman Slashes Husband's Throat Because He's Not Devout Muslim
By
Jen Chung
Published Oct 30, 2009
Modified Oct 30, 2009
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Jen Chung
Published Oct 30, 2009
Modified Oct 30, 2009
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
A Staten Island woman was charged with attempted murder, assault and criminal possession of a deadly weapon after slashing her husband's throat with a knife. The police say the devout Muslim woman was upset her husband did not follow Islam strictly, allegedly making her drink alcohol, dress in short skirts, and eat pork.
According to the Daily News, Sheikh Naseem, a teacher at Susan Wagner High School, woke up on Wednesday to find wife Rabia Sarwar on his chest yelling, "It's time for you to die!" and slashing his throat. Naseem told the Post, "She just screamed, ‘They are going to be orphans now!’"—referring to his children from previous marriages—"She kept on coming after me with the knife and I grabbed it and broke it into two pieces and ran out of the room." He had to call the police from a neighbor's home, because she had hidden the phones. Naseem was treated for surface wounds.
Sarwar allegedly confessed to the police, listing her husband's various abuses and how Salman Rushdie was his favorite author. Her lawyer said she was "emotionally abused..He got her to drink alcohol, eat pork and change her clothes. She wanted to dress traditionally. I think he was a cruel person who preyed on her."
Naseem, "who was born in Pakistan, but is half Norwegian and is a Unitarian," explained that he wed Sarwar, who is from Pakistan, through an arranged marriage five months ago. (Given his two previous failed marriages, an ex-wife said, "Being that he didn't do very well the first two times, he thought he would try a woman of his own culture.") Naseem said he thought she was adjusting to American culture just fine, "There was no gun pointed to her head to do these things."
Tagged
attempted murder
islam
muslim
Rabia Sarwar
Sheikh Naseem
slashing
staten island
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
5 men charged with trespassing in 2 Manhattan manhole cases
Two people who were found soaking wet and smelling of sewage say they went underground to look for jewelry, according to police and a criminal complaint.
By
Charles Lane
Published Oct 23, 2026 at 7:49 p.m. ET
6-year-old girl breaks leg after getting hit by falling bricks in Queens
The girl was walking with her mother in Maspeth on Thursday. The Department of Buildings cited the owner of a garage for “failure to maintain” it.
By
Charles Lane
News
6-year-old girl breaks leg after getting hit by falling bricks in Queens
The girl was walking with her mother in Maspeth on Thursday. The Department of Buildings cited the owner of a garage for “failure to maintain” it.
By
Charles Lane
Mamdani extends ban on permits for new street fairs due to NYPD overtime
By
Carol Chen
Inside the Midtown Bus Terminal rebuild: Decks over Lincoln Tunnel approach, a new park
By
Ramsey Khalifeh
Black couple seeking Queens apartment sues over racist text from broker
By
Brittany Kriegstein
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .