Arab-American Pro Wrestling Character KO'd

[Cerebral_Assassin]

Controversial Wrestler Seen as Both a Stereotype and a Sympathetic Character

July 29, 2005 — Arab-American professional wrestler Muhammad Hassan, played by Italian-American Mark Copani for World Wrestling Entertainment, has seen his last day in the ring, according to a WWE spokesman.

The smackdown of Hassan during last weekend's "Great American Bash," an annual pay-per-view event, came after UPN and World Wrestling Entertainment received several letters and protests complaining that the character was an offensive stereotype of Arab-Americans and Muslims.

Hassan, whose storyline is that he's Arab-American born and raised in Detroit, rants and raves about being profiled and discriminated against, especially since Sept. 11, and is usually accompanied by other angry Arab-American men. An episode featuring Hassan that aired on July 7, the day of the terror attacks in London, turned out to be Hassan's ultimate undoing.

The sketch, which included five men dressed in ski masks and carrying Hassan's manager, Khosrow Daivari, over their heads in what appeared to be a funeral for a suicide bomber, convinced WWE to finally have Hassan, played by wrestler Copani of New York, taken out of the game permanently by wrestler Mark Callaway, aka the Undertaker.

"He was defeated by the Undertaker and will not return," said Gary Davis, a spokesman for WWE. "Under the circumstances it was a respectful way to tie up the storylines. We have done this with other characters as well.

"There's no question in our minds it was the unfortunate timing of that segment being on July 7 that was the ultimate issue with it," Davis said.

The segment was pulled from UK broadcasts. UPN spokeswoman Joanna Massey told The Associated Press, "We asked them to remove it because we thought that was the right thing to do."

There was no time for UPN to edit the program before it aired in the United States so it opted to put up an advisory to parents because of the bombings, said Davis.

"The whole point of the storyline and this character was to point out the injustices Arab-Americans have suffered since 9/11," Davis said.

[DudeAsInCool]

UPN and WWE should be ashamed of themselves.

[ASUmusicMAN]

My roommate is big into the whole wrestling thing...and i'm kinda bummed to see hassan go...he was one of my favorite characters on there

[Ken]

The WWE has been doing this for years.

Obviously, this particular play of a stereotype has appeal to their target audience, rednecks. While some watch Wrestling for the comedic value (I watch it occasionally, it's like a violent "variety" show), most are genuinely stupid.

Didn’t the WWE do something like this during the Iranian hostage taking of Americans during the 80s? I seem to remember someone pointing out that they introduced a stereotypical Iranian character back then.

The point is, the WWE is the lowest common denominator in entertainment, and they also carry a biased agenda with them.

[Wolfie]

Didn’t the WWE do something like this during the Iranian hostage taking of Americans during the 80s? I seem to remember someone pointing out that they introduced a stereotypical Iranian character back then.

Yea, they had the Iron Sheik and Nikolai Volkoff team up back then. The Iron Sheik did make another come back in early 90's in time for Desert Storm. Apparently he went from carrying Iranian flag to the Iraqi flag. Pretty much the same crap they recycle all the time.

Btw, the idiot manager for Hassan is not even an arab. He is is an Iranian and he babbles in farsi not arabic during the show. Not that your average wrestling fan would know the difference anyway.

[Excrement_Cranium]

Meh...

I like wrestling. No excuses, no defenses. I know that the outcome of a match is predetermined. Some of the storylines go over the limits of good taste, but no more so than Days of Our Lives sending everyone to Iraq. This is the equivilant. It's a soap opera for those not redneck enough for NASCAR. My main bone to pick with wrestling, is since WWE established full dominance, the product has declined and is in full PPV selling mode, leaving me feeling hustled if I try to watch a weekly show. Now I just watch friday night fights, and K-1.

[Cerebral_Assassin]

I used to watch it all the time, back when it Georgia Championship Wrestling with the likes of "Maddog" Buzz Sawyer, Tommy Rich, Stan Hansen and others.

Back then it was more fun to watch......it was about the wrestling, not all the sex they are selling these days. If Gordon Solie was alive I do believe he would hunt Vince McMahon down and cut his throat. We all know it's predetermined and such but it's no different than watching all this "reality" garbage that's on TV every night.

I don't watch TV much anymore except for "Everybody Loves Raymond" and NFL games when the season rolls around.......I mainly watch movies these days and older cartoons........God Bless Bittorrent.

[method77]

I can't believe people watch that stuff

[Cerebral_Assassin]

I can't believe people watch that stuff

And people also watch soccer, hockey, The Obournes and Andy Melonakis amongst other trash on TV.

[Malicious Intent]

And people also watch soccer

[2finga'salute]

:)

[Shawn]

I was a fan of WWF until the Bret Hart fiasco. Then I switched to WCW until the end.

Now I don't watch more than once every month or two to see what sad storyline they've drug up.

[Redneck4sure]

While some watch Wrestling for the comedic value

You mean it's not a comedy?

He is is an Iranian and he babbles in farsi not arabic during the show. Not that your average wrestling fan would know the difference anyway.

I am not a wrestling fan and I can't tell the difference between Farsi and Arabic either. Nobody around the trailer park speaks either of those languages.

or French, German, Sioux, Japanese...........

Only a few speak English.

[Redneck4sure]