Mary Muzhea: Facts About Sirhan Sirhan’s Mother

Mary Muzhea is the mother of Sirhan Bishara Sirhan who was convicted of assassinating presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy. Mary’s son Sirhan shot Robert at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles on June 5, 1968, shortly after Robert claimed victory in California’s Democratic presidential primary. Robert died the next day at Good Samaritan Hospital.

Mary Muzhea: Bio Summary

Who Is Sirhan Sirhan’s Mother, Mary Muzhea?

Mary Muzhea is the mother of Sirhan Sirhan. Mary’s date of birth is unknown but she is said to have been born in the 1930s. The names and details of her parents, siblings, and other relatives are unavailable. Details regarding her early life and family background have not been disclosed to the public.

Mary Muzhea was married to Bishara Sirhan. Details of their marriage including how they met, and the date and location of their wedding ceremony are unknown. They expanded their family as they welcomed their children into the world. The family is an Arab Palestinian Christian family. Among their children are Sirhan Bishara Sirhan and Munir Sirhan.

One of their children, a son died after he was run over by a military vehicle that was swerving to evade gunfire. In the 1950s, the Sirhan family were reportedly living in Jerusalem, an area experiencing continued upheaval in the aftermath of the 1948 Arab-Israeli war. The family would emigrate to the United States.

They lived briefly in New York and then moved to California. Mary Muzhea was able to get a job in the nursery at Westminster Presbyterian Church. However, her husband Bishara Sirhan reportedly returned to the old country because he was unable to adapt to life in the United States. Mary was a devout mother.

Whether Mary Muzhea and her husband Bishara Sirhan divorced or not is unknown. Mary has maintained a low profile, which is why there is little information about her life. She became known because of her son Sirhan Sirhan. Sirhan opened fire on Robert F. Kennedy at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles on June 5, 1968.

This happened after Robert F. Kennedy was victorious in California’s Democratic presidential primary. Sirhan is said to have fired a .22 LR Iver-Johnson Cadet revolver. Sirhan shot Robert three times, once in the head and twice in the back and the fourth bullet passed through his jacket.

Robert F. Kennedy later passed away at Good Samaritan Hospital. Sirhan Sirhan also shot five other people at the event but they were not killed. They later recovered. After Sirhan was arrested, he claimed he did it for his county. Sirhan said, “I can explain it. I did it for my country.”

Mary Muzhea has revealed that her son Sirhan Sirhan was traumatized as a child by the violence he witnessed in the Arab–Israeli conflict, including the death of his older brother. Mary said Sirhan “was a victim all his life, since he was a baby and a child when he was growing up, till he was 13 years of age in Jerusalem.”

ALSO, READ: Munir Sirhan: Inside The Life Of Sirhan Sirhan’s Brother

Mary added that “all he has seen, he never had a childhood, never was happy, never laughed, all he has seen is fear, hunger, dying human beings in pieces, it’s hard enough for a big man, but for a child — and we came here. And look what happened to him.” However, The Los Angeles Times printed an article by Jerry Cohen that disclosed Sirhan’s motive for the assassination, confirmed by the memos Sirhan wrote to himself.

The article stated: “When the Jordanian nationalist, Sirhan Bishara Sirhan, allegedly shot Kennedy, ostensibly because of the senator’s advocacy of U.S. support for Israel, the crime with which he was charged was in essence another manifestation of the centuries-old hatred between Arab and Jew.”

Sirhan Sirhan later claimed he was drunk. “You must remember the circumstances of that night, June 5. That was when I was provoked,” Sirhan said. “That is when I initially went to observe the Jewish Zionist parade in celebration of the June 5, 1967, victory over the Arabs.”

“That was the catalyst that triggered me on that night.” Sirhan added, “In addition, there was the consumption of the liquor, and I want the public to understand that.” Mary Muzhea and his son Munir Sirhan visited Sirhan after speaking with the FBI, the L.A. police, and the Pasadena police.

Sirhan told Mary Muzhea and Munir Sirhan that he doesn’t remember anything about shooting Robert F. Kennedy. Munir said: “Mother asked him, ‘What happened?’ He said, ‘I don’t remember. I don’t know. All I know is my leg hurts,’ and I think it was one of his thumbs that were hurting. He specifically said, ‘I don’t remember what happened.’”

Sirhan Sirhan was originally sentenced to death but he has received a commuted sentence of life in prison. He is serving a life sentence at the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego County, California.