Posted on 11/07/2009 10:21:56 AM PST by LA Woman3
KILLEEN — Sgt. Fahad Kamal attended prayer services at the Islamic Community of Greater Killeen on Friday just as he has frequently since arriving at Fort Hood seven months ago.
This day, though, the 26-year-old medic, who served in Afghanistan from January 2007 to April 2008, wore his uniform. This day, the devout Muslim from Houston was seeking to strike a far different image than that of Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, who is accused of shooting 43 people at Fort Hood on Thursday.
Kamal said he had come to the mosque from a gloomy base, where "soldiers aren't really talking about the shootings because we're trying to move on."
He said his first reaction to the news of shootings was "angry embarrassment," and his concerns echoed those of others in the Central Texas Muslim community, who arrived at services in a somber mood.
"I hope people don't make themselves believe that religion has anything to do with what happened," Kamal said.
Kamal is one of about 40 members of Killeen's close-knit Muslim community. When he arrived to pray at the one-story red brick mosque just off Texas 195 on Fort Hood Street, he and dozens of others quietly dodged a crowd of reporters on the otherwise calm stretch of road.
The 40-minute prayer service included a moment of silence and a passionate condemnation of the shootings from Dr. Manzoor Farooqi, president of the mosque, who called the action a "shameless attack."
Farooqi, who has led the mosque for 12 years, said that he knew Hasan from Ramadan observances but that he had not known him very well.
"When I saw him on television, I thought, 'I can't believe he'd do such a stupid thing,' to be frank," Farooqi said.
"The shootings are devastating and tragic," said Danquah Osman, who is treasurer of the mosque and a liaison between the mosque and Fort Hood. Osman, who has lived in Killeen since 1976, said he served in the Army as a first sergeant for 22 years.
"We're supposed to care for each other in the military," Osman said. "Those victims could have been my sons."
Abdulkarim Hulwe, 45, a retired Army veteran who said he talked to Hasan frequently, said Hasan struck him as a devout but quiet Muslim who tended to go to work early and sometimes prayed at the mosque before work. He said he last saw Hasan at 6:15 a.m. Thursday.
"He just appeared to be an outstanding soldier. He ... always seemed to be on his best behavior," Hulwe said.
As Austin Imam Islam Mossaad said Thursday, when news of the shooting spread, Muslims in Central Texas all hoped that the gunman did not share their faith. But when members of Killeen's Islamic community learned that Hasan had been among them for prayers at Ramadan a couple of months ago, they said it deepened their anxiety that his actions could have a lasting effect on their peace-loving community.
"Islam promotes peace and equality, and violence has nothing to do with that," Kamal said. "I hope that people won't start stereotyping, since that's what people tend to do."
jsanders@statesman.com; 445-3630
Editor's Note: We have disabled commenting on this story because of repeated abuse of our commenting policy related to the Ft. Hood shooting.
Oh, yeah? And when will muzzie Kamal chimp out?
I guess the press arrived too late to hear the cheers.
>>”I hope people don’t make themselves believe that religion has anything to do with what happened,” Kamal said. <<
The guy was yelling “allah akbar” when he was killing and maiming unarmed victims. How could it possibly have anything to do with religion?
Peace Loving Community!!! LOL!!!
But they still won’t condemn or speak out on the attack will they?
They’ll just chide the rest of us for “Islamophobia”.
Right?
Anger and mourning?
They should console themselves with a nice ham dinner.
Even if this mosque has never preached hate toward America, don’t tell me that Hasan’s religion had nothing to do with his actions. That is contrary to so many facts in evidence. Was he thinking about unicorns and rainbows while he was shooting his fellow Americans? There has to be some motive for turning against American and his fellow soldiers. The most obvious motive is his devotion to Islam. So go peddle your lies somewhere else. Defend your community if you must. But don’t expect me to believe lies about the shooter.
So, is this place Shiite, Sunni or Wahhabist? Funded in any way by SA? Iran? Hamas? Syria? Pakistan?
Translation, parsed: Shameless = "there's no shame in it". There.
Your taqqiyah dollars at work...
Were they advocating violence against Muslims? Or were they simply disagreeing with the MSM spin on this event.
Please don’t make any comments that might put Muslims in a negative light.
I do believe Islam is the cause, but I didn't make myself believe that. Muslims taught me that.
And the Maj. indicated no religious preference on his commission papers.
Anyone see the Maj. was on Obama’s transition team? See here at http://www.publiusforum.com/pdfs/GWuni_nidalhasan.pdf, page 32.
More like... we have disabled commenting because we're tired of having our pansy-ass article ridiculed.
That's a lie. There are far more than 40 Muslims in the area. I didn't get out much over (or rather never) there but still knew of several years ago. Not to mention Ft. Hood is the largest base in the world with tens of thousands of soldiers from all races and creeds. Waco is just 30 minutes away has had such a considerable size Muslim community that as far back as 25 years ago, they had a billboard advertising them out on S I-35. The media needs to get it's act together and report straight facts rather than spins.
Timothy McVeigh was a childhood Catholic. He left the faith and not for a moment would anyone have thought that he was driven by Catholic belief.
Why would Farooqi have any concerns in that department?
I'll answer that. It IS what that dastardly religion/ideology teaches. The only reason it isn't showing its true colors is because it isn't yet in full control!
Snippets are being revealed to us and this is an example!
“…hoped that the gunman did not share their faith…”
Islam is not a faith, it is a military and quasi-political movement that camouflages itself as a religion. Having the ultimate goal of subjugation and domination; that includes destruction of opposing social and Constitutional protections. The big lie, Islam is a religion of peace; empirical proof is contrary to stated philosophies. Furthermore, show me where in the world Islam is; and I will show you a dogma of oppression, a military movement and quasi-governmental structure masquerading as a religion.
Sura (5:33) - “The punishment of those who wage war against Allah and His messenger and strive to make mischief in the land is only this, that they should be murdered or crucified or their hands and their feet should be cut off on opposite sides or they should be imprisoned; this shall be as a disgrace for them in this world, and in the hereafter they shall have a grievous chastisement”
There are only a few types of people who tolerate or promote the filth of Islam, the ignorant, sneaks, cheats and liars. We can thank all such as Obama, a man-child born of corruption.
I wasn't sure which was more humorous, the part you mention above or this other quote:
>>>> "I hope people don't make themselves believe that religion has anything to do with what happened..." <<<<
Decisions, decisions... A or B?
“So, is this place Shiite, Sunni or Wahhabist? Funded in any way by SA? Iran? Hamas? Syria? Pakistan?”
http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/understanding-fort-hood-nothing-sudden-about-sudden-jihad-syndrome/2/
“”Islam promotes peace and equality, and violence has nothing to do with that,” Kamal said.”
Taqqiya alert! Taqqiya alert!
I can tell you right now that if a non-muslim, white, Christian American guy, opened fire in a mosque, it would be considered not only a hate crime but a domestic terrorist attack.
And even the Fort Hood Imam knows this, and sits there like a toad, not saying a thing about it.
“”I hope people don’t make themselves believe that religion has anything to do with what happened,” Kamal said.”
Too late. I believe Islam has EVERYTHING to do with it.
Interesting.
Leni
Now, see, this is the problem w/ islam and moslems. This act WAS NOT a "stupid" thing, IT WAS AN EVIL DEED you moron. Tell your congregation that murder and killing of innocent people IS EVIL AND WICKED.
I have known this man for 10 years. He is one of the most kind an gentle men I’ve ever met. My family and many others care for and respect him. Military families included. He has gone above and beyond in his care for the children that come into his practice.
Probably all of the above but no fears as C-I-C is going to join them and I’m sure lead them over us nasty slave takers and bible toting gun owners who love our Constitution.
Bingo. When Christians warn Muslims their religion produces arrogant thinking, Muslims tend to simply equate Christianity as either a comparative religion or a religion of those without conviction to remain devout to God.
Arrogant people rarely ever recognize how their thinking is focused upon their own selves rather than others.
Instead of immediately thinking of the victims, they worry about negative consequences upon them selves. An obvious lack of direction of their faith in anything other than themselves. Arrogance, pure and simple.
Ammo Stamps for jihadis.
American Muslims say they are opposed to harming innocent people -- but in the end it's always about protecting American Muslims.
What about our military taking actions to stop future attacks? Wot? That'd be profiling? Oh I get it.
BTW, what does an American Muslim mean by "innocent people." Can't blame the few American Muslims who oppose the Islamists, they'd be risking their lives.
Call this stereotyping.. please!
OK, wouldn't "doing a stupid thing" mean hitting on one of the female soldiers he was processing? Is murdering a room full of people just a "stupid thing?"
I don't mean to spit on your opinion because I treasure it. I am just getting tired of islam. It is a cancer on the world, and all muslims, actively or tacitly, enable it. In fact, every time there is a "Pit-Bull Maims (fill in blank)" article, there are those who chime in that they have the greatest, most harmless pit bull, or neighbor pit bull, etc. In my opinion, with muslims, as with pit bulls, it is not a matter of whether, but of when.
I’ve got some bad news for camel. The murders had everything to do with Islam.
Waco's nearby? There's a kooky Christian religious group.. let's take the public's mind off Islam and put together a group of federal guys -- I know, we'll call it Operation Showtime! -- get some military equipment from Ft. Hood and go after this Christian group! They're a dangerous bunch.
Wot? The government and media would never go after a religious group? and that's why the government and the state controlled American media (SCAM) don't want to bring Islam into all this -- yeah, you're right. It was just a thought.
I don’t see that, but I see camel wearing his uniform incorrectly in public.
Almost every war in the world involves at least one Muslim group. And if there’s not a non-muslim group to fight - they fight each other.
So you say, but why is so much violence done for islam, by muslims who are saying/chanting/screaming 'allah akbar!' while shooting people or blowing themselves up? Peace through killing?
That's a good point. Islam is not what I accept as a religion.
On Fox News Channel today, there was a note that the Iman at the
terrorist’s mosque said that the MURDERER was happy when he attended
morning prayers on the day of The Fort Hood Massacre.
Well, DUH!!!!!!!!!
The blood-thirsty B@$tard had given away his personal possessions
(a not-uncommon practice for suicides-to-be), had his guns and ammo
at hand...and knew he was headed for 72 virgins/raisins (depending
on the translations, guffaw!!!!!!!).
I praise Providence for the lady (and any comrades) that neutralized
this Islamic Nutburger...but let him live for a long-term sentence
to prison (and impotent paralysis)!!!!!!!!!
I understand, and agree with other posters that this had everything to do with the shooters religion. Most religions have folks that pervert what was intended. I don’t believe that all Muslims are bad. I also understand why they voice fear in the article. Tensions are running high in Killeen. I had people that I care about on Post that day, and my shock and fear have moved into anger with the shooter and Islam. I just wanted you to know that Dr. Farooqi is, in my opinion, a good man. We are only seeing very short exerpts from their service. This article has really caught me off guard.
Have you seen the picture of Hasan in the 7-11 the morning of the shooting?
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