Posted on 11/08/2009 1:33:51 AM PST by Former Military Chick
The American Muslim community is in shock and in a state of disbelief combined with apprehension as it watches the details of the shootings at Fort Hood in Texas unfold. Major Nidal Malik Hasan, a doctor and a practising Muslim, born in Virginia of Jordanian parents, turned against his fellow citizens and military colleagues and gunned down 13 and wounded 30.
Fort Hood is Americas biggest military installation. It is like a sanctuary where Americans should feel safe. It is difficult to describe the fear and anxiety this ghastly event must be invoking among the families who live in Fort Hood.
What happened at Fort Hood follows a nightmare script that has been one of the biggest fears of the American Muslim community since the appalling events of September 11, 2001. One crazy Muslim, acting on his own, causing significant mayhem and murder and inviting anger and backlash against millions of peace-loving and hardworking Americans who are Muslims. National and local Muslim organisations immediately issued strong condemnation of the event and called for calm.
It is important to understand that Major Hasan is an isolated, alienated, and sad individual who was clearly not well adjusted to his life. In a community that values family life, he was single at 39 and still looking desperately for a wife, according to his former Imam. He was in an army that was at war with his co-religionists and he had difficulty dealing with that. He was frequently taunted and harassed for being a Muslim by his own colleagues. After years in the military and after years of caring for soldiers as a doctor, he did not feel as if he belonged and perhaps that was the key to why he could turn on his own.
This tragic episode presents serious dilemmas and challenges for both Muslim community organisations as well as for law enforcement and counter terrorism agencies. Muslim organisations do not know how to explain this and the law enforcement agencies will be puzzling over how to respond to it.
This was an unpredictable and isolated episode that is impossible to anticipate and guard against. Hasan is American born, highly educated, long-term military man who simply snapped with devastating consequences. How do we anticipate this and prevent it? The Fort Hood shooting reminds me of the Columbine school shooting: shocking and totally unexpected. On scrutiny after the fact one discovers warning signs but not enough to trigger action before it happened.
Since the election of President Barack Obama, the Islamophobic rhetoric has been on the decline as people in key administrative positions have abstained from using Islamic as a prefix when talking about issues related to the war on terror. But this episode will once again provide fodder to talk show hosts and shrill media and web sites, which exploit such isolated events to ratchet up Islamophobia.
Muslims across the country have been working hard to build bridges with mainstream America, to establish interfaith relations and carve out a place for the community on main street America. Hasan not only fired at unarmed soldiers but he also attacked the very foundations of all these bridges across the country. His actions will definitely weaken if not completely undermine the efforts of thousands of Americans to build bridges of peace and understanding.
According to some estimates, there are over ten thousand Muslims in the US military who serve loyally, with sincere and complete commitment. Many Muslims in the US military have died fighting for the US. General Colin Powel once spoke so eloquently about Cpl. Kareem Khan (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6SKpv-MwXE), a Purple Heart recipient, who had died fighting for America. Let us hope that Major Hasans dastardly actions do not hurt careers of the thousands of Kareem Khans proudly serving in the US military.
There is nothing that American Muslims can do to prevent such incidents. But we must not now allow them to weaken our resolve to combat extremism, prejudice and ignorance in our society. We must redouble our efforts to continue to share the message of peace, tolerance and pluralism that is fundamental to Islamic believes to our congregations and our communities.
The tragedy at Fort Hood is a major test for Muslims and Americans. They must face the challenge with determination. Muslims must not allow it to force them to recede from the public sphere and from their struggle for understanding, for civil rights and against religious profiling and Islamophobia. Americans must not allow this isolated incident to fall back on stereotypes about Islam and resuscitate the prejudices that all of us have worked so hard to eliminate and curb.
Dr Muqtedar Khan is Director of Islamic Studies at the University of Delaware and a Fellow of the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding in the United States
the Muslim community just does not seem to want to come out strong enough when it comes to the "War on Terror" or when fellow Muslims who are extremists kill in the name of their "God", which drives me nuts.
...is that you, like millions of our citizens, keep holding fast in your mind that Islam is like Christianity. Both have a "book", a prophet (if you will), places of worship, are helpful in the community, and members who are the 'nice people who live next door'.
Because the 'nice people who live next door' do not - in these situations - behave like Christians, you become frustrated and, as you say, driven "nuts" trying to understand what could possibly hold them back from condemnation.
Basically, when confronted with these events, you are experiencing 'culture shock': a situation so far out of your personal and cultural referents that it becomes incomprehensible and crazy making.
Whether, you are a practicing Christian or not, you were likely raised within a Christian culture. You believe in freedom - both personal and political, in personal accountability, in self determination, and in free will. You also believe that women have rights equal to a man's rights. Whether you believe in Christ as the Son of G_d or not, you understand the concept. These, then, are generally the things you believe in.
Contrast: Christ, a mostly harmless figure, used words and ideas to challenge men to think about their inner selves and their conduct toward others with Muhammad, a murderous warrior, who used the sword to dictate the message given to him by Allah. The message of Allah: Allah alone determines what happens, men play no part. To imagine that a mere man could defy the will of Allah by a personal choice (free will) is unthinkable. At no point did Allah permit a man to alter any word spoken to Muhammad. Allah's word is Absolute. Yahweh gave men Commandments which could be broken on pain of sin and punishment in the next life. Allah gave rules which broken, called for death in this life.
As a Muslims, a person must always defer to the will of Allah, who determines every event down to the subatomic level in every instant. This is not a concept which Christians or people raised in a Christian culture are familiar with or can even get their heads around. Yet there it is. It is not necessary for a Muslims to have a conscience, since Allah has already determined what will happen or not happen. And so it is easy for a Muslims to kill without regard. For another Muslims to speak against a Muslims who kills innocents is the same as speaking against Allah. Speaking against Allah is to incur the hatred of other Muslims and obligates them to kill the offender.
The 'Muslim community' will never "come out strong enough when it comes to the "War on Terror" or when fellow Muslims who are extremists kill in the name of their "God"". Or to put it another way, the 'Muslim community' CAN never come out against those events. Muslims, in their fervent beliefs, are bound by the words of Allah, and are apart from the rest of humanity. They are the antithesis of Christians, Jews, Buddhists, and Hindus.
If their dream of Daresalem (the Peace of Islam) descends over the world and all mankind is Muslim, then they must war between themselves until the last two remain; those two are then obligated by Allah to kill each other. Thus, the dream will be realized, and all mankind will be with Allah in Paradise.
So the 'Muslim community', fearing your understanding of their true intents, remains silent, knowing that you and millions of others will be baffled by their behavior; in your bafflement, they will creep closer to their goal.
Is the correct Latin grammar.
This cannot be repeated often enough. It is the one truth of islam. The ONLY one. There can never be peace on earth so long as ONE human being remains alive.
That is the truth.
That is their goal.
And nothing will stop them until they achieve it.
THIS is what makes homodinejad and every other muslim leader or cleric so crazy dangerous. This is what they believe and this is the ultimate driving force in islam. islam is anti-life. A deathcult the likes of which the world has no real awareness of because we cannot conceive of such a thing. It is too removed from OUR reality to wrap our minds around.
islam, wherever it is, is always fatal to everything that exists around it.
ISLAM MEANS CERTAIN DEATH BY WHATEVER MEANS POSSIBLE.
And the West better wise up.
Lead soundbite ? :
The American Muslim community is in shock and in a state of disbelief combined with apprehension as it watches the details of the shootings at Fort Hood in Texas unfold. Major Nidal Malik Hasan, a doctor and a practicing Muslim, born in Virginia of Jordanian parents, turned against his fellow citizens and military colleagues and gunned down 13 and wounded 30.
Fort Hood is Americas biggest military installation. It is like a sanctuary where Americans should feel safe. It is difficult to describe the fear and anxiety this ghastly event must be invoking among the families who live in Fort Hood.
Script ? :
What happened at ............. follows a nightmare script that has been one of the biggest fears of the American Muslim community since the appalling events of September 11, 2001. One crazy Muslim, acting on his own, causing significant mayhem and murder and inviting anger and backlash against millions of peace-loving and hardworking Americans who are Muslims. National and local Muslim organizations immediately issued strong condemnation of the event and called for calm.
Martyr Sound bite ? :
It is important to understand that Major Hasan is an isolated, alienated, and sad individual who was clearly not well adjusted to his life. In a community that values family life, he was single at 39 and still looking desperately for a wife, according to his former Imam. He was in an army that was at war with his co-religionists and he had difficulty dealing with that. He was frequently taunted and harassed for being a Muslim by his own colleagues. After years in the military and after years of caring for soldiers as a doctor, he did not feel as if he belonged and perhaps that was the key to why he could turn on his own.
Script ? :
This tragic episode presents serious dilemmas and challenges for both Muslim community organisations as well as for law enforcement and counter terrorism agencies. Muslim organisations do not know how to explain this and the law enforcement agencies will be puzzling over how to respond to it.
Script ? :
This was an unpredictable and isolated episode that is impossible to anticipate and guard against.
Martyr Sound bite ? :
Hasan is American born, highly educated, long-term military man who simply snapped with devastating consequences. How do we anticipate this and prevent it? The Fort Hood shooting reminds me of the Columbine school shooting: shocking and totally unexpected. On scrutiny after the fact one discovers warning signs but not enough to trigger action before it happened.
Script ? :
Since the election of President Barack Obama, the Islamophobic rhetoric has been on the decline as people in key administrative positions have abstained from using Islamic as a prefix when talking about issues related to the war on terror. But this episode will once again provide fodder to talk show hosts and shrill media and web sites, which exploit such isolated events to ratchet up Islamophobia.
Script ? :
Muslims across the country have been working hard to build bridges with mainstream America, to establish interfaith relations and carve out a place for the community on main street America. Hasan not only fired at unarmed soldiers but he also attacked the very foundations of all these bridges across the country. His actions will definitely weaken if not completely undermine the efforts of thousands of Americans to build bridges of peace and understanding.
Script ? :
According to some estimates, there are over ten thousand Muslims in the US military who serve loyally, with sincere and complete commitment. Many Muslims in the US military have died fighting for the US. General Colin Powel once spoke so eloquently about Cpl. Kareem Khan (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6SKpv-MwXE), a Purple Heart recipient, who had died fighting for America. Let us hope that Major Hasans dastardly actions do not hurt careers of the thousands of Kareem Khans proudly serving in the US military.
Script ? :
There is nothing that American Muslims can do to prevent such incidents. But we must not now allow them to weaken our resolve to combat extremism, prejudice and ignorance in our society. We must redouble our efforts to continue to share the message of peace, tolerance and pluralism that is fundamental to Islamic believes to our congregations and our communities.
Script ? :
The tragedy at ........ is a major test for Muslims and Americans. They must face the challenge with determination. Muslims must not allow it to force them to recede from the public sphere and from their struggle for understanding, for civil rights and against religious profiling and Islamophobia. Americans must not allow this isolated incident to fall back on stereotypes about Islam and resuscitate the prejudices that all of us have worked so hard to eliminate and curb.
Script:
Dr Muqtedar Khan is Director of Islamic Studies at the University of Delaware and a Fellow of the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding in the United States
Tick, Tick, Tick, Tick....That ticking sound is the sound of the 2nd revolution doomsday clock rapidly approaching high noon.
Efing BS. He instigated the talk, he received the response he expected.
I try to explain to people exactly what you posted and they look at me like I am nuts. You put my thoughts in a clear concise explanation and if you don't mind, I plan to use it.
One of the most frustrating things is to hear the SRM promote the fact Judaism, Christianity and Islam are the three great religions that sprung from the same so-called well
Nothing could be further from the truth. Islam is a cult of submission and death.
Muslims in America don't consider themselves Americans; first, foremost or in any part. Being Muslim trumps being American every time. They're not part of us; they're separate and in conflict with America. Every Muslim living in this country is the enemy. Period.
I want them gone.
Total absolute bullsh*t.
Nope. That doesn't cut it. There is only one thing Muslims in America can do to prevent such incidents. Leave. Go back to their crapped-out hole of a country and live like the dogs they are. That's the only thing they can do to prevent further incidents. Period.
“Since the election of President Barack Obama, the Islamophobic rhetoric has been on the decline”
What utter B.S. If anything, our Islamic puppet president has made it worse, by doing nothing to help our troops, and apologizing for everthing he belives is wrong with this country.
This was not an isolated incident, either. Remember the group just arrested in N.Y.? The gang of gooks that plotted to destroy Ft. Dix? There are muslim groups all over the U.S. just waiting for an oportunity to kill as many of us as they can.
“Islamaphobia” is a cliche invented by muslims to try and chide us for fearing them.
I don’t fear cowards, and this animal hasan was a coward, he was afraid to go to Afghanistan.
“Muslims in America don’t consider themselves Americans; first, foremost or in any part. Being Muslim trumps being American every time. They’re not part of us; they’re separate and in conflict with America. Every Muslim living in this country is the enemy. Period. I want them gone.”
I hear you.
“Leave. Go back to their crapped-out hole of a country and live like the dogs they are.”
Do NOT lower dogs to the level of the muzz. Dogs are wonderful, loving and loyal creatures who want to get along with everybody. Dogs are everything the muzz are not.
“shock and in a state of disbelief”
If they don’t want to be in a state of shock and disbelief they should throw out their handbook that tells them to kill Jews and Christians, and stop telling members to kill Jews and Christians.
Be my guest!
I guess I don’t understand the confusion over the fort Hood shootings. Wasn’t this Muslim just following his bible and killing infidels. After all it isn’t a sin to do that any more then it is to lie to a infidel to obtain Muslim goals. So he was just doing what comes naturally to a Muslim.
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