Another attack leaves US Muslims fearing backlash

By ERIC GORSKI AP Religion Writer - 11/7/2009


As word spread that a gunman had opened fire at Fort Hood leaving a trail of carnage, a chilling realization swept across the U.S. Muslim community: He has an Islamic name.

From a professor who just testified in Congress, to a White House adviser appearing before a Jewish group and a former Marine driving home from work, Muslims across the country were shocked, angry and afraid that the attack would erode efforts to erase anti-Islamic stereotypes.

Many Islamic leaders said the Fort Hood tragedy that left 13 dead and 30 wounded including the alleged gunman, Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, could likely post the sternest test for U.S. Muslims since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

"A lot of us work very hard for this country, to make America a better place," said Muqtedar Khan, a progressive Muslim scholar who has just given Congressional testimony on U.S. foreign policy in Afghanistan before Thursday's attack. "And this one nut like Maj. Hasan comes along and in one crazy episode of a few seconds he undermines these years and years of hard work we are doing to make American Muslims part of the mainstream in the community."

Hasan, an Army psychiatrist, is a Muslim who attended his former mosque daily and had an "Allah is Love" bumper sticker on his car. Soldiers reported Friday that the shooter shouted "Allahu Akbar!" — Arabic for "God is great!" — during the rampage.

Other troubling details also emerged, including reports that authorities suspect Hasan posted online messages about suicide bombers and violence, was struggling with a pending deployment to Afghanistan and was being harassed in the Army for being a Muslim.

While a motive remains unclear, the confirmation of Hasan's faith alone prompted major Muslim groups and mosques to issue statements condemning the killings as contrary to Islam and praising the service of the many Muslim Americans in the U.S. military.

Of immediate concern was security at mosques Friday, Islam's main day of communal prayer.

In Washington, Chicago and elsewhere, mosques asked police for extra patrols. In Garden Grove, Calif., officers stood watch outside a mosque as a precaution.

Muslim leaders warned people to be vigilant and avoid exposing themselves unnecessarily — including walking alone, said Hussam Ayloush, director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations in Southern California.

"This is one of those moments where we have to sit and pray that most Americans will come out stronger, more united, and more tolerant," said Ayloush, adding that Muslim organizations have received dozens of death threats and hate e-mail.

At the Muslim Community Center in Silver Spring, Md., which Hasan attended before moving to Fort Hood, Imam Mohamed Abdullahi urged worshippers Friday to tell their non-Muslim neighbors that Islam was not responsible for the deaths. He also advised them to keep their tempers in check.

"Whenever we hear the name turns out to be Arabic or Muslim we feel a double shock" about such incidents. "And then we worry about backlash," said Imam Mostafa Al-Qazwini of the Islamic Educational Center of Orange County in Costa Mesa, Calif.

U.S. Rep. Andre Carson, an Indiana Democrat who is one of two Muslims serving in Congress, cautioned against focusing on the alleged shooter's religion and instead said the discussion should be about mental health issues.

"This is no way a reflection of Islam any more than Timothy McVeigh's actions are a reflection of Christianity," said Carson, who supervised an anti-terrorism unit in Indiana's Department of Homeland Security and comes from a family of Marines.

Eboo Patel, the executive director of Chicago-based Interfaith Youth Core, had just spoken at a Union of Reform Judaism conference in Toronto on Thursday night when a rabbi told him: "The guy had a Muslim name."

"I had just spoken from the tradition of Islam ... on the importance of interfaith cooperation and building Muslim-Jewish bridges," said Patel, who sits on a White House faith-based advisory board. "I wish that was viewed as reflective of Islam instead of a deranged lunatic who was acting only in the tradition of deranged lunacy, not in the tradition of any faith."

But other Muslims were weary of what has become a routine: a Muslim does something unspeakable, and Islamic organizations issue statements condemning it.

"Truth be told, we're getting a little exhausted because we've done this to death," said Robert Salaam of Maryland, a former Marine who converted to Islam shortly after the 9-11 attacks and now blogs and hosts a radio show on Muslim affairs. "We're apologizing for people we don't know."

Still, driving home from work listening to the news Thursday, Salaam thought: "God, I hope it's not a Muslim."



Associated Press writers David Dishneau in Silver Springs, Md.; Amy Taxin in Tustin, Calif.; Sophia Tareen in Chicago; Jeff Karoub in Detroit; and Peter Prengaman in Atlanta contributed to this report.



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Tulsa World Reader Comments
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Sanity, Broken Arrow (11/7/2009 11:47:00 AM)
Jesus taught that his soldiers do not fight, because his kingdom is spiritual, not of this world. Islamic nations teach followers to fight to defend their faith against “infidels.” Some Moslems claim to reject this and live peacefully with infidels. This puzzles the rest of us, because we cannot see a clear identifiable line between these groups. Christians do defend fellow citizens, and other countries – based on commonly held standards of right and wrong. In a way that looks like the same thing. Both groups defend. Differences would be: (1) Intensity: one a god driven vendetta; the other a desire for a better world here (no eternal factor). (2) Length: religious reasons last forever; secular reasons are correctional measure, ending after conflict. Friend or foe? We don't know.

Few Clothes, America (11/8/2009 8:46:36 AM)
oh anoither onw of my comments must have pod the powers to be (tulsaworld) where is my constitutional right to free speech What the hell are your trying to say Deep? Are you speaking ebonics?

Democrat, Tulsa County (11/7/2009 5:25:24 PM)
Proud Muslim: God bless you. This too will pass.

FUTURE WORLD, Tulsa (11/7/2009 4:51:34 PM)
Proud Muslim, What you say about martyrdom is entirely correct. Our soldiers dying in combat are each martyr's in the fight for freedom. The are not terrorists. I have an immense respect for Islam and want you to know as a TW member, I respect you and your commentary as well. Allah-Akbar

FUTURE WORLD, Tulsa (11/7/2009 6:01:22 PM)
I can't help but wonder if people respected their religion, they wouldn't disrespect others because of theirs.

FUTURE WORLD, Tulsa (11/7/2009 6:08:41 PM)
Herb, I'm also wondering where the next shoe will drop.

FUTURE WORLD, Tulsa (11/7/2009 7:53:33 PM)
I think a lot of what your referring to "kidding" is how thought processes are framed. Christians frame their thought much differently than Muslims. The reality and truths may be the same but, how questions are framed and the process of developing solutions come about in different ways. Both Christians and Muslims come to the same solutions but the process of getting there can be quite different.

okierose, Tulsa County (11/7/2009 10:39:56 AM)
Proud Muslim: I just have a really hard time believing your 'God' is the same one I worship throught my Holy Bible. I know there's lots of violence in the Old Testament, but Jesus came and changed all that. I still say your 'god' is not my God.

zTruth, Tulsa (11/7/2009 3:30:10 PM)
On November 2, 2008 at 1:53:49 PM Proud Muslim wrote in a comment to me: "Being martyred protecting Islam is a good thing, but today, there is no Islamic caliphate that needs to be defended, so it is irrelevant." From my perspective after more than three years of study, a strict interpretation of Islam can change freedom of thought to religious duties - like obeying the Quran's and Hadiths' rules and Islamic rulings by Muslims leaders which emcompasses nearly every detail of one's life. The more literally interpreted the Quran is the more problematic it can become - as would the literal interpretation of the Bible and worldwide organizations seeking to instill it throughout the world by various means. Also, don't confuse terrorism with martyrdom in Islam. They are not considered the same thing to many Muslims. The Quran is not only a book of spiritualness but also lays out verses and chapters on war, fighting and Islamic rule. There are many fine Muslims who do not practice the literal interpretation of the Quran. However, a good number of the national Islamic organizations have been linked by the FBI to the Islamic supremacist global organization called the Muslim Brotherhood, who appear to follow the literal interpretation of the Quran. If you recall, in July the head of the Department of Homeland Security specifically asked the public to be vigilant to help spot Muslims who want to martyr themselves for Islam or for the sake of Allah. Well, she may not have worded it quite that specifically: "...Napolitano urged a "much broader society response" in which the public helps curb a growing phenomenon of so-called home-grown terrorism. Referring to a spate of arrests around the country of US citizens and residents charged with jihad-type militancy, Napolitano said that ordinary people were often the best eyes and ears. "You are the ones who know when something is not right in your communities," she said in her speech at the Council on Foreign Relations..."So I think better education, about the breadth of the threat and how it can be carried out, is important." She was speaking after the arrest of 7 Muslims in South Carolina including an American-born Muslim convert and his two sons living in a quiet North Carolina suburb. Napolitano even called on children to join an effort previously shouldered by police and other security services. "There's actually an important role we can play in educating even our very young about watching for, and knowing what to do, if you're in an airport and you see a package left with no one around," she said."

zTruth, Tulsa (11/7/2009 7:01:58 PM)
So dustyoutlaw, did you pay particular close attention to PM's statement about Islamic martyrdom? "Being martyred protecting Islam is a good thing, but today, there is no Islamic caliphate that needs to be defended, so it is irrelevant." That very narrow view of Islamic martyrdom is not shared by many/most Islamic scholars. The Islamic Society of Tulsa put in their August 2007 newsletter that to die fighting for Allah or to protect Islam is a good way to die as a Muslim and they are martyrs. No mention way made in their newsletter that since there was no caliphate it didn't count. So, to me, in order to divert attention away from what PM actually said back in November 2008 he said the sacrifices our soldier's make in order to protect us (from Islamic martyrs) is in itself martyrdom. And that our soldier's martyrdom is not terrorism. However, PM, I was and most of us on this thread are specifically talking about Islamic martyrdom. Please don't twist it up.

zTruth, Tulsa (11/7/2009 9:40:37 PM)
dustyoutlaw, you said you didn't know if what I said was true. Well, I can help you on that if you are really interested cause it might help you going forward. PM stop trying to make Islamic martyrdom just plain-o everyday normal martyrdom - whatever that is. It is not an American term no matter how much you try to make it one. I've never heard of it until we were attacked on 9/11.

zTruth, Tulsa (11/8/2009 7:53:03 PM)
Martyrdom was never taught to most Americans in school, in church or at home. It was never discussed. Our education was 9/11. Muslims likely learn about martyrdom in Islam as a part of their religious training. Big difference. Martyrdom is martyrdom PM said. Are you kidding? Martin Luther King was gunned down in cold blood. He didn't set out to kill himself and others for a religious cause. Nor did he make a video will beforehand. He was murdered. Americans should educate themselves thoroughly about Islamic martyrdom and start questioning religious leaders in our country. These leaders should also be encouraged to stand up against Islamic religious rulings such as the OIC's own Fiqh Council which ruled: "....The Islamic Fiqh Council asserts that jihad and martyr operations done to defend the Islamic creed, dignity, freedom and the sovereignty of states is not considered terrorism but a basic form of necessary defense for legitimate rights..." This ruling was made in January 2003 (google Martyr Operations or Terrorism Islamonline). The OIC has offices in New York City and has permanent observatory status at the U.N. They are also carving out their own human rights council as they prepare for their place (or goal) as the next caliphate. Don't you see how helpful and necessary it is for American Islamic leaders to specifically denounce the religious ruling of the world's largest Islamic intergovernmental body? Declarations that only state disapproval of terrorism are simply not adequate.

zTruth, Tulsa (11/9/2009 6:41:56 AM)
ABC News reports "U.S. intelligence agencies were aware months ago that Army Major Nidal Hasan was attempting to make contact with people associated with al Qaeda, two American officials briefed on classified material in the case"...Investigators want to know if Hasan maintained contact with a radical mosque leader from Virginia, Anwar al Awlaki, who now lives in Yemen and runs a web site that promotes jihad around the world against the U.S. In a blog posting early Monday titled "Nidal Hassan Did the Right Thing," Awlaki calls Hassan a "hero" and a "man of conscience who could not bear living the contradiction of being a Muslim and serving in an army that is fighting against his own people." According to his site, Awlaki served as an imam in Denver, San Diego and Falls Church, Virginia. Some Muslim martyrs intentionally set out to kill themselves as they kill others for their religion. Dying while fighting for Allah or to protect Islam is martyrdom and a good way to die as a Muslim which was written about in the Aug. 2007 newsletter of the Islamic Society of Tulsa.

jsludge, tulsa (11/7/2009 8:39:07 AM)
shootings like this happen fairly often by plenty of people who aren't Muslims. Teenage kids shoot up their school, some guy snaps and shoots up the mall. we just blame it on "violence in the media" or the guy's really bad divorce or some other factor. I guess since this guy's Muslim, we can blame it on that.

owl, Tulsa (11/7/2009 12:14:50 PM)
Whatever else the religion may be, at its core Islam is a relentless scheme to - one way or the other; conversion or death - spread strict, smothering, uncompromising, islam over the face of the earth. However much each may personally eschew the means used to achieve that goal, ultimately, devout muslims must sublimate their personal ideals to that of their religion if they are to be considered serious practitioners of Islam. And there is the continuing danger of having muslims among us. Someone here advised keeping a close watch. Yes.

owl, Tulsa (11/7/2009 1:56:05 PM)
proud muslim. I admire your dogged, calm rebuttals in here. Can't be easy being you on this board right now. We aren't fearful of you, an obviously reasonable, individual muslim, but of your religion and its underlying intentions. How do you manage to compartmentalize your personal philosophy of benign, laissez faire and the pro-active, totalitarian outlook of your religion? You must suffer considerable inner conflict.

Proud Muslim, Tulsa: Coolest place in the world (almost) (11/7/2009 8:50:17 AM)
Not really, DebtFree. Muslims believe in God. Zoltar, I'm sorry you feel that way. Hawktalk, not quite. I pray God helps America to get past this with as little violence as possible.

Proud Muslim, Tulsa: Coolest place in the world (almost) (11/7/2009 9:08:21 AM)
Zoltar, I've said it before and I'll say it again. This scumbag and his actions do not represent me or my beliefs. His religion may be really messed up, but mine is just fine, thank you.

Proud Muslim, Tulsa: Coolest place in the world (almost) (11/7/2009 10:46:36 AM)
And that's fine, okierose. I believe they are one and the same, and you believe they are different. We have different beliefs. That doesn't mean we can't work together as Americans. We could even be friends, if you wanted.

Proud Muslim, Tulsa: Coolest place in the world (almost) (11/7/2009 1:02:25 PM)
Royce, I am a Muslim AND an American. I've only declared loyalty to my country. Please, there are good and bad people everywhere. Don't judge me for the actions of someone else. I've never attacked or threatened any one. I'm not part of a conspiracy or trying to take over the world. I'm human, just like you. I want a better tomorrow as well.

Proud Muslim, Tulsa: Coolest place in the world (almost) (11/7/2009 1:32:11 PM)
you'rekidding, I have no idea what their motives are. I don't think anyone does.

Proud Muslim, Tulsa: Coolest place in the world (almost) (11/7/2009 1:34:11 PM)
Don't worry about making me uncomfortable. It's a serious question that I too would like answered.

Proud Muslim, Tulsa: Coolest place in the world (almost) (11/8/2009 8:12:28 PM)
Perhaps you don't understand what martyrdom is. It isn't "setting out to kill yourself". To quote the Merriam Webster dictionary, it's "the suffering of death on account of adherence to a cause and especially to one's religious faith". Martin Luther King is recognized as a martyr by the Episcopal and Lutheran Churches in the US. There is a statue of King Jr. in the Gallery of 20th Century Martyrs at Westminster Abbey, London.

Proud Muslim, Tulsa: Coolest place in the world (almost) (11/7/2009 4:43:27 PM)
Sorry for the late reply, I've been out enjoying the weather. Thanks for your comment, owl. Personally, I've never had to choose between my religion and the law. They are quite compatible, at least in my eyes. DebtFree, I agree that many religions have much more in common than some of their followers would like to admit. Thanks, Elusive and 2ndjoyce, for your comments. I shouldn't need to defend myself, but I can't blame people for being angry or frightened. The murders of our brave soldiers was very saddening, and different people will react differently. zTruth, I stand by my original comment. Martyrdom is not terrorism. So many of our soldiers have lost their lives fighting for what they believed was right: freedom. They are true martyrs. They were not terrorists. Thanks for the compliment, Justun. : )

Proud Muslim, Tulsa: Coolest place in the world (almost) (11/7/2009 5:19:50 PM)
Shukran, FW. Thank you!


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