Why consider religion first? 
November 12, 2009 by Husna Najand
Jumping to conclusions about Fort Hood shooter’s motives is irrational, destructive
Click image to enlarge
The tragedy that took place in Fort Hood, Texas on Nov. 5 was shocking and incomprehensible, as all events of that nature are.
It brings that sick feeling in the pit of your stomach, the incredulous feeling questioning how someone could have done this. The intense sadness for the 13 innocent lives lost, and for the loss of the families, and for the 42 wounded, reverberated throughout the nation.
And then I heard the gunman’s name: Nidal Malik Hasan.
To hear that it was an Arab, a Muslim, who carried out this atrocious act was like another blow to the stomach.
In the post-9/11 world, any violent act committed by a Muslim seems to reflect off of the collective Muslim identity.
When one such person commits a heinous crime, all of us feel the shadow of shame by virtue of belonging to the same faith. And most of us harbor the sentiment that others will look at us accusingly, however irrational that may be.
This incident takes me back to the early days after 9/11, when our parents, out of fear, were advising us to wear our Allah necklaces underneath our shirts so that we wouldn’t be targeted as victims of vengeful hate.
Incidents like when the Sikh man who was shot down in Texas for wearing his turban feed this fear.
I’ll never forget getting into an argument in my ceramics class, where a fellow student was claiming that all Muslims were evil. I went up to him, looked him straight in the eyes and told him that I was Muslim. I followed up with this question: “Do you think I am evil?”
Unflinchingly, he said, “yes.”
That feeling, of my insides recoiling, was evoked once again upon learning of the identity and life of the Fort Hood killer.
There are signs indicating the influence of religious fundamentalism, like the Web sites he visited – those lauding jihad and suicide bombers.
He was slowly creeping into the realms of fanatical Islam, with the FBI uncovering communications made between him and a known radical imam. Some witnesses claimed that he yelled “Allahu Akbar,” which means “God is great”, before carrying out the attack.
While all of this may be true, it is still not evidence indicative of a terrorist plot or of a man being driven purely by religious ideology.
The FBI issued a statement indicating that “the alleged gunman acted alone and was not part of a broader terrorist plot.”
This is not someone who joined the army as a radical, bent on destruction.
Rather, he was a man who showed signs of deep psychological disturbance, and went over the edge.
The 39-year-old Hasan, although of Palestinian descent, was born as an American citizen. He went to receive his medical degree from the military through the Uniformed Services of the Health Sciences in 2001.
People who knew him described him as quiet, cordial and a devout Muslim who desired a wife and a family.
As an army psychiatrist, he frequently worked with patients who were plagued with personal demons. Friends and family attest that he was constantly exposed to the pain and distress of the people he was supposed to help and that this had an adverse affect on his mental health.
The stress of such a position, and the resentment over his impending deployment, served to harden Hasan.
He was steadfastly opposed to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and had wanted out of the military for years. Presumably hearing horror stories from his patients cemented the anxiety.
I’m not making any attempt whatsoever to excuse his behavior. What he did is simply abhorrent and un-Islamic in every sense.
And as far as a motive goes, only Hasan, who is still alive, really knows. Currently he is in intensive care and has not talked.
My point is that in the meantime, instead of simply focusing on his religion it would be more productive to factor in the psychological problems a seemingly normal man had and how this is rooted in broader issues concerning military life.
Investigations thus far have cited this as paramount. The great toll taken on the men and women of the U.S. military from eight years of warfare in two countries is often reflected in reports on unprecedented suicide rates, increasing numbers of those with post-traumatic stress disorder, etc.
This is also true for army counselors, chaplains and psychiatrists who had not been in the war zones themselves.
In Fort Hood, CNN reported that Lt. Gen. Robert Cone said, “Hasan was a soldier and we have other soldiers that might have some of the same stress and indicators that he has.”
He added, “I think what we’re looking for are sort of people with overwhelming personal problems and patterns of behavior that are not at all related to religion.”
This reinforces the point that this is a multi-faceted case that cannot be pigeonholed into a simplistic answer rooted in ethnicity or religious affiliation.
Still, there are some people who claim they aren’t surprised that it is a Muslim who did this. I find that surprising because murderers come from all ethnicities and religions. Why wasn’t anyone surprised then that the Virginia Tech shooter was Korean? Or that the Columbine shooters were Caucasian?
No one fixated on Timothy McVeigh’s ethnicity or religion after the Oklahoma City Bombing. He wasn’t labeled a white supremacist or Christian fanatic in the aftermath.
Until all the facts are known, particularly from Hasan himself, I don’t see why his religion or ethnicity should be the predominant factor of speculation, especially when there are other imperative factors to consider.
Most importantly, I hope that his religion and ethnicity are not used as excuses for a wider condemnation of Muslims or Arabs.
No one can anticipate such tragedies or who the perpetrators will be.
And no one except the murderer, should have to feel the blame or sense of responsibility for such a thing.
Even if it turns out in the end that Hasan was a radical jihadist Muslim, this is not the first time a murderer was driven in part by fanaticism.
Look no further than the recent killings related to abortion, of the abortion doctor and the pro-life advocate who were shot in cold blood by ideologically driven men.
What makes this different is that it is related to Islam, making it an excuse to attack the religion itself.
I hope that stereotypes are not perpetuated, particularly since there are currently thousands of Muslim men and women serving in the U.S. military.
“Muslims have been serving for generations in the United States armed forces and we will continue to serve proudly and with honor,” Abdul-Rashid Abdullah said to Time Magazine.
Sadly, many of them will come to have their loyalty questioned once more.
There are Muslims, like me, who were born and raised in America and love being a Muslim and an American.
Many Muslims like me are always worried about how the isolated actions of others reflect the community. Many are thus compelled to explain our identity and our faith to suspicious minds.
Remember in 2006 when a small plane flew into a building in New York City? After getting over the shock of hearing such news, my gut reaction was, “Please, God, don’t let it have been a Muslim.”
My gut reaction will probably be like this for a while, much to my dismay.
For now, the most I can hope for is that people approach this with an open mind, not jump to conclusions and consider the depth of this man rather than just his name.
If a Christian was in a predominantly Muslim country and killed 13 Muslims, how do you think that attack would be perceived?
Yes, this crime was quite clearly driven by an Islamic political and religious ideology. Sure, he may have been ridiculed for being a Muslim by other service members, but does that merit the deaths of 13 individuals? No.
His crime does not add any more integrity behind the stereotype that Muslims are dangerous, but it also does not preclude the fact that he was Muslim and his crime was politically motivated.
This was a terrorist attack committed by a radical Muslim extremist. Stop making excuses for these barbarians! Hasan was driven and motivated by his radical beliefs in his religion. Accept that.
Even with all the mounting evidence, people like you and others in the media refuse to call it what it is for fear of offending Muslims.
Tell me, if it turns out he was motivated to do it by his religious beliefs, will you Husna be prepared to openly reject those?
Unfortunately you both missed some crucial points. If you noticed the title of my article, it says “Why consider religion FIRST?,” and consequently jump to conclusions while blatantly ignoring any other significant factors that could have shed light on why Hasan was prompted to carry out such a horrific act. In fact, I did relate how extremism was a factor.
1) “If a Christian was in a predominantly Muslim country and killed 13 Muslims, how do you think that attack would be perceived?” What does that have to do with what happened at Fort Hood? If anything you are being reductionist and trying to simplify what happened with an “us vs. them” dichotomy. Regardless of how it might be perceived, it doesn’t justify making assumptions based on religion when there are other factors involved- if the gunman was psycotic, wouldn’t you consider that as well in addition to his religion? Also, should the action of a single Christian gunman reflect upon the religion as a whole? I would say no. Perceptions in that case are superficial.
2) “Yes, this crime was quite clearly driven by an Islamic political and religious ideology” And how exactly do you “know” that? This sounds like a subjective observation based on your preconceived notions and personal beliefs. Who knows, it could be true – but you don’t know that yet. You are making assumptions.
3) “Sure, he may have been ridiculed for being a Muslim by other service members, but does that merit the deaths of 13 individuals? No.” You are trivializing what investigators and acquaintances referred to as “deep and troubling” pyschological problems due to working in the military amongst other things- I would not say that is tantamount to mere ridicule. And no where do I come even CLOSE to saying it merited a single death, let alone ONE. I find it horribly offensive that you would imply I suggested such a thing.
4) “His crime does not add any more integrity behind the stereotype that Muslims are dangerous” I appreciate the acknowledgement.
5) “Stop making excuses for these barbarians! ” Are you SERIOUS?! Did you read my article? If you did you would have seen I clearly stated that I am NOT making any excuse in the least bit for his actions. No decent human being would. Rather I am attempt to UNDERSTAND the multi-faceted issues that might have motivated him.
“Hasan was driven and motivated by his radical beliefs in his religion. Accept that.” I don’t “accept” anything at face value without doing some research, learning different sides of the issue, and drawing conclusions (as opposed to making assumptions).
6) “Even with all the mounting evidence” Such as? The ideogical beliefs of Fox News pundits don’t count, by the way.
7) “Tell me, if it turns out he was motivated to do it by his religious beliefs, will you Husna be prepared to openly reject those?” Reject my religious beliefs? Of course not, because Islam does not condone murder of innocent life. Hasan’s actions were unIslamic in every sense and should not reflect upon the religion at all. Like I mentioned in the article, a pro-life advocate murdered an abortion doctor – should I demand that all pro-life advocates reject their beliefs? That’s ridiculous. Furthermore, you are suggesting that Hasan’s worldview and religious perspective are similar to my own – and that is simply preposterous.
Anyway, thank you both for your interest in my article and your feedback. Hasan was a complicated man and no one can pinpoint his motive to one thing, even though I agree that religious radicalization had an important role. It’s just important to keep in mine that it was “radicalization”, which is not unique to Islam or to Arabs. Analogous to the Virginia Tech killer, he was also disturbed if not pyschotic – I believe this had as much a role to play in this as religious motivation did.
Husna,
I apologize, I should have clarified. What I meant to say is would you as a Muslim openly reject radical Islam and point to where in the Qu’ran where it does not advocate violence?
I am merely asking that because I never see moderate Muslims do so.
Hello Dan, thank you I appreciate that. Yes, there are moderate Muslims who do not practice radicalism yet do not denounce it at the same time. If you are asking whether or not I would personally denounce Hasan’s radical beliefs (or anyone else’s for that matter), the answer is yes of course I would. Furthermore, every Muslim should be compelled to denounce him because the killing of even one innocent life is one of the biggest sins in the Islamic faith – justification for such a thing simply does not exist.
As a side note, Islamic extremism throughout the world is largely used as an illegitimate tool to protest or to influence politics and policy. Many terrorist masterminds use Islam to influence naive and vulnerable people and turn them into ideological suicide bombers, etc. It’s not just a matter of Islam vs. Christianity – look at what is happening in Afghanistan and Iraq, where domestic terrorists use violence against other innocent Muslims.
All three of the monotheistic religions are largely peaceful yet have violent components to them. One can certainly find reference to violence in their respective holy books, and that is just a matter of reality. Unfortunately, things can always be taken out of context and used as justification for violent actions. Extremism exists in Christianity and Judaism as well as in Islam – however, as I have been trying to emphasize, the crazed actions of a few should never reflect off of the religion itself.
Sorry that was lengthy, it’s just that I am really passionate about this
This was a very thoughtful article yet I am still troubled by the fact that the Koran says that everyone who doesnt believe in Islam is an infidel and deserves to die in short. Granted I know many nice muslim individuals but I can never respect a religion like Islam, maybe it is because I am Catholic and we have been fighting for thousands of years, but Islam is a very barbaric religion. I acknowledge that Catholism has had its troubles in the past, an no even today I dont agree with everything done by the Catholic religion. But like others have previously said this was a terrorist attack, and Islam does have a history of preeching violence.
and catholics dont….? lol
1) In Leviticus 25:44-46, the Lord tells the Israelites it’s OK to own slaves, provided they are strangers or heathens.
2) In Samuel 15:2-3, the Lord orders Saul to kill all the Amalekite men, women and infants.
3) In Exodus 15:3, the Bible tells us the Lord is a man of war.
4) In Numbers 31, the Lord tells Moses to kill all the Midianites, sparing only the virgins.
5) In Deuteronomy 13:6-16, the Lord instructs Israel to kill anyone who worships a different god or who worships the Lord differently.
lets not forget crusades and what happened in jerusalem by the templars….or the whole idea of the inquisition, the massacres of whole cultures in south america in the name of christendom?
oh and if you are a catholic then you know about Saint Thomas Aquinas…read up on him and how he got alot of his inspiration from muslim scholars…so while europe and all you “sophisticated people” were in the dark ages those “barbarians” were making algebra…etc
Merlin I said I dont condone what Catholics did in the past except maybe the crusades because if you read up on it you will find the muslims attacked the Christians first and the Vatican sent troops to protect travelers to the holy land. If you read what I wrote closely I said the Koran proposes all not muslims infidels, the bible does not proclaim all non christian believers as infidels. Yes the bilbe does have lots of bloodshed in it but again it does not say enslave or kill all non-believers like the koran.
sorry crusaders
Crusaders not troops. Dang I hate mondays.
C – religions aren’t barbaric, although the people who subscribe to them might be. Since you bring up Catholicism, take the example of priests and bishops who sexually abuse church youth. Should people take that to mean that Catholicism is a horrible religion that condones this? That since the Catholic church has a history of abuse, Catholicism is a barbaric religion? I think we can both unequivocally say NO. Maybe then you will understand where I am coming from.
Furthermore, your ignorant comments make it clear that you do not understand Islam in the least. No where in the Quran does it say that all disbelievers should be killed or enslaved. Not to be rude, but that claim is so ridiculous I can’t believe I am even commenting on it. In fact, one of the most important Islamic prayers has this line regarding non-believers: “I do not worship whom you worship and you do not worship whom I worship… you have your path and I have mine.”
One last thing: the world “infidel” means disbeliever in respect to your particular faith. Therefore, according to Christians, I and other non-Christians are indeed infidels since we are not of your faith.
Husna,
The example about the sex abuse scandal with the Catholic Church is a good point, however, there’s a big difference.
When the scandal broke, the Church all across America and even the Pope came out openly against all of it. What some people, including myself are saying is that we haven’t seen that kind of reaction from Islam’s leaders or their followers.
This conversation is really mind-boggling.
Are you all really trying to claim that all Muslims think this kind of bloodshed is good?
It seems to me that you have probably never met a Muslim in your life. This child-like mentality and close-mindedness is insulting to anyone who cares about honest discourse. I thought we were a smarter people.
Please examine your own respective religions before passing judgment on others. All religions have different issues to deal with – all equally important (whether it is sexual abuse or suicide bombers), and none bad enough to earn a bad name for the entire religion.
If your problem is that not many Muslims have openly condemned such acts, have you considered that this might be because not everyone lives in a society like the U.S. where opinions are welcome (although I’m beginning to question that)?
It is weird to agree with Beth and Husna but I must say that just because one person who happens to belong to a certain religion does something, doesn’t mean that the religion is bad or evil.
I lived in Italy and I saw Muslim youth mock myself and other Americans because of the destruction that had happened to us on September 11th. But at no time, did I think that those youth represented their religion. There are bad apples in all religions and all religions would look badly if they were judged on their bad apples. Religions should be judged based on their doctrines and how those doctrines are taught.
Husna,
I never claimed all religions to be barbaric, read it right before you mock. Also we are talking about a few more than a couple of bad apples, we are talking quite a few Islamic countries. You call Catholism bad, I can Islam bad, again it most likely comes from both religions hating each other. I can honestly say that I am not a strict Catholic from any stance either because I dont agree with everything the church does. But this is how I look at it: Islamic terrorists attacked us on 9/11, an islamic terrorist attacked Ft. Hood, and Islamic people are killing our troops, to me I see that religion taking American lives and a countryman of our own is more important than a terrorist of another country.
David,
Normally I agree with you but not here. A youth typically reactes the way his/her parents will react so it goes up the chain.
C – you’re right, you did not claim all religions to be barbaric – rather, you singled out Islam (”Islam is a very barbaric religion”). And as further proof that you make unfounded comments, I did NOT say Catholicism was bad: “That since the Catholic church has a history of abuse, Catholicism is a barbaric religion? I think we can both unequivocally say NO.” I would never in my life call any religion barbaric, but that’s just me.
Religions don’t hate each other, people do based on their interpretations and experiences. You choose to view Islam as barbaric based on subjective feelings and isolated actions rather than on research into what the religion really stands for, or on “honest discourse” as Beth mentioned. You may be unaware, but the basic tenants of the major religions are much more similar than different especially since the three monotheistic faiths delineated from the Abrahamic tradition. Thus, many Islamic doctrines are shared in Christianity and Judaism – surprised to hear that?
You bring up Islamic countries, presumably as state supporters of terrorism. That’s true in some cases, but that it is not due to religious ideology – the intricacies of international politics and policy have more of an impact there. And like I said before, organized terrorism is largely used as a tool to influence policy – it’s more politically motivated than religious motivated. That is why Muslims have been killing Muslims in Iraq and why Christians have been killing Christians in Ireland. Welcome to the messy world of international politics.
Dan- there is no unified Islamic mosque as there is no such thing as religious hierachy (in the Sunni faith at least, which includes 90% of all Muslims). Therefore, we don’t really have any visible religious leaders. And keep in mind that there are only about 6 million or so Muslims in the US, and they do not make up a unified community – a collective Muslim-American voice is not something we have here. I understand your concern though, I’m sorry that I don’t have anything more substantial to say.
David – it IS weird to see you agreeing with me! lol I appreciate the comment!
Good job, Husna–I agree with both your column and your comments.
Well Husana when I see a massive shift by Isamics that condemn the attacks I will believe you and that means your religious higher-ups need to publicly come out and condemn your riligious followers acts, until that happens many people will view Islam as a violent religion, myself included. The Catholic church condemned the rape and molestation by the preiests and wanted nothingf to do with them, why cant the muslims? Im thinking because they actually believe in what your extremists are doing. Until this happens you have no leg to stand on by calling your religion non-violent, because in fact it is violent.
Ans Islamic violence is nothing new, Muslims have been blowing up planes and commiting terrorist acts for years. So lets see more examples: the numerous plane bombings, bus bombings, the train bombings the first world trade center attacks in 93. See this is violence by many members of the Islamic faith, I didnt see any other religions doing these, so Islam is very violent.
C – it is unfortunate how close-minded you are and how you can ignore over a thousand years of religious history and the politics that accompany it. It is apparent that you still continue to disregard every comment that I make and refuse to engage in any form of productive discourse. You even contradict yourself when you claim Islam is violent as a religion yet cite actions committed by individuals who were very much politically motivated; you acknowledge the violence perpetuated by Christiandom yet have the nerve to single Islam out. I’ve done my research, I actually know what I am talking about – in fact, my undergraduate thesis concerns radicalization of Muslims in the West. It’s not as simple as you make it out to be. Anyway, I as an individual can only do so much in attempting to start dialogue with people who are ignorant of my faith and what it stands for. I will always stand by my conviction that religions aren’t bad, just the people who subscribe to them. If you enjoy living under the shadow of ignorance then that is your problem and I feel sorry for you.
Nathan – thank you, I appreciate that
Thank you all for your interest in my article – however, I have much studying to catch up on this week and will not be able to keep up with the comments. It’s been fun though
C,
Though I agree that a parent has a lot of influence on their children, I do not agree that they have absolute control. My parents think a certain way on many things and though that influences me I still choose how I am going to think.
I also see where you are coming from. We are currently at war with some Muslims that are using their religion as a reason to maim and kill us. That does not mean though that we are at war with the religion of Islam or all Muslims. We are at war only with the extremists and those that support them and I don’t really care what religion they are or are not part of. If they were Christians or atheists I would still say that we are at war with them.
Wonderful, well-informed article, Husna. I skimmed over the comments and am saddened by the uneducated slander being spewed about your religion. I am currently taking an English course objectively examining the three sacred texts, and would like to address this ignorant notion that superiority should be granted to the Catholic church simply because the leaders openly denounced the actions of these vile child-molesting priests. What about the remainder of the church’s long history of violence and cruelty? I have attached herewith a link to a fascinating debate from BBC World. Topic: is Catholicism a force for good in the world? Paraphrasing the words of Christopher Hitchens in this debate, the Crusades, the Inquisition, the persecution of the Jewish people, injustice towards women (half the human race), the forced conversion of indigenous people, the slave trade, condoning Hitler’s final solution, the rape and torture of children in almost every country in the world, anti-Semitism (I think you get the idea) etc., should all be addressed by the Catholic church. C, I invite you to watch this video, read the academic literature, and expand your breadth of knowledge, not just on your own religion, but on those of which you know little about.
This is off the topic of the original article, but I cannot sit unshaken when compassion and knowledge take a back seat to hate and ignorance of other human beings and their respective cultures.
Here is the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PvZz_pxZ2lw
I think everyone should watch ‘Latter Days’ to understand the destructive nature of how some religions seek to demonize, dehumanize and marginalize certain groups of the American population. This movie is a reference to Gay Americans.
Husna,
They were Muslim and said that Islam agreed with it. When the Islamic leaders come out and openly condemn them then I will believe you on the peacefulness of the religion but until then Islam is a violent religion. I single out Islam because the leaders have yet to condemn their followers actions, at least the Catholics have come out and apoligized for what they did wrong. And I am not living under a shadow of ignorance because I am basing my argument off of facts, you have nothing that can change the fact that Muslims are the ones commiting terrorist acts.
Ratna,
I never said superiority should be given to the Catholic church, I just said at least they have apoligized and condemned acts of violence commited by their followers, something Islam has not yet done. Also the crusades were not bad and I fully support them because the intent was to protect Christian worshipers who were traveling to the holy land becasue the muslims were attacking them. Also if you actually did some research on the Catholic church you would realize a break away sect of the church are the people who didnt believe in the holucaust, this group is much like the poligamists from the morman church, Catholics do not acknowledge that break away sect as part of the Catholic religion. So take your own advice about learning before you try and give it to me.
First, I am in no way advocating for one religion over the other, however, generalizing Islam as a “very barbaric religion” on the account that Muslims have not come out to apologize is thoughtless. As a result, of course you believe that your religion is superior to it. How can this possibly be argued otherwise? You have stated yourself that Islam is not only “barbaric” but the root cause of terrorist attacks on our country. Second, the primary reason (not the only reason) for the Crusades was for Christians to conquer territory that was in the possession of Muslims. So of course they saw a backlash to an invasion. You can’t simply end the sentence at “they were traveling to the holy land” without any explanation as to why they were traveling there to begin with. Third, I never said anything on Catholic belief or disbelief regarding the historical legitimacy of the Holocaust. I was alluding to the silence of Pope Pius XII regarding Hitler’s final solution. According to historical account, at the height of it, the U.S. ambassador to the Vatican, Myron C. Taylor, wrote to the Vatican secretary of state, Cardinal Luigi Maglione, on Sept. 26, 1942, telling him that the United States had received a report of mass executions and deportations of hundreds of thousands of Jews from Poland, Belgium, Holland, France and Slovakia. Taylor wrote that he would appreciate it if the Vatican could verify the report, and added, “I should like to know whether the Holy Father has any suggestions … in which the forces of civilized public opinion could be utilized … to prevent a continuation of these barbarities.” The Vatican replied in an unsigned statement to Harold Tittman, an American diplomat at the Holy See, that the church had also heard such reports from other sources but had yet to verify them. Tittman forwarded the information to the State Department, commenting that he regretted that “the Holy See was not more helpful” and that he “received the impression … that the Vatican had no practical suggestions to make.” Additionally, when Theodor Herzl came to the Vatican in 1904 to plead with Pope Pius X to assuage the suffering of European Jews, the pope bluntly told him that the “Jews have not recognized our lord, therefore we cannot recognize the Jewish people.” This is just a glimpse into the long history of anti-Semitism in the church. Finally, there HAS been a response from the Muslim community repudiating the acts of terrorists on our soil, but there is a monumental difference between the leaders of Islam condemning the actions of a minor group of radicals who have twisted and perverted the original teachings of Islam, and the Catholic church apologizing for the actions of the entire church itself. For the Catholic church, it was never an issue of a few bad apples in an otherwise healthy batch of fruits, the church itself was universally corrupt.
Ratna,
The Catholic church in gerneal tends to apoligize for what its members have done even if it was a small group. Islam needs to do the same. Islam does not accept my god so I do not accept theirs it is the same for every religion not only the Catholic religion, I like many others take offense that the koran says those who are not Muslim are infidels and in essence should die or be slaves to the Muslims. And your example about the church not verifying the holocaust is not relevent because we were in the dark as much as everyone else was, that doesnt mean we turned a blind eye to it.
Furthermore so you dont get the wrong impression, I am not a strict Catholic by any stretch, I go to church maybe once or twice a month, and also dont agree with everything it does or has ever done, somethings I like some I dont. But to me this article written was trying to defend all Muslims and take the blame off their religion when in fact it is people in their religion commiting acts of violence based off of what they learn from their religion. To say the Islamic religion isnt violent is totally wrong and the Islamic heiracy needs to get control of their followers because until they do they will be seen as accepting the acts of violence, which they currently are.
Mumtazza Husna. Fe Aman Allah.
I would also like to say I know all Muslims arnt bad, bc I have a couple of friends that are Muslim and they are some of my best friends and some of the nicest people I have every met, but they also see it from my perspective as well. This discussion will end the same way it started with people on opposite ends because there is no middle ground to be had.
I do not know why my comment is waiting for moderation 4 ever (almost 20 hrs and still waiting). May be because I added some links.
Hope to see my comment soon
1/6
Thank you Husna for the well developed article and coments
I strongly agree with you.
I just wannna add some links for C to show him how some Muslim Organizations Condemns the this violant attack and violance in general. Also to show him how Mass-Killer throughout the history are mostely Non-Muslims. He needs to read history well before claiming that Islam is a barbaric.
– Mass Killers and News stories about Major Nidal Malik Hasan
http://www.lvmuslim.com/lvmuslim/2009/11/mass-killers-and-news-stories-about-major-nidal-malik-hasan.html#more
2/6
– Video: Muslims Condemn Shootings, Urge Calm and Unity
http://www.cair.com/ArticleDetails.aspx?ArticleID=26135&&name=n&&currPage=1&&Active=1
3/6
– Video: CAIR Rep Discusses Fort Hood Attack on PBS ‘NewsHour’
http://www.cair.com/ArticleDetails.aspx?ArticleID=26136&&name=n&&currPage=1&&Active=1
4/6
See how Muslim in Spain spreaded the peace and sience while Europe was in the dark.
– When the Moors Ruled in Spain (1 of 11)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBsDDGCIFLQ
“The reason this era was called the golden age of Muslim Spain was because lots of literature, poetry, architectural flourish some examples are the rubaiyat, Arabian nights, but both Muslims and non-Muslims helped in the creation of the, which is why it is described as the era of ethnic tolerance and interfaith harmony between Muslims, Christians, and Jews.”
5/6
The Islamic History of Europe – BBC documentary
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zq9sGZiEops
6/6
7 wonders of the Islamic world (2) – Spain , Garanda
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ctl2GBF2izQ
For those who want to judje Islam, the religion, go read from the resources of Islam NOT the ideas of few followers of Islam (Muslims). Read the text in its context and stop repeating the stereotypes others are telling.
Learn more about Islam @ whyislam.org
Peace.
Farouk,
They are nice sources but I am talking recent history here mostly, and I wouldnt trust a source from an Islamic website, much like I wouldn’t accept a source from a Catholic website if I was arguing against the Catholic religion, its a conflict of interest senereo because of course no matter the religion they will always protray the good they do and not the bad things that have come from it. Simply put unfortuanitly our religions are very, very different and they are not friendly towards each other. I have no problem with the Muslim people I am friends with and have met because they are nice people, our difference is our religion and our religions have little similarities so we were brought up differently from each other. But I have no problem with the peaceful people of Islam, and I understand the intent of Husana’s article was to say that not all Muslims are bad, and I agree with her on that. I just want the religions to admit that they have radical followers but they dont agree with what the radicals agree with.
obviously they do.
C,
You can read about Islam from Non-Muslims.
Here is one:
Karen Armstrong, Check her books about Islam. Among them:
Islam: A Short History (you can preview it in google or Amazon)
Karen Armstrong – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
http://www.amazon.com/Islam-Short-History-Karen-Armstrong/dp/0679640401
I think what C is trying to point out that many Muslim leaders such Iran’s religious leaders and other Muslim leaders throughout the middle east do not condemn the suicide attacks enough or at all (depending on the leader). This can leave the impression that Muslims condone the actions of the extremists.
I don’t agree that Islam is extreme by itself but I do agree that there are those who use its teachings to spread terrorism throughout the world.
Muslims world-wide and in America have failed to condemn these and other terrorist attacks committed by Muslims. Hence, it leaves the impression that the Muslim communities condone such acts.
Husna, even though I disagree with most of what you write, you can be a leader amongst the Muslim community by openly condemning radical Islam every chance you get.
Thomas,
Bingo.