On November 5th, Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan went on a shooting rampage in Fort Hood, Texas killing 13 and injuring 30 fellow soldiers. After it was revealed that Hasan was a Muslim Arab American, Islam is being put on trial. Of course, as a Muslim Arab American, I’ve been asked how I feel about it.
As an American, it breaks my heart that our soldiers were attacked by one of their own.
As an Arab, it saddens me to think of his family who thought they were contributing to a nation they immigrated too.
As a Muslim, it angers me that the media has made Hasan a representative of Islam.
Let’s be clear on something, a criminal should not be defined by their faith, culture or race… a criminal is a criminal, period! What happened in Fort Hood was a crime committed by a criminal!
Islam does not in any way shape or form condone any act of violence upon another person. I personally don’t feel the need to defend it because its scriptures and teachings speak for themselves.
“Whosoever kills an innocent human being, it shall be as if he has killed all mankind, and whosoever saves the life of one, it shall be as if he had saved the life of all mankind.” –Quran, AlMa’idah (5:32)
“To those who persevere in doing good is a reward more than in measure. No darkness or shame shall cover their faces. They are companions of the garden where they will live forever. But those who have earned evil will have a reward like evil. Humiliation will cover their faces. They will have no defender from God.” –Quran, Yunus (10:26-27)
“Whoever does good equal to the weight of an atom shall see it. And whoever does evil equal to the weight of an atom shall see it.” –Quran, Al Zalzalah (99:7-8)
In his last sermon, Prophet Mohamed said, “Hurt no one so that no one may hurt you. Remember that you will indeed meet your Lord, and that He will indeed reckon your deeds.” In sermons and teachings before that, he is noted as saying, “By God, he is not a true believe from whose mischief his neighbors do not feel secure.”
However, to continuously put Islam on trial whenever any individual who identifies as a Muslim commits a crime is absurd. The ignorance that seems to flow as a result, especially from the media, is beyond me.
We have Bill O’Reily talking about winning Muslim hearts and minds because “we can’t kill them all!” O’Reily, do you believe the same should go for Christians or Jewish if a criminal who identifies themselves as a follow of either faith… kill them all? Or those Middle East and Islam “experts” like the one in the video below who know nothing about either. Who even deemed them experts to begin with? I’d rather they call a common citizen who is Muslim from the Middle East then some dude in a suit who thinks MY religion condones such acts.
Of course other media outlets, such as CNN, have been covering this story on the hour daily trying to figure out if it was a terrorist act. There was a guy in Cleveland who had 11 bodies and counting of rape victims in his home; the man in Antioch who kidnapped, rapped and held an 11 year old girl captive for 18 years with her two children conceived by him; the DC sniper who was on a killing rampage before being caught and just executed a few days ago; the ten teenagers lead by a 19 year old who beat, assaulted, robbed and rapped a 15 year old girl in Richmond… aren’t they all considered terrorists too CNN?
Seriously, how do I feel about this guy? I think this guy is a coward, a hypocrite and disturbed. He didn’t want to be deployed as he was against the war and so he shoots his fellow unarmed soldiers. If he seriously didn’t want to get deployed, he could have learned from Mohamed Ali Clay who refused to be deployed to Vietnam and served jail time. He could have learned from his fellow soldiers who did not agree to the war and gained political asylum in Canada. He could have learned from other prominent Muslims who stood their ground in a peaceful and respectful manner regardless of the consequences!
Watching the memorial last week with my mother was difficult. Every time the mention of Hasan came up, my mom did not have a kind word for him. When they stated each one’s name, age and whom they were survived by, my mom would whisper, “May Allah have mercy on them and grant the family patience.”
Rather then letting ignorance and fear take over us, I ask you all to whisper a prayer for ALL those who lost their loves to unjust and unnecessary violence, here and abroad prayer, and demanding justice for them.
Ms. Hala 