The Fort Hood Tragedy: Fanning the Anti-Muslim Hysteria

After an American soldier's tragic outburst of violence at Fort Hood, Texas -- the army's largest US post, with some 40,000 troops -- dominates the headlines, a fear-mongering hysteria concerning his supposed religious motivations is taking priority over questions regarding his mental health.

Although the facts, and clues about motive, are still being uncovered, we know that the alleged shooter, 39-year-old Major Nidal Malik Hasan, is an American-born medical doctor and licensed psychiatrist, who also happens to be a Muslim born to Palestinian immigrant parents.

When Hasan's Arabic name was revealed as the alleged shooter, the blogosphere and message boards lit up with the predictable assortment of anonymous bigoted bile vilifying Islam and questioning the loyalty of American Muslims.

Thankfully, most mainstream voices, such as Republican Senator John Cornyn of Texas, urged caution and moderation, stating: "It is imperative that we take the time to gather all the facts, as it would be irresponsible to be the source of rumors or inaccurate information regarding such a horrific event."

But some, such as Republican US Representative Michael McCaul of Austin, Texas, alarmingly responded with inflammatory histrionics: "Whether it was domestic or foreign, clearly when a US military base is attacked in this fashion, that is an act of terror in my book."

If it is discovered that this lethal rampage was motivated by an inexcusable and misplaced sense of religiosity, it would provide ammunition to those extreme right wing, minority voices in America who are convinced their Muslim neighbors are stealth jihadists ready to commit suicide bombings at a moment's notice. These proponents of modern day McCarthyism find their allies in members of the "Birther movement," who remain convinced President Obama is not an American citizen. Their esteemed colleagues include those who pontificate about Obama being a closet Muslim and an agent of socialism.

Reports of an image taken hours before the killings showing Hasan in a prayer cap seem to insinuate that a common article of clothing worn by many Muslims before they are about to pray somehow conclusively proves an religious intent behind the violence. A blog note attributed (though this is unconfirmed) to Hasan -- comparing terrorist suicide bombings to suicidal acts during war to protect fellow soldiers and inflict damage upon the enemy, such as Japanese kamikaze missions -- is being pointed to on the net as his potential justification for the alleged shootings.

It should comfort most Americans that mainstream Muslim American organizations, which often espouse a sense of victimhood and unnecessary rationalizations, unequivocally denounced Hasan's alleged actions as "heinous" and incompatible with Islam. The Council of American Islamic Relations issued a statement saying: "No political or religious ideology could ever justify or excuse such wanton and indiscriminate violence."

Ultimately, this use -- or misuse -- of fear and rumors over Hasan's Islamic faith should be moot in light of the record of the thousands of Muslim American soldiers who have served and made sacrifice -- such as Kareem Rashad Sultan Khan, awarded the prestigious Purple Heart and Bronze Star and praised by Colin Powell, who now rests in Arlington cemetery after giving his life to protect and serve his country in Iraq. There are currently 20,000 Muslims serving with honor in the US military, according to the American Muslim Armed Forces and Veterans Affairs Council. If Hasan's faith is ultimately proven to be the misguided inspiration for his violence, then the brave and patriotic service of thousands of Muslim American soldiers renders him an isolated and aberrant exception.

Sadly, although yesterday's violent outburst against fellow soldiers was the most deadly in US history, it was not the first of its kind. In May this year, five soldiers were shot dead at Camp Liberty in Baghdad by Sergeant John Russell. In February 2008, an Air Force sergeant diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) upon returning from Iraq fatally shot his son and daughter after a domestic argument with his ex-wife. Religion was not the common link between these soldiers; it was mental instability. Even if such individuals purported to be religious, their wanton acts of barbarism reflect rather their tenuous grasp on sanity.

A cousin of Hasan, interviewed by reporters, has suggested an alternative motivation, not necessarily influenced by religious conviction. "He was mortified by the idea of having to deploy," said Nader Hasan. "He had people telling him on a daily basis the horrors they saw over there [in Iraq and Afghanistan]."

From the evidence thus far, it seems tragic and ironic that Hasan, a psychiatrist who helped heal soldiers suffering from PTSD, would allegedly turn against them upon learning of his deployment to Iraq. In the interview with Fox News, his cousin described going to Iraq as Hasan's "worst nightmare."

He went on: "[Hasan] was doing everything he could to avoid that ... He wanted to do whatever he could within the rules to make sure he wouldn't go over." Hasan's aunt told the Washington Post that her nephew had consulted an attorney to see if he could leave the army before his contract expired due to harassment he had received from colleagues because he was Muslim.

Whatever the FBI investigation and any subsequent prosecution following the terrible shootings at Fort Hood may finally reveal, incidents such as these warrant a re-examination of how to treat and discharge or excuse those soldiers who are troubled or conflicted psychologically, politically or religiously over our foreign policy and, in particular, the current war in Afghanistan and occupation of Iraq.

No mere factual, evidential explanation could ever justify or excuse in any way Hasan's alleged actions. But it ought to broaden the horizon of those in the media who seem infatuated with the need to pin the blame for this perverse tragedy solely on a man's religious faith and Arabic last name, rather than exploring the possibility of a more complicated truth involving some combination of mental state, divided loyalty or conscientious objection.

 

Follow Wajahat Ali on Twitter: www.twitter.com/WajahatAli

Comments

[pintofplain]

How come when a white Chrisitian of any stripe snaps, everyone takes that at face value, yet when a Muslim goes postal, there must be a terrorist subplot? America, you really need to get a grip and get your communal fears in check. Sadly, you are becoming far too reactionary to be trusted to remain level-headed in times of crisis. On a side note, why do you not expect more of your media news sources? Surely you deserve better!

[Guitanguran]

"How come when a white Chrisitian of any stripe..."

Well, do they have to be white or do they in fact have stripes?

The problem is that too many of us have yet to 'get a grip'.

The problem is there are huge numbers of people that classify themselves as followers of Islam that would actually agree with what Hasan had done, that Obama is right, and that murdering innocent civilians with suicide bombs is acceptable behavior.

This from a Pew research poll:

http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/53865

This video from CNN:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5BtQgTGOI4

The Army is being held captive by PC policies and procedures that prevent people who actually saw Hasan's radical tendencies weeks, months, or even years before this tragedy from telling the truth.

[we must be aware]

I wish he would do what Mohamed Ali did and choosed jail and did not to go to war, that was a right thing and it takes courage. Killing others is not the answer. Our Creater does not want us to spell our blood or each others blood.

[Lone Star Susan]

I am deeply troubled by the shootings at Fort Hood. I know there is no easy explanation and no easy way to prevent this sort of thing from happening again. Simply put, it is tragic. My sympathetic thoughts are with all that have been impacted.

I have tried to read material from many sources to get a better perspective on this; however, after reading the readers' comments on several sites (including the Washington Post), I am dismayed by lashing out by so many individuals.

I want to think that, as a society, we have changed. Yet, slowly into my mind has crawled the concept that this must have been what it was like during WWII when it was being considered whether or not the Japanese-Americans were a national security threat. What we, as a country, did then tore apart so many innocent lives.

We don't even need to start down that path again. At some point, we need to stop branding groups of people.

[Joe The Nerd Ferraro - Huffpost Blogger]

excellent, excellent, excellent, post

[Dunelm]

Yes! Every religion, ethinic group, organization has someone who goes "over the edge." I still remember the blue-eyed blond who did the bombings in Oklahoma City. Unfortunately, bigots and the ignorant seize on incidents such as this to air their hatred of anyone perceived as different. I am sure blue-eyed blonds were not harrassed and threatened.

[Guitanguran]

"...air their hatred of anyone perceived as different"

Perceived?

I can pretty much say anyone hollering "God is Great" while methodically mowing down dozens of people in the army he's part of, is...

different.

How many more examples beyond what I've already posted do you need?

[Joe The Nerd Ferraro - Huffpost Blogger]

why not just - "this guy blew a gasket".

if you put his religion up as a reason for this, then you also need to put up how members of this faith are treated in our society.
how do you expect member of this faith to respond to your suspicions?

you are riding a merry-go-round of cynicism when you attack islam as a primary cause.

i suggest you cut some slack to the muslim community. they are more horrified than you can ever be at this. they are the ones that will now have to deal with the garbage you spew on them as a group.

guess what, you are also putting our troops at risk in theater when you go after islam this way.
you are their recruiter's dream. "hey the american devils have delared war on us. come on, grab a gun and we will train you."

you are hell bent on making things worse for Americans who are members of this faith.

hey, i bet you can tell me all about the second ammendment. but keep in mond the first is about freedom of religion. i didn't see an exception for islam there.

[marymansour]

A wonderful article. Thank you, Mr. Ali.

[OdinsEye]

Wajahat Ali,

Well wriiten and well said. I have served beside many Muslims during more than 2 decades of military service and they have always demonstrated themselves to be honorable, reliable friends. Since retiring I have entered law enforcement and we have several Muslim officers in our department. They too have been good partners and fellow officers. Muslims are welcome in my house any time (though my kitchen is not exactly Halaal).

[S1m0n]

A workplace rampage* is as American as apple pie.

*AKA 'going postal', 'death by cop', 'active shooter'. It's so common that US jargon distinguishes between relatively differences in varying types of such events.

[fbr79]

Please stop comparing my brothers in arms who came back from war with PTSD with this fanatical coward.

[lisakaz2]

And maybe there would be an improvement in all bases if ppl like this guy didn't become "fanatical" in any manner of religion? Maybe it's worth figuring out if the guy was harassed by "true believers" who view fighting as a holy crusade. If so, why is that different than jihad? Wouldn't that make 'em fanatical Christians? And if so, can their fanaticism push ppl of differing faiths into fanaticism as a form of opposition?

[Guitanguran]

The moral equivalency canard.

People are dead. People are wounded. Friends and family are mourning.

[Joe The Nerd Ferraro - Huffpost Blogger]

what are the odds this guy treated some of your brothers directly before he lost his mind?

[obitrey]

I am sorry, I may have missed it....but what evidence is there that this guy just snapped and lost his mind. From all accounts he was relativly calm as he went on his shooting spree. You seem so eager to dismiss this a stressed out guy who just snapped, I am just wondering why?

[texastrixie]

So what if Islam was Hasan's motivation for his act. All religions have their crazy zealots, that's why we had the Salem witch trials, the Holocaust, and modern day zealots who kill abortion doctors. Some people get tied up in their religion and go off - what's so unexpected about that.

Having said that, neither the military brass, nor Hasan's friends in the military did enough to recognize his fixation, and the need for him to be released from his military duty. Maybe muslims should be vetted before being allowed to participate in military positions that require dealing with the horrors of this war. We need their ability to interact with the Iraq and Afghanee people, but this conflict of supporting the US government and military, plus living as a muslim may put special pressures on Muslim American soldiers, and require greater support from the military to deal with these pressures. Soldiers without a religous conflict are suffering PTSD to a horrific rate, one can only imagine the pain and suffering of Muslim American soldiers.

[rudecoolie]

It's funny how all the "informed" people can't come up with acts of violence by Christians - or is it just easier to make a case against Islam without those pesky Christian led genocides in Rwanda (christians killing chirstians) and Bosnia (christians killing muslims). If you call yourself a christian, and don't want to be grouped in with these atrocities, then don't group every muslim in with individuals who are violent.

Those are just two examples from modern times, I am not going back to the crusades for crying out loud!

No one' s hands are clean - the military needs to screen for mental instability, this guy had a history of instability should have been dealt with by members in the military that were in his position. So who evaluates these people, and is the appropriate amount of care given?

Lets also profile latin male christians because of the killing in Orlando, or just unemployed people - they could be killers too!? We don't know if ideology sparked the Military base killings or the orlando killings, but we are attacking one of the biggest groups of humans for this guy's actions?

[aspiecelia]

Dr. Hasan had several issues causing his trauma, listening to the horrible stories from the soldiers, workplace bullying by the military(which they are known to do), and bullying about his religion. If I had to listen to the stories one of the soldiers from Abu Ghraib told I would be devastated and I am angry about what happened there without hearing it first hand. All of those types of traumas cause PTSD, when it happens over a long period of time it is Complex PTSD. He was clearly displaying signs of being in distress. He told them he was having problems with what the military was doing morally and they would not let him leave. The element of being trapped causes PTSD to get much worse. He had personality characteristics which caused him to have black and white thinking and was socially isolated. Those two characteristics could have contributed to his breakdown. CPTSD can have psychosis. He was getting ready to deploy and it was knonw he was very upset about it. It is possible he had a breakdown. We will never know the whole story because we can't get into his head. He is in a coma and may never be able to tell us anything. This happens in this country not only in the military but also in the workplace. That type of bullying has been made illegal in several countries because it destroys people. When will the US do something about workplace bullying?

[Guitanguran]

And yet, according to reports, this guy is as cool as a cucumber when shooting his fellow soldiers, looks pretty calm at the convenience store in the surveillance video prior to the massacre, and has the presence of mind to put his affairs in order and having 2 guns + ammo at the ready before going on his killing spree.

Being able to gun down 40+ people in short order, knowing the right time and place to have the most effect?

Nope, the problem here is radical adherence to beliefs that are contrary to western civilization.

Call it what it really is, a terrorist act by an Islamic radical, and be done with it.

[lisakaz2]

And yet that's incomplete if the guy was bullied by Radical Christians. How is Radical Christianity consistent with Western Civilization if they wanna erase the last 300 or so years?

[Joe The Nerd Ferraro - Huffpost Blogger]

call it what it is, one guy going nuts.

they talk about how calm cool and collected the columbine attackers were when doing their thing.

they were from christian pedigree and picked off kids who stood up for their faith.

we are dealing with whacked people here. not religious people.

of what faith are you that you can call another's faith into question?

is your faith so superior that it never had it's share of folk who go over the edge?

i am starting to question what you would be doing if we were transported to a place and time like 1935 Berlin. what culture would you stand for and how would you do it?

[aspiecelia]

Appearing cool as a cucumber when the world is coming down around you is a skill a psychiatrist would have. Being mentally disturbed and putting up a facade is not a rare occurance. I worked as a critical care nurse for years and had to be cool as a cucumber to help patients and families cope when someone was crashing even though I was very anxious myself. Making a patient more frightened is not very therapeutic. I also worked with mentally ill legal offenders, acting scared in a dangerous situation is going to cause problems. Acting confident and in control helps mentally ill people feel more like they are in a safe environment.

I have been workplace bullied myself or mobbed by a large group of very sick people who had been workplace bullying for years in a remote village in bush Alaska. I am tough as nails and it gave me complex PTSD. The last thing you want to do when mobbed at work is let them know they are affecting you, looking cool as a cucumber is a defense against them. I actually laughed for months when people told me the false lies they were spreading against me as I thought people would have enough sense to know they weren't true. Remember workplace bullies go after the best employees because they make them look bad. It is all about their own feelings of looking bad next to a good employee.

[Guitanguran]

Political correctness is the handmaiden of terrorism

[lbjack]

Well-said. I find it rich that this guy uses the word "hysteria," when hysteria describes perfectlly the mental state of the Fort Hood mass murderer, the jihadi suicide bombers, Hamas, Hezbollah, al Qaeda, the response to the Danish cartoons, life in Iraq, Iran and Pakistan, and the fevered reaction of the Muslim to the Infidel or to other Muslims not of the same sect.

lslamophobia -- another politically correct buzzword which is proven every day, around the world, to be quite well-founded.

[pollwatcher123]

Aside from being the talking point of Michelle Malkin and Mark Steyn, do you have any idea what that means? Political correctness has been around far longer than "terrorism" as we know it. What's funny is that the same phrase was used in the 1960s during the civil rights campaign - "political correctness is the handmaiden of street crime" or something like that. At the end of the day, you hate the idea of living in a diverse society where the rights of ALL should be respected, not just the rights of your preferred category of people.

[Guitanguran]

1.) Sgt. Asan Akbar after his assault on officers wounding 12 and killing 1in Kuwait in 2003:

“You guys are coming into our countries, and you’re going to rape our women and kill our children.”

2.) Ali A. Mohamed - After discharge from the US Army:

Pled guilty to conspiring with bin Laden to “attack any Western target in the Middle East” and admitted his role in the 1998 African embassy bombings that killed more than 200 people, including a dozen Americans.

3.) Semi Osman - was arrested as part of a federal investigation into the establishment of a terrorist training camp in Bly, Oregon. Pled out to a weapons charge.

4.) John Muhammad - was a member of the Army’s 84th Engineering Company. Was suspected of throwing a thermite grenade into a tent housing 16 of his fellow soldiers as they slept before the ground-attack phase of Gulf War I in 1991. Eight years later, he was arrested in the 21-day Beltway shooting spree that left 10 dead and three wounded.

As a non-Muslim, I see a pattern here that I don't see with Catholics or Church-of-Christ followers, so I don't understand: Which Muslim is a good Muslim?

The one that shouts "God is great" before shooting 40+ people because we're going over there and killing other Muslims in the course of prosecuting a war?

Or, the one that disregards the prohibition against Muslims killing Muslims, even when there's a war on?

[JeanRR]

Let's see here:
Sgt. Asan Akbar. Ali A. Mohamed, John Muhammad , Ted Bundy, John Wayne Gacy, Charles Manson, Timothy McVeigh...

As a non-male, I see a pattern here that I don't see with females of any race, so I don't understand: Which man is a good man? The one who claims to love Jesus but preaches hate toward another religion or the one who is tolerant and loving as Jesus teaches?

[rudecoolie]

Great point - which christian is a good christian, if you factor in each individual killer and rapist in the atrocities of Rwanda and Bosnia?

[fbr79]

The only detail you leave out is the fact that these people Christian people did not commit their horrible crimes in the name of their religion. As opposed to all the above mentioned Muslims, who did.

[Guitanguran]

"I don't see with females of any race"

Race?

I think you can answer your own question on Christians, male or otherwise.

The question for which I've yet to get an answer is: what constitutes a Muslim that adheres to his faith right down the line?

[lisakaz2]

Jean's pt is awesome. Why not add them Columbine kids too.

[UpFromLiberalism]

Major Malik Hassan, after being transferred from Walter Reed Hospital to Fort Hood decided to celebrate his promotion and transfer by shouting “God is great” in Arabic while gunning down a dozen of his fellow soldiers.

The mainstream media is falling all over itself today in an attempt to somehow paint this domestic Islamic terrorist as the victim rather than the perpetrator. Muslim-friendly to the point of being Muslim-centric, the news networks are even trying to do their reporting without mentioning the killer’s name.

[lisakaz2]

He could be both which you can't grasp in a black/white world.