Many of you reading this will have heard over the weekend about the tragic shooting at Fort Hood, Texas, where Major Nidal Malik Hassan, an Amry psychiatrist, shot and killed 13 people in what appears to be a random act of violence.
Federal investigators are point blank refusing to release information on the details of the shooting to the public, fuelling reports that the shooting may have been carried out by multiple attackers and raising questions about why it took officials several hours to confirm to the media that Major Hassan had been shot and injured.
Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, Republican of Texas, said Army officials were trying to determine "if there is something more than just one deranged person involved here... That is a question still to be asked."
Aside from the fact that the person interviewed was a Republican, I feel I need not point out what this article goes on to suggest are the motives behind the shooting.
Evidence retrieved from ballistic tests showed that there was only one gunman but of course it would be easier to write off this act of violence as terrorism because the shooter was not only of Palestinian descent, but a practising Muslim. To quote 'The New York Times';
In Washington, a law enforcement official said an early search of Major Hasan’s computer did not indicate any direct exchanges with known terrorists. The official said investigators did not have a complete record of Major Hasan’s Internet use, as he had multiple e-mail accounts and used computers in several locations.
The fact that Major Hassan is also an American citizen by birth (born and reared in Virginia) and voluntarily joined the American military is overlooked. The fact that his immigrant parents, both deceased, were described by those who knew them as kindly restaurant owners who "always had a warm meal for someone who otherwise would not have anything to eat that evening" is also overlooked. The terrible answers to the reasons behind Major Hassan's shooting spree could be something much more complex than simply an act of jihad, as much of American media has already labelled the shooting as.
Major Hassan was a highly educated American, troubled by many of his patients' stories having counselled "scores" of them upon their return from Iraq or Afghanistan. The truth that is emerging about the reasons behind his awful acts of violence is truly too complicated to label merely as terrorism. His cousin, Nader Hassan has said, "He was mortified by the idea of having to deploy [to Iraq or Afghanistan]," after hearing first hand the realities of war. "He had people telling him on a daily basis the horrors they saw over there." Unverified reports have also suggested that Major Hassan complained of harrassment from fellow soldiers for being Muslim, and that he was trying to get out of deployment to Afghanistan on November 23rd.
Locals who prayed with Major Hassan at his mosque; The Islamic Community of Greater Killeen, have expressed shock and betrayal by Major Hassan's actions. A mosque leader, Doctor Manzoor Farooqi, when asked if he feared retribution for the shootings, said he hoped good relations would prevail. He added, "The Islamic community strongly condemns this cowardly attack, which was particularly heinous in that it was directed at the all-volunteer army that protects our nation."
Notably, the repercussions of this shooting on peaceful Muslim communities in America will be huge. Judging by comments made on liberal newspaper 'The New York Times' website, any hope of moving away from 9/11 comparisons have been shattered. Comments range from accusing Major Hassan directly of being a terrorist in league with other terrorists, to labelling him a "racist" and "extremist". Very few media outlets have commented on the prejudiced conclusions people are already making in America, or the fact that this could be the final straw for many other more conservative Americans who were undecided on their beliefs on Islam.
As Obama said after the awful attack, "We don't know all the answers yet," and should refrain from "jumping to conclusions".
My condolences to all the families everywhere affected by this horrible and brutal act of violence, be they Christian, Muslim, Caucausian, African American, or Asian. Grief, does after all, transcend race.
