It is with great sadness that I read of the terrible tragedy that occured at Fort Hood on Thursday. As I read through the story, I noticed the name of the perpetrator, and came to the conclusion that this man was Muslim. Then I wondered how long it would be before someone came up with a theory that this situation was motivated by the man's religious beliefs, and how long it would be before people would start spouting the most awful, hateful things about one of the world's largest religions.
Today, at my mosque, our khutbah (sermon during Friday prayers) hammered home the point that we as Muslims should set a good example, and that we must use good judgment in condoning or issuing punishment regardless of whether they are related to us (by blood or by religion).
The example used was if someone came to you and claimed that your son or daughter had been involved in a problem. Would you automatically say that your child would not behave that way or would you investigate the situation and act accordingly?
Our duty as Americans is to aid the families that were affected by this terrible tragedy, by offering our emotional and financial support. We can donate blood for the soldiers that were injured. Our duty as American Muslims is to condemn these acts against humankind, that are not to be condoned or tolerated under any circumstances.
The Quran (the Muslim's holy book) states that to take a human life affects all humankind and to save a human life leads to the salvation of all human kind (Al-Maeda 5, 32). Nowhere does it state that Muslims can take the lives on innocent people, it is an offense against God as well as humanity.
Based on the facts that we have today, what can we tell or extrapolate? According to several scholarly articles, a predisposition to violence can often be exacerbated by some of the following: someone who is a loner, has had setbacks, perhaps poor job performance, may have a history of psychiatric disorder(s), maybe reacting to humiliation, rejection, or failure, most retaliated due to despair, hopelessness. In adolescents we often see things such as extreme isolation and bullying.
From the numerous stories I have read about this heinous crime, we know that the perpetrator was upset about being deployed to Iraq, that he had had performance issues at work, he may have been counseled for psychological issues, and had given away all of his furniture. He had been bullied by people because of his religion. Does that excuse his behavior? Absolutely not. Could it have happened to anyone of any religion? Without a doubt, yes.
To point the finger at the perpetrator's religious beliefs is short sighted. I think instead of focusing on this man's issues, we need to direct our prayers and attention to those who have been affected by this tragedy. Let us not forget, too, that this man had parents, aunts, cousins all of whom must be baffled by what has happened. Where do they turn for help? Who will hear their pleas?
Sooner or later the dust will settle and we will have a clearer picture of what caused this man to snap. But let's not paint all Muslims with the same brush.
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