The massacre at Fort Hood, Texas has been traumatic for people around the country, and in the search for answers, some have looked to the background of the alleged shooter, particularly his Islamic religious beliefs.
According to an article on news9.com, “There has been major concern for backlash against the Muslims across the nation, including the 12,000 who live in the Metro” because of Major Nidal Hasan’s actions.
This backlash can already be seen. According to another news9.com, some have taken to the Internet, calling for Muslims to be banned from serving in the military.
We think this type of reaction to the Fort Hood attack is wrong. The actions of one misguided man of one religion do not represent everybody who believes in that religion. This is especially the case when his actions may not have been based on his belief in that religion.
This mindset is a generalization based in prejudice.
Not to mention the fact that many crazy people have used many different religions to justify taking innocent lives. People have killed in the name of Christianity, Islam, agnosticism, etc.
And in each of those cases, the individual’s actions did not represent all of the other adherers to whatever religion happened to be used.
Also, banning anybody from serving in the military based on religion is wrong. If someone is willing to bravely risk his or her life to defend this country, he or she should have the right to do so.
After all, we are first and foremost Americans. We are diverse in background, beliefs and religions. That’s what makes this country so great.
To exclude an entire group of people from participating in some aspect of our society based on the actions of an individual is and always will be wrong.
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DrFuego 2 years, 6 months ago
mustafa, you're right. Christian fundamentalists don't shoot up army bases; they prefer to bomb abortion clinics or murder doctors who practice abortion in church.
Also, fundamentalist libertarians like to bomb our federal buildings, murder government employees, and occasionally even strike out at universities.
I guess by your line of logic, libertarians and christians should also be put under lock and key because, y'know, they're part of a dangerous radical philosophy.
dio 2 years, 6 months ago
Ahhh, the putrid racism and bigotry of mustafa is resurfacing again... When military shootings do not involve muslims, like yesterday at Camp Lejeune and Fort Campbell, he does not say a word. I guess we have to blame that on his political correctness.
kdbp1213 2 years, 6 months ago
how about when a fan of mickey mouse shoots up an army base? do we ban all fans of mickey mouse?
come on, folks. one person's words or actions do not speak for any entire institution. we probably will have the narrow-minded blame all muslims in the ft hood case.....
mustafa 2 years, 6 months ago
The facts are coming out all that is needed is the willing to recognize the truth of the situation. He yelled Allah Akbar as he committed his terrorist act. He advocated all Muslims to rise up, and proselytized his own patients. Plenty of other soldiers said they wanted to file complaints but were afraid they would be accused of discrimination. This guy gave plenty of warning signs but political correctness prevented anyone from noticing. The same political correctness the Daily wishes to continue.
Just like after Columbine there is an effort to cast the villain as a victim. His actions are proof the presence of Muslims, especially in the military, is something of which to be leery. Yes, not all Muslims are not dangerous yada, yada. But their position has been damaged, not by US culture, which bends over backwards to be “tolerant,” but by those Muslims that pour gas on fire.
The good Muslims are just going to have to endure the fact that a minority is making life hard on all of them. If they are good Americans, like this guy was not, then they should do their patriotic duty and rationalize themselves to this reality
mustafa 2 years, 6 months ago
”how about when a Baptist shoots up an army base" Sorry not equitable. The Baptist would have to be doing it as the essence of being a Baptist. It has yet to happen. Neither Baptist nor any other Christian sect doctrinally believes in "terrorizing non-believers." As the body count continues rising from Islamic terrorism, people like you who use this as just another opportunity to stroke your own ego, are becoming increasing tiresome. Our national security is more important than hurting people's feelings, those who disagree with that need to be recognized as a major part of the problem.
mythman 2 years, 6 months ago
Let's not forget David Adkisson, who just last year shot two people in a UU church because he hated gays and liberals. If we should be leery of Muslims because of Hasan, how should we feel about conservatives?
kdbp1213 2 years, 6 months ago
how about when a baptist shoots up an army base, we ban all baptists, too?
come on, folks. one person's words or actions do not speak for any entire institution. we probably will have the narrow-minded blame all muslims in the ft hood case.....
leimapapa 2 years, 6 months ago
Mustafa, Why do you feed trolls like dio? Are you that naive?
mythman 2 years, 6 months ago
Wait, when has anyone killed in the name of agnosticism? McVeigh may have been agnostic, but his motivations were over Waco and the Gulf War. I don't recall yelling "I don't know!" before blowing themselves up.
mustafa 2 years, 6 months ago
Put just the acts of US domestic terrorism since 9/11 committed by Christians on one side and those acts by Muslims on the other one side and it is clearly the Muslims that are the bigger problem.
If Christians started having a track record similar to Muslims I wouldn't hesitate in singling them out.
Besides I said Christians do not "doctrinally" believe in "terrorizing non-believers" ala Islam. Why not try addressing that?
Dio- I'd had to look up the incidents you cited. Of one, a soldier killed a fellow soldier motive unknown but religious jihad is not likely. The other a soldier fires off six rounds at a group morning PT-ers, no injuries, no connection to this subject. What connection do you expect to be made, moron?
We now know many people in the Army were concerned about this Islamic terrorist but were intimidated by the prospect of essentially being met with name calling such as those used by dio or the stilted logic of DrFuego.
I hope the major outcome of this tragedy is a focus on the danger posed by political correctness and the Diversity Uber Alles crowd who advocate it.
mustafa 2 years, 6 months ago
liemapapa -Well, I do give people who bother to post at least minimal credit for caring enough to do so. Also any Lefty is making a dangerous mistake conversing with someone armed with the truth. Liberalism is like a religion with ideas that require blind faith adherence. The bane of religious faith is "doubt." When a Lefty makes the mistake of venturing outside his comfort zone into the reality of rational thinking, they run a great risk. This is why they constantly remind each other "not to even listen to" the Right in any of its forms. Even a goof-ball like dio can eventually be stung with disillusionment enough times to make him finally start using his brain and not his feelings.
DrFuego 2 years, 6 months ago
It's called "reductio ad absurdum" actually, not "stilted logic" or "intimidation." Make sure you know what you're saying before you post it, goofball.
mustafa 2 years, 6 months ago
The point of the Daily 's opinion is that a larger group should not be judged by the actions of a few. They have comming rushing in to make sure Muslins, as a group, are not tarnished by the act of one person. But when ever did they, or any other liberal, rush forward to urge that not all pro-lifers should be judged by the actions of a few? Certainly dio and Drfuego types would have paid no heed if they did. Yet these liberals want everyone else to do what they would refuse to do. It is not a coincidence that the group involve here is identified with being engaged in a war of destruction of the USA. The enemy of their own country is automatically their friend. That is what being liberal is all about.
If we are attacked a weapon of mass distruction we can count on a large percentage of the liberal element telling us how we deserved it.