The recent shootings at Fort Hood, Texas, have left many people wary of Muslims and those of Middle Eastern descent and wondering whether they should be allowed to serve in the U.S. armed forces.

For anyone who has forgotten the story or missed the news, on Nov. 5, Major Nidal Malik Hasan allegedly killed 13 people and wounded 31 at Fort Hood.

He was about to be sent to Afghanistan.

The massacre was not only a shock because it was one of the deadliest on a military base in history, but also because the attack came from the inside and happened on American soil.

It is logical to wonder whether it is safe to have Muslims and people of Middle Eastern descent in the U.S. military.

Sept. 11, 2001 spawned prejudice and fear of people in these groups. Our media has painted them as the enemy and shown us the horrors of what some in the communities have done.

And everyone knows the best way for an enemy to cripple its opponent is from the inside.

However, it would not be right to bar Muslims from the military, considering the many minorities and people that served in our military during times when they too were unpopular.

During the time of the Civil War, blacks were still far from free and looked at as three-fourths of a person by the U.S. government.

Yet, as the Civil War began, one-fifth of the northern regiments were black. About 25,000 black soldiers altogether fought on both sides during the war.

Blacks, who were thought to be unintelligent and worthless, were technically the last people the Union and Confederate armies would pick to fight for them. But, they needed soldiers, and blacks stepped into these roles and served faithfully.

Some Japanese people also deserve mention for their service in the U.S. military during World War II.

After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Japanese people in America received the finger of blame and were thrown into internment camps as America feared that they would attack the country from the inside.

However, just as blacks served during the Civil War, Japanese people also served faithfully in the military.

The 442nd regiment combat team (known simply as the “442”), a mixture of mainland Japanese and Japanese people living in Hawaii, became the most decorated regiment in the war.

The regiment earned 9,500 purple hearts, 7 Presidential Distinguished Unit awards and 18,000 individual awards for bravery.

Still, when Japanese people returned home to the states, they faced discrimination from the Americans they had fought for, often finding their homes sold, pillaged and heavily vandalized.

Furthermore, many of them were not properly recognized for their efforts until many years later.

Just like the Japanese, blacks who had consistently served America for years received terrible treatment and second-class citizenship for years despite their devoted service.

Blacks and Japanese people were some of the last anyone would expect the U.S. military to trust, and still, they served their country with honor and passion despite prejudice and mistreatment.

As reported by the Department of Defense, there were 3,409 Muslims on active duty in April 2008. However the number may be much higher given the military’s intensified recruitment of Muslims and people of Arab and Middle Eastern descent.

Some also hid their affiliation with Islam to avoid discrimination, which has also made numbers inaccurate.

Again, some may wonder if anyone out of this large number of Muslims in our army has enlisted for the purpose of doing harm to our country.

However, in Hasan’s case, he was showing warnings and giving hints of his potential change in loyalty for many months before he allegedly carried out the shooting at Fort Hood.

While the military should not discriminate against Muslims, it should watch for reports or signs that could lead to situations like Fort Hood and act accordingly. Paying attention to the signs and carefully monitoring all soldiers, whether Muslim or not, is a better solution than barring specific peoples from the armed forces.

Despite the Fort Hood incident, Muslim and people of Middle Eastern descent should not be prohibited from joining the military.

Many people of different races and nationalities have served in the military when they were not popular, such as blacks and the Japanese.

Furthermore, many Muslims have served and are serving our country faithfully at this time.

Although we, as a country, must be careful and conscious of our safety, we cannot address these concerns with fear and discrimination that would only hurt our country in the long run.