A bad man, not a bad religion
The news out of Ft. Hood is simply devastating: 13 dead, 30 wounded (according to the most recent reports) — all casualties inflicted by a fellow soldier. And not just any soldier. The man identified as the shooter, Nidal M. Hasan, is an Army psychiatrist, specifically charged with offering therapy to other soldiers overwhelmed by the stresses of combat and family dislocation.
When soldiers return from the battlefield — more or less in one piece — they should be able to expect that home territory is a refuge, a place of calm, order and safety. That’s the least they deserve. Hasan’s rampage was a betrayal of the highest order.
As if all that weren’t bad enough, Hasan, according to published reports, is a devout Muslim. That slice of biography will certainly permeate reporting and commentary and influence broader perceptions of the mass murder at Ft. Hood.
Let’s not get carried away by that news. There are many devout Muslims in the U.S. Armed Forces who have served their country bravely, some offering the highest sacrifice — giving their lives in battle. The Council on American-Islamic Relations has understandably issued a statement condemning Hasan’s actions.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations moved quickly to call the attack “cowardly.” The organization, an advocacy group for American Muslims, said it condemned the shooting “in the strongest terms possible.”
“No political or religious ideology could ever excuse such wanton and indiscriminate violence,” CAIR said in a statement. “The attack was particularly heinous in that it targeted the all-volunteer army that protects our nation.”
So, if there is a “teachable moment” from this horror — and there probably isn’t much of one — it has less to do with Islam than the fact that the Army needs to look more carefully not just at its stress-plagued soldiers but also at the psychiatrists who treat them. They can be nuts, too.
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52 comments Add your comment
Rev Al Sharptongue
November 6th, 2009
8:03 am
He made Tim Mcveigh proud
Rev Al Sharptongue
November 6th, 2009
8:03 am
First!!!
john
November 6th, 2009
8:08 am
not a religion, a dangerous cult of violence whose symbol is the sword. I am not a lamb that will allow my family to be led to slaughter for political correctness, . Look around the world today at the violence being unleashed by these devil worshippers
v racer
November 6th, 2009
8:08 am
German,Italian, and Japanese Americans of the “greatest generation” denounced those countries during WW2 and loudly proclaimed their love for America. “American” Muslims have a long, long way to go. All Muslims should be suspect until the prove otherwise. Many of our finest paid with their lives for not doing so.
Vinny
November 6th, 2009
8:15 am
Geez Cynthia,
The guy yelled “Allahu Akbar” right before he began killing innocent people. This is a very dangerous “religion”. Their goal is to kill all non-muslims. Could you be any more naive?
Peadawg
November 6th, 2009
8:28 am
Ya, Vinny…I think Cynthia was a little premature on this one. Right after this blog went up, so did http://www.ajc.com/news/nation-world/army-suspect-said-allahu-187797.html?cxntlid=brkng_nws_bnr.
Not that we’re going to get an “I’m sorry, I was wrong” from Cynthia anytime soon……
Peadawg
November 6th, 2009
8:29 am
Cynthia, can you release my most recent post…I didn’t say anything wrong in it. Thanks.
Last going
November 6th, 2009
8:40 am
Apologist
Rev Al Sharptongue
November 6th, 2009
8:47 am
The guy yelled “Allahu Akbar” right before he began killing innocent people. This is a very dangerous “religion”. Their goal is to kill all non-muslims. Could you be any more naive?
I guess he should have said thank you jesus then it would have been okay, what religion was tim mcveigh or the va tech shooter or the white guy who shot the health club up a few months ago. what religion was the kid in south ga who killed his whole family in the trailer prk.
white christians are so ignorant and hypocritical
Turd Feguson
November 6th, 2009
8:59 am
Oh yes…the oh so holy religion of islam, that wants to have everyone except themselves made to worship or be killed is as Ms Tucker states “not a bad religion”.
Cynthia, perhaps you might lecture President Hussein on that subject and also give him some pointers regarding economics as unemployment is now at 10.2%.
syzito
November 6th, 2009
9:09 am
People like you that try to be politically correct are as dangerous to America as any terrorist because you are to stupid to see the real world around you. Islam is at fault,it is a violent hate-filled false religion that deceives people like you into a false sense of security,then they kill you.
Jimmy62
November 6th, 2009
9:12 am
With all of CAIR’s known ties to terrorist organizations, I would think they aren’t the best group to be quoting to make your point.
Joan
November 6th, 2009
9:14 am
And you will deny the obvious when it stares you in the face. The race is not always to the swift, nor the battle to the strong–but that is the way to bet it. Common sense says take the Muslims out of the military, keep watch on them. If they are devout, they are all for wiping out Christianity, even if it means all the Christians have to go. I wouldn’t want one around me with a gun.
TnGelding
November 6th, 2009
9:15 am
Turd Feguson
November 6th, 2009
8:59 am
Yes, the Bush legacy of lost jobs continues.
Hassan
November 6th, 2009
9:16 am
So you see, Cynthia, the consequences of American newsmedia. So long as social change causes insecurity in more conservative americans, they’ll seek a source of negative information about a people they want to compare themselves favorably to. In an age of encroaching atheism, evidence of their religious superiority is necessary, spawning thousands of books and videos for mass consumption.
We are not so far along socially as we’d like to believe. Someone is benefiting from the wars, occupation, and oppression-by-proxy we cause in the Muslim world. And whoever that is, needs a strong base of support for their violence. That can only be achieved by convincing Americans that Zombies *do* exist; that they are Muslims, and Americans had better contribute to the military-industrial complex while they still have the chance.
kayaker 71
November 6th, 2009
9:18 am
Another Muslim male killing Americans. “Not a bad religion?” How many have to die before we wise up to the fact that politically correct statements like that belong to the naive whose head is in the clouds and who refuse to acknowledge the obvious. They want us dead, Cynthia…. they have stated as much in their religious proclamations, their religions services, their public actions and their killings of innocent people. How many does it take?
TnGelding
November 6th, 2009
9:18 am
The lesson to be learned is that if you train people to kill, they will kill; sometimes indiscriminately. How many more are st the tipping point?
Peadawg
November 6th, 2009
9:21 am
“Yes, the Bush legacy of lost jobs continues.”
UUmmm, Obama’s been in office since February and unemployment HAS CONTINUED to rise. Yes Bush got us in this mess, but it hasn’t been ANY better under Obama.
norman ravitch
November 6th, 2009
9:22 am
Not a bad religion? Cynthia, are you a fool? By their fruits ye shall know them.
Dunwoody Mike
November 6th, 2009
9:23 am
I can not believe the bigotry by some of the commenters today. Would any of you have made the same comments if he was a devout Baptist and screamed “Jesus is Lord!” before shooting innocent people? Would you have proclaimed that Christians need to be locked up and considered guilty until proven innocent?
Some of you just make me embarrased to be an American.
jconservative
November 6th, 2009
9:33 am
When it comes to religion, it is always personal if it is devout.
When an American soldier is killed, some Muslims jump up & down in joy.
When an abortion doctor is killed, some Christians jump up & down in joy.
You do not condemn all Christians due to the actions of a few. Same with Muslims, Hindus & Taoists. I served with Muslims in the Army in 1968. No problems.
But if you guys feel Muslims should be excluded from the US military get your congressman to introduce a bill to do just that. Don’t just talk about it, do something about it. Talks cheap, action is expensive.
Call it like it is.
November 6th, 2009
9:34 am
You know you don’t really want to condem an entire religion over one mans actions. But these story’s seem to come up way to often regarding Muslims. We in America have to be so PC, so as not to offend anyone, even if it means putting ourselves in harms way. When does it end?
No matter what you say Cynthia, we are dealing with a religion that has a large majority of its members that want to see America go up in flames.
And to Rev Al, The loosers you named did not kill in the name of religion, the fellow from Ft Hood did.
The guys from 9/11 did,
the men who attack the USS Cole did,
the bombing of the US embassy in Beriut did,
the bombing of the marine barracks did,
the restaurant bombing in Spain did,
the Egyptian embassy attack did,
the Manilia bombing did,
One thing in common with all of these attacks, they were all done in the name of Islam.
and I could go on and on.
ctucker
November 6th, 2009
9:37 am
Peadawg,
This site it not kind to links. If we allow a responder to post one link, soon someone will post two, someone else three and before you know it, the site will be slowed down by all the links. But I’ll grant you the request of releasing your post this one time.
As for my apology, you’r right: You won’t be getting one. Why should I change anything I said because the man yelled. “God is great” in Arabic?. He is perverting his religion; that doesn’t make his religion perverted. As other posters have pointed out, how much harm has been done in the name of Jesus Christ?
ctucker
November 6th, 2009
9:43 am
One more thought, on a very personal note: My baby’s nanny is Muslim, and she doesn’t want to kill anyone. She is kind, sweet and devoted to my child. She loves America and plans to become a citizen. Nor is she a fundamentalist. She doesn’t wear a headscarf; she wears blue jeans and T-shirts.
As Christianity comes in many forms (I’m a member in good standing of the Christian left), so does Islam.
Common Sense #23
November 6th, 2009
9:50 am
The response from the Muslim community regarding the Ft. Hood massacre is overwhelming – or am I deaf ? We ignore that at our peril.
Jack
November 6th, 2009
9:51 am
I’d rather hear the comments concerning the Ft Hood murders from a “devout Muslim”. Surely they can justify this latest incident of purifying America.
Turd Feguson
November 6th, 2009
9:55 am
Not a bad religion”
Well unless you are a young female and stray from the Holiest of teachings…then your father runs ya down with his automobile.
Well unless you are a young female and begin dating black fellow. Then your mom helps hold you down while dear ole dad stabe ya to death.
Cynthia…these escaped asylum inmates will take you out just as quickly as they will me.
Jack
November 6th, 2009
9:59 am
A Muslim in a T-shirt is still a Muslim.( Of course, that’s a racist’s opinion.)
Peadawg
November 6th, 2009
10:07 am
That’s good for your nanny Cynthia, but she’s not in the majority. I’m not saying ALL Muslims are bad or ALL women are bad drivers, just the majority. And the ones that make the news(or the ones that do their makeup and drive w/ their knee) give bad names to the others.
David Granger
November 6th, 2009
10:07 am
We’re going to have to agree to disagree on this one, Cynthia.
According to Islam, you have no right to even express your opinion. After all, you’re only a woman, who should belong totally to your father or brother, until he decides to either give you (or sell you) to another man. You are merely a second-class citizen who should, under penalty of death, be required to completely hide yourself under a burqa so that you will not “entice” some man to lust after you. You should NEVER have been allowed to educate yourself…ESPECIALLY not at a University. You should not be allowed to hold any job that places you in a position of responsibility over any man, you should not be allowed to drive, and you should not be allowed to leave your house without the permission of or in the presence of whichever man you “belong” to at the time.
And Muslims insist that they must be allowed to follow sharia law, even though such treatment is illegal in this country. (Makes you wonder why they came here in the first place, doesn’t it?)
Respectfully disagree with you on this one, Cynthia.
Brand
November 6th, 2009
10:11 am
The convenience store owner where Hasan bought his morning coffee said Hasan expressed concern about killing fellow muslims should he be deployed. He had no concern, whatsoever, about killing 13 of his fellow Americans? Soldiers? Show me an American soldier who set out to kill 13 civilian muslims here in the U.S.ofA. much less 13 muslim soldiers who serve alongside them.
You suffer from left-wing lunacy, ctucker.
RAMBLE ON!!!
November 6th, 2009
11:30 am
You should let them post the links Cindy. You only have about 15 people who really give a rat’s arse what you think.
Yo dog, were you as moved as I was, how Obama gave a very Presidential “Shout Out” before his “A horrific outburst of violence.” Speech?
Maybe he can give the victims family a fist bump or something.
Well, at least this stimlus plan is “working better than expected”.
Mmm, mmm, mmm
Class of '98
November 6th, 2009
11:34 am
Tucker will never shut up about what white people (and some black people) did 300 years ago, but doesn’t care what a muslim did yesterday.
And yes, there were black slave traders. Nobody ever seems to mention that.
El Jefe
November 6th, 2009
12:25 pm
Tucker, I am ashamed you came from Atlanta.
With the President having his own “The Pet Goat” moment, I want the lefties to go after him like they did President Bush after the 9/11 attacks.
Stone Thrower
November 6th, 2009
12:26 pm
Just the other day I was looking at pictures of lynchings that took place in the early to mid 1900’s and the crowds of men, women and children smiling for the camera dressed in their Sunday best. I’m sure they all had a good time at church the next Sunday.
Question
November 6th, 2009
12:33 pm
I believe the “teachable moment” or message is that profiling works!!!
Common Sense #23
November 6th, 2009
12:46 pm
Ms. Tucker:
Too bad you can’t discuss this with former President John Adams who was dealing with them along the Barbary Coast at the time:
THE HAND OF ISHMAEL ……………
“In the seventh century of the Christian era a wandering Arab, of the lineage of Hagar, the Egyptian, combing the powers of transcendent genius with the preternatural energy of a fanatic and the fraudulent spirit of an imposter, proclaimed himself as a messenger from heaven, and spread desolation and delusion over an extensive portion of the earth.”
“Adopting, from the sublime conception of the Mosaic law, the doctrine of one omnipotent God, he connected indissolubly with it the audacious falsehood, that he was himself his prophet and apostle. Adopting from the new revelation of Jesus, the faith and hope of immortal life, and of future retribution, he humbled it to the dust by adapting all the rewards and sanctions of his religion to the gratification of the sexual passion.”
“He poisoned the sources of human felicity at the fountain, by degrading the condition of the female sex, and the allowance of polygamy; and he declared undistinguishing and exterminating war as part of his religion against all the rest of mankind. The essence of his doctrine was violence and lust; to exalt the brutal over the spiritual part of human nature.”
“Between these two religions, thus contrasted in the characters, a war of more than twelve hundred years has already raged. That war is yet flagrant; nor can it cease but by the extincture of that imposture, which has been permitted by Providence to prolong the degeneracy of man. While the merciless and dissolute are encouraged to furnish motives to human action, there never can be peace on earth and good will toward men. The hand of Ishmael will be against every man, and every man’s hand against him.”
John Adams, 1830
El Jefe
November 6th, 2009
12:56 pm
I was very gratified to see all the local Islamic clerics in todays AJC condemning the shootings at Ft.Hood.
Imagine that – right there on the front page – what a news story to assure the infidels that they are a peaceful religion.
Oops – I guess I was dreaming, this is Atlanta.
Common Sense #23
November 6th, 2009
1:16 pm
To El Jefe:
Remember, the Koran says it’s o.k. to lie in order to “deceive” the infidel and to furhter the cause of Islam ………………
El Jefe
November 6th, 2009
1:22 pm
Common Sense #23 – How true
Imam Abu Hammid Ghazali says: “Speaking is a means to achieve objectives. If a praiseworthy aim is attainable through both telling the truth and lying, it is unlawful to accomplish through lying because there is no need for it. When it is possible to achieve such an aim by lying but not by telling the truth, it is permissible to lie if attaining the goal is permissible.” (Ahmad ibn Naqib al-Misri, The Reliance of the Traveller, translated by Nuh Ha Mim Keller, amana publications, 1997, section r8.2, page 745)
Note that Al-Ghazali is one of the most famous and respected Muslim theologians of all time.
El Jefe
November 6th, 2009
1:29 pm
On another note –
I do think this is different from “taqiyyah” – i may be wrong on this point.
The doctrine of taqiyyah is EXCLUSIVELY a Shi’ite doctrine which is held onto by a mere 8% – 10% out of the total 1.3 billion Muslim population around the world.
We do want to be honest about this -
Michelle Richards
November 6th, 2009
1:33 pm
I am shock at the level of hatred in this country. We have moved from being racists to being prejudice against people because of religion. If a member in your family commits a crime, do you want to be held responsible too? That is what we are doing to all Muslims when we speak hate!!!!
Peaches
November 6th, 2009
1:52 pm
This murderer says nothing in particular about any other Muslim, only about himself.
However, if this were a devout Christian, do you think that she would rush to be so charitable?
I didn’t think so.
El Jefe
November 6th, 2009
1:56 pm
Michelle Richards,
Why does this surprise you? we have been attacked repeatedly since the first World Trade Center Bombing.
The shooter’s family boldly spoke out against what happened. The President spoke against this violence. The military spoke out against this attack.
The “peaceful” religion has not been heard from.
It isn’t hate. It is being aware of what might happen. It is the same stance as if the Police issued a broadcast that armed white males were roaming the streets. Every white male on the street would be suspect.
BTW, I am glad you are defending the Muslims, they need all the support they can get.
Common Sense/Block #23
November 6th, 2009
2:19 pm
To Stone Thrower:
That was wrong then and this is wrong now.
To Michelle Richards:
This guy in addition to being a Muslim might have been a UGA fan but that doesn’t inmplicate Georgia unless he hollered “Go Dawgs” before he started shooting. He did shout “God is Great” in Arabic. Be reasonable here and think this through. Find me someone who yells “In the Name of Jesus” just before they blow themselves and a schoolyard of children to bits and I’ll put them in the same category …………… hatched by Satan himself !
No Mas
November 6th, 2009
2:31 pm
geez Alsharptongue
“I guess he should have said thank you jesus then it would have been okay, what religion was tim mcveigh or the va tech shooter or the white guy who shot the health club up a few months ago. what religion was the kid in south ga who killed his whole family in the trailer prk.
white christians are so ignorant and hypocritical”
I sure I couldn’t possibly be the first one to point this out, but there is a glaring difference.
The Muslims do this IN THE NAME OF THEIR RELIGION! The trailer trash kid’s religion was totally irrelevant to his act. He didn’t give a rat’s a$$ about doing it for Jesus. Why can’t apologists and moral equivalence types see this simple, obvious fact?
Sophie
November 6th, 2009
2:36 pm
Are all the bigots on here from ATL? You’re all retarded. So if someone states that they are killing in the name of something, does that mean that entity is automatically to blame? You don’t think those abortion murderers don’t claim to killing in the name of Jesus? Should I hold Jesus or Christianity responsible? I can’t believe how stupid people in this country are.
Michelle Richards
November 6th, 2009
2:43 pm
To El Jere:
It surprises me because we say that we are a society that is better than “3rd world thinkers.” We become hypocrits when we do to Muslims what these abberations of Islam do to Americans for just being Americans. To hold all Muslims responsible for this “sick” man is to be a hypocrit and no better than what we fight against. There are devout Muslims who are proud and happy to be in this country, why aren’t we showcasing them. We will live to regret this the way we try to hide the ugly truth of how we held Japanese Americans in camps while we were in war with Japan.
To Commonsense:
What about the KKK that burned crosses in the Name of Jesus, oh Yes it did happen that way…Also would you want Black Christians to view all White Christians as suspect of being KKK?
El Jefe
November 6th, 2009
3:07 pm
Michelle Richards,
Good points, but not relevant. If 50 Baptist(any denomination will do) lead protests at the funerals of service people, we would denounce and condemn them. If 50 or 1 person commits a terrible crime in the name of their faith and no one from the faith speaks out against it, then we have reason to wonder.
We have seen several instances of lone killers attacking innocents in the name of what religion?
We hear about “honor” killings, we have a TV station owner cutting the head off his wife – another honor killing – only to have CAIR defend it as there is no such thing as honor killings.
We have on November 2, ‘09: Noor Almaleki is Dead. Run over by her Muslim father for being too “westernized”, she lingered for days.
Where else do we have this? We must be watchful, not hateful, yes, you are right. But, I ask you, should we also be watchful of the evil Jewish folks? How about the violent Hindus. The extremist Quakers. A bit of a parody to point out where the terror is.
I am still waiting for the AJC to report the condemnations from the clerics in the Atlanta area.
Michelle Richards
November 6th, 2009
3:09 pm
@ Sophie, I second that!!!!
Michelle Richards
November 6th, 2009
3:15 pm
To El Jere
But that is exactly my point. News in this country has been partial in picking out these relgious people and reporting thier isolated actions. And I say isolated because we are a country of 100’s of millions, 4 news stories about a Muslim doing something derogatory in the name of Islam may be an abberation, not the status quo. I am sure news exist about some hokey pokey going on in the Name of Jesus, but we don’t report it because it is not time to point our fingers at hypocrits in Christianity, its time to sell bigotry about Muslims.
When a Pastor’s financial reveals that he has been scamming his congregation, what do we do? Say that all pastors are that way, and we know that ALL pastors DO NOT scam their congregations. That is why we need to use sense and not implicate a religion based on isolated actions..
CAIR Defends Islam: Fort Hood shooter murders in name of Allah? : Stop The ACLU
November 7th, 2009
12:23 am
[...] This article, written by Cynthia Tucker, supports CAIR’s position. The CAIR press release is here. [...]