The Ft. Hood Killings and a Fear of Loathing

The Nov. 5 killings at Ft. Hood have made me fearful. I fear for Muslims across the country who may suffer a backlash of intolerance as a result of the murders.

I am appalled as anyone by the massacre, and grieve for the dead and wounded. I can't imagine how terrible this must be for the victims' families, the sense of loss they must be suffering.

But even if Major Nidal Malik Hasan had not acted alone, even if it was the "worst terrorist act since 9-11," as Senator Joe Lieberman has stated, this is no reason to react with anger to Muslims in our community.

In church today a fellow told me he saw a customer in the local hardware store who was wearing a veil. Seeing her made him "so angry," he said, "especially after the incident at Ft. Hood."

We have to keep in mind that the actions of a few rogue individuals do not represent an entire religion or organization. To be angry at all Muslims because of the Ft. Hood incident would be the same as being angry with all Christians whenever an abortion clinic is bombed or an abortion doctor is killed by a religious extremist.

There are violent zealots and fanatics in many major religions, but they are out of the mainstream and tend to be unbalanced individuals acting alone or in concert with a few other misguided people. The vast majority of Muslims are peace-loving and kind-hearted, just like the vast majority of Christians, Jews, Hindus, etc., and the incident at Ft. Hood hasn’t changed that.