Mosques Up Security in Wake of Ft. Hood

Anti-Muslim Backlash Immediate over Suspect Accused of Killing 13 at Army Base

(AP)  U.S. mosques fearful of a backlash after the shooting rampage at Fort Hood, Texas are stepping up security.

Nidal Malik Hasan, the man accused of opening fire at Fort Hood, Texas in a rampage that left 13 people dead and dozens wounded, is Muslim.

A board member at All Dulles Area Muslim Society in Sterling, Va., contacted local police to ask for extra patrols. Friday is Islam's main communal prayer day.

In the Chicago area, the Islamic Society of Northwest Suburbs of Chicago sent e-mails asking Muslims to be more careful.

The Mosque Foundation president in Bridgeview says he's called police to put them on high alert. Zaher Sahloul says he fears something could be done to Muslims because of "misguided anger."

His name had barely been released, his heritage and history not immediately known, but the reaction to the suspect accused in the Fort Hood shooting was fast and furious.

"Jihad at Fort Hood?" read the headline of a post on the Jihad Watch blog just moments after Hasan was identified as the alleged perpetrator of a mass shooting at the Texas military base that killed 12 people and wounded 31 others.

"The name tells us a lot, does it not, senator?" Fox News's Shep Smith said while interviewing Kay Bailey Hutchison, a Texas senator.

Hasan, a U.S. Army major, was initially reported to be among the 13 dead, but late Thursday, a U.S. Army spokesman said he was in hospital in stable condition, The death toll did not change, however, because one of the injured victims died in hospital.

More Coverage of the Tragedy at Fort Hood:

Neighbor: Ft. Hood Suspect Packed Up Home
"Allahu Akbar": Hasan's Words as He Fired?
Anti-Muslim Backlash Immediate
Under Attack, Soldiers' Instincts Kick In
Female Cop Hailed as Ft. Hood Hero
Military Spouse's Reaction
Forensic Psychiatrist on Possible Mindset of Ft. Hood Suspect
Store's Video May Show Ft. Hood Suspect
Tragedy at Fort Hood

The Arab-American Institute said it received one threatening call from an unidentified male shortly after Hasan's name was released. The group, which condemned the massacre, said it expected more.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations scheduled a Capitol Hill news conference on Thursday night to urge calm.

"No political or religious ideology could ever justify or excuse such wanton and indiscriminate violence," the group said in a statement.

"The attack was particularly heinous in that it targeted the all-volunteer army that protects our nation. American Muslims stand with our fellow citizens in offering both prayers for the victims and sincere condolences to the families of those killed or injured."

Hasan was reportedly born and raised in Virginia, the son of immigrant parents from a small town near Jerusalem. He joined the military right out of high school, and the Army put him through college and then medical school, where he trained to be a psychiatrist.

A cousin told the New York Times he started having second thoughts about his military career a few years ago after other soldiers harassed him for being a Muslim. He was also traumatized by the stories he heard from returning soldiers with post-traumatic stress disorder as he counseled them at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington and later, at Fort Hood.

"He was mortified by the idea of having to deploy," Nader Hasan told the Times. "He had people telling him on a daily basis the horrors they saw over there."

Robert Spencer, the director of the Jihad Watch blog and the author of nine books on Islam and jihad, chastised the media for failing to point to jihad as a possible explanation for the shooting.

"No one, no one at all, in the mainstream media is discussing jihad as a motivation," Spencer wrote. "It's all about 'snapping,' 'not wanting to go to war'.... If this turns out to be a jihad attack, watch for the president to caution against 'backlash' and 'Islamophobia."'

Elsewhere in the blogosphere, there were warnings of exactly that kind of backlash.

"How long before some idiotic elected official declares Muslims shouldn't be allowed to serve in the military?" asked Salon's Mike Madden.

The American Prospect's Adam Serwer beseeched: "Please, America, remember what kind of country you are right now."

Josh Marshall, who writes for the TalkingPointsMemo blog, predicted "dark" times ahead.

The fact Hasan is a Muslim "is going to be the focus of attention," Marshall wrote.

The commenters on Jihad Watch were unforgiving in the hours after the shooting.

"The war on terror is over, and the war on Islam has begun," one wrote.

Al Siddiq, president of the Islamic Center of Waco, told the Waco Tribune Herald he feared a backlash, noting that all Muslims get lumped together when the unthinkable happens. He said the situation was especially painful because the U.S. Army has reached out to Muslims.

"The Army has accommodated Muslims. Not any other army can offer what the U.S. Army offers," said Siddiq, who served as a U.S. soldier in Korea. "That's what hurts me the most."

[american_11-2009]

When will liberals realize they have a mental disease and seek help before PC destroys us all?

[Leelee18]

It is sickening that we allow radical Muslims in our military. Expect more of this violent nonsense, it's all they know.

[ibsteve2u]

Huh.

You only have to read the comments here to see that upping security in the Islamic community is only wise.

Glad I spent so much time around the world, and am no longer the idealistic youth I was was, else the callow, malicious nature of some of my fellow Americans would disappoint the crap out of me.

[herself311]

There has not been one report that there is a backlash, though muslims desire the attention it causes. They are freaking whiners.

[Joerrt]

Get them out of our country and no one would have to worry about any backlash.

[schaick]

Islam is in the world to be above all:
9.29 Fight those who believe not in Allah nor the Last Day, nor hold that forbidden which hath been forbidden by Allah and His Messenger, nor acknowledge the religion of Truth, of the People of the Book, until they pay the Jizya with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued.

Only way for a muslim to reach paradise:
9.111 Allah hath purchased of the believers their persons and their goods; for theirs (in return) is the garden (of Paradise): they fight in His cause, and slay and are slain:

[aphater]

So when will America wake up and see the enemy is among us. The Jihad is ongoing here and now. How many more deaths will they cause here before our government takes action.

An American Muslim who gets free med school, great pay for 12 years, etc.... then lists his nationality as Palestinian? And the Army does nothing but let him go about his business? Because they are being politically correct.

All soldiers should be carrying weapons on base. They are just being allowed to become targets of our enemies.

[skydog2009]

http://www.jihadwatch.org/

Has there been any report of any innocent, random Muslim being attacked in a "backlash" after the Fort Hood jihad?

Nope. Not one. Americans are decent people. Americans believe people are innocent until proven guilty. But Ibrahim Hooper and his fellow thugs at CAIR need hate crimes so that they can claim victim status for Muslims and deflect attention away from such small matters as the jihad at Fort Hood, and they have the clueless and/or complicit mainstream media in their hip pocket. And so we witness the strange phenomenon of stories of Muslims fearing a backlash far outnumbering actual incidents of backlash. In fact, the score is about umpteen to zero.

[craigo21]

Understanding the Ft. Hood Attack: America?s the Bad Guy
This is also the kind of thing that brings us to a world where Libya, Iran, and Sudan condemn Israel for alleged war crimes as part of the Western intelligentsia cheers.Might such an incident have happened? Yes, but I doubt if there are one hundred other shows presenting the heroic and decent acts of U.S. soldiers there and elsewhere, the kind of ratio that probably prevails. Of course, other kinds of incidents also happen so here?s my outline for a future script. A young man, the son of Palestinian immigrants to America, grows up hearing constantly about how heroic (Arab/Muslim version) or provoked and justified (Western version) were Palestinian terrorists who deliberately murdered Israeli civilians.
For whatever psychological and other reasons, he becomes increasingly pious in his religious beliefs. But his piety is developing in an environment in which radical Islamists are overwhelming conservative traditional Islam in offering their interpretations. He reads in the holy texts injunctions to wage Jihad, to conquer the non-believers, and of how they are enemies. And he reads on the web sites interpretations which stress the radical passages and interpret them for the present day.
Is this the only and inevitable interpretation of Islam? Of course not, but what?s important is that this is the prevalent one, the exciting and trendy one. These interpretations may be opposed by those of a more traditional bent but it is not daily and energetically denounced by them in effective terms.Among these radical Islamist interpretations?so contrary, it should be noted, to Arab nationalist doctrine, in which he seems to have no interest--is that all Muslims must always fight on the side of other Muslims, above any national loyalty. But what if Muslims are fighting Muslims? Then whichever side is allied with non-Muslims must be wrong, according to the radical Islamist ideology. So he rejects without even considering it the obvious counter-argument: the United States if fighting to help some Muslims who are fighting other Muslims. Then, too, the ?other Muslims? are radical Islamists, like him. He knows which side he?s on. And it is logical to think that in his inner turmoil the question that tortures him is this one: Do I have enough guts, am I a good enough Muslim, to put my beliefs into action or am I just a cowardly hypocrite? What about his taking in some assimilation, acculturation, American patriotism? They?re out of date. Hearing a public critique of contemporary Islam as a religion or of Islamism as an illegitimate offspring of Islam? That's out of bounds.There are scenes of him joining the army and getting a free medical and psychiatric education at the American taxpayers? expense. Ironically, to get to the armed forces medical college, he drives from Silver Spring to Rockville, Maryland, past the sites where the ?Beltway Sniper??a Mr. Muhammad with a very parallel story?shot his victims. And then there?s footage, too, of September 11 and of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. He?s shown to be getting a certain viewpoint from both sides: Jihadist into one ear; a constant, withering criticism of America from its own media pours into the other. If his fellow soldiers speak differently, well that just marks them out as personal enemies, doesn?t it? At Walter Reed Hospital, where he?s posted, he preaches Islam trying to convert his colleagues and patients. Well, isn?t that what the doctrine says: give them a chance to become Muslims and if they reject that then all the worse for them? But he?s disciplined for this behavior. Can he have doubt, then who is the ?enemy? of Islam according to the interpretation he accepts?
Did the Taliban and al-Qaida launch an attack on the United States and slay in the thousands? That doesn?t matter in this world view. If the United States fights back then America is the aggressor and must be fought and its people killed. And is the problem here a psychological one? Well, he is more closed, more serious, more fanatical, more deaf to nuance or to the appeals of just having a good time. But that?s not the cause of what happens, it?s only the difference between his becoming a terrorist personally and cheering on others who do so. He is a loner. But so what? He needs no human leader. He has his divinely inspired texts, and also websites, and most important his ideology to guide him. And so one day, facing the prospect of being shipped out and being forced to ?fight? (he?s a psychiatrist not an infantryman but still part of the ?enemy? army) he takes a gun and starts shooting his fellow American soldiers. Afterward, there will be a different type of a cover-up in pretending that this had nothing to do with Islamism or Jihad. Set the story at Fort Hood in Texas.

[craigo21]

Asan Akbar
Ali A. Mohamed
Semi Osman
John Muhammad
Jeffrey Leon Battle
and now, Nidal Malik Hasan.
They all have three things in common:
They all are, or were, members of the US military.
They all plotted or carried out violent attacks against Americans since 2001.
And one more thing?the thing that the folks at CAIR insist I not even mention. After all, it?s just a coincidence. Every religion has extremists. Nothing to see here, move along.
Some misguided Americans might also recall a plot to attack Ft. Dix in New Jersey, a plot that involved devout Mus..er ?Albanian roofers.? And besides, they were framed by the evil Bush administration?right?
And some Massachusetts residents might overreact and recall the story of a guy in Sudbury who wanted to shoot up a shopping mall in the name of Al?er ?in Amherst-like protest of American foreign policy.? So what? He was a school teacher at a private religious school?he was a nice guy, I?m sure. What KIND of religious school? It doesn?t matter! Stop asking, you bigots!
There is no religious connection, there is no religion with a unique terrorism problem, there is no reason to ask leaders of any religion to take any steps to deal with it and all religions are, today, equally likely to inspire their members to murder.
Now can we please get back to blaming all our problems on George W. Bush? Thank you.

[craigo21]

I have NEVER felt predjudice in my life and believed everyone deserves a chance. However, the muslims are overtaking what was our beautiful country where the American way was the promise for all who entered. Now, we, the American people are expected to conform to life of Muslims, Pakistans, India's and more. They come to our country from theirs for a better life, yet they bring their illputed beliefs, their demented minds and their religion of Allah. You ask me how I can judge an entire nationality by the behavoir of a few???? The same way all the countries blame the United States citizens for what our government does or doesn't do for the rest of the world. The bombing of the world trade center by muslims because those sickos thought killing innocent people would fix our distorted government??? The muslim religion as far as I'm concerned is a very sick and distorted one and they're practicing it in our country where they hate us for believing in God. Yesterday's shooting by an American born, Allah believing muslim is enough proof for me that once an Allah believing muslim...always a MUSLIM. The muslims are taking over this country, every store, every restaurant, every doctor's office they're there infiltrating my surroundings with their muslim language. They don't even teach their kids English. You may not like what I have to say but it's time for them to be shipped out and back to Allah before it's too late. You want your religion and your way of life...then go back to where you came from or live and breathe and pray the American Way. Let's do what we did when Pear Harbor was bombed - lock em up and send them home.

[KPeters_from_UK]

In our recent American past we have had high school shootings, university shootings, post office shootings, subways shootings and now in Orlando but the shootings at Ft Hood have most definately brought out the very worst in American society. Usually after ashooting there are questions about how could this happen. We talk about why and we want answers. Gun control, more protection for bullied victims, we look into work place bullying and usaully we focus on a very smal minority but I have never seen/read such hatred for and being blamed for small percentage on a whole group of people.

What do you people want? Shall we lock all Muslims up because well you never know one could be around the corner with jihad in his eyes. Should we gather all muslims up whether they are first American born or third genernation American (doesn't matter ... a Muslim is a Muslim) and send them to Saudi? Doesn't matter if they don't know the language. Learning a language is easy just ask any republican who's upset and can't understand why a 60 year old Mexican immigrant can't learn it. Republicans can all learn any language within a year. Shall we fire all Muslim teachers? Muslim police cause again you never know one might bring a gun in to work. I know we'll force Christian conversion on all Muslims .. it worked so well in 15th Century Spain. If they don't convert... we'll kill them.

Shall we all wear black shirts and break the glass window fronts of any suspected Muslim owner? We'll have rallies against the Muslims and oh yes send them to "summer camps".

Yeah, we'll do what happened to the Japanese in WWII. One of our most hateful and sorry points of our proud history. A time when WE BECAME THE TERORISTS. Is that want you want for us to give up our ideals and principles? What exactly was this nation founded upon if not these ideals and principles? What did our Revolutionary soldiers and citizens die for? Are you saying they died so that future generations would become terrorists in order to fight phantoms?

I don't want to think about living in a country where there are people willing to speak ill of a whole people. You are no better than the country hilli billies of Serbia... no better than the evil militia of Sudan ... and no better than the NAZIs. They are believed there was a bogeyman around the corner.

[jwesel1]

They don't even teach their kids English.
=========================================
You could say the same about Mexicans. What's your point? Why does one have to speak English?

[schaick]

We are allowing the intolerant religion of Islam tell us how to run our country. If we continue we will be no better off then Afghanistan.

Islam is worse then communism because they have added a fake allah in the mix.

I want to see the truth about Islam exposed, I want to see joining the cult of islam discouraged!!

Islam is in the world to be supreme above all.

Pray for Muslims they are in a cult that will kill them if they leave:
4.89 They but wish that ye should reject Faith, as they do, and thus be on the same footing (as they): But take not friends from their ranks until they flee in the way of Allah (From what is forbidden). But if they turn renegades, seize them and slay them wherever ye find them; and (in any case) take no friends or helpers from their ranks;-

Catch that-seize them and slay them- sure sign of a cult.

[missme4]

"Mosques Up Security in Wake of Ft. Hood"


That's ironic. I would think Christians would be upping security.

[ToolMangler1]

why!!! You haven't grabbed your gun and headed out yet..

[band3x]

A gun is not needed to defeat americans. Americans will defeat themselves with their own stupidity. They will continue to buy foreign products and put themselves in a deeper and deeper hole, and continue to wonder why there are no jobs. America is in a boxing ring with itself, and I am in the stands with a box of popcorn laughing my ass off.

[askagain]

What goes around comes around. Every institution must tighten security because of Muslim terrorist threats. It only seems fair that Muslim institutions need to beef up security against threats against Muslims. Did the Muslims take this into consideration before they became a threat to the rest of us? Only the Muslims can best control their brethren who choose to pursue terrorism. They know who they are and where to find them. If Muslims value freedom and opportunity in western countries, they had better clean up their act and control their fellow Muslims.

[stecum1]

People say muslims doing things like this are no different than other religeon (especially Christian) who have killed in mis-guided honor of thier religeon. There is a difference. The Koran orders them to kill all infidels (those who are not muslim), You say this is just for the radicals, no that order is for all of them. Remember everytime you meet a Muslim, he believes his god ordered him to kill you if you are not a Muslim. Each and every one of you liberals or what ever you want to call yourself. If the influx of Muslims into this country is not stopped soon your children or grandchildren shall be kneeling several times a day facing towards mecca honoring the false god these people worship. But I know you are too politcally correct to believe this until your knees are calloused and dirty. But watch you are going to see more and more of this as they take over this country and you sit on your duffs and worry about being politcally correct.

[koyt2]

This is an evil religion and must be stopped

[hungry1968-17]

by earth5661 November 6, 2009 3:18 PM EST
hmmm. Hitler was Godless and caused the deaths of 55 million

Stalin was Godless and killed 10 million Russians


Pol Pot was Godless and killed 2 Million Cambodians


should I continue ?






Hitler was a devout christian, following the teachings of Martin Luther.

Read "On the Jews and Their Lies" where Martin Luther - the FOUNDER of the Lutheran church - called for all Jews to either be enslaved or exterminated.

Hitler was only "following orders" from a "higher power".

[codewritinfool]

Anyone that ordered deaths could not have been a "devout Christian". Martin Luther didn't write the new testament.

[bruce691]

I worked in information technology for 30 years. When our lovely corporations got the idea that they could import people from the middle east to work long hours for ½ the pay of an American they went hog wild. They modified the immigration laws etc. All this for the love of money and profit. I guess we could just trust the authorities in the middle east , who say these individuals are safe, to protect us. When you bring in people from countries that have Anti-American governments, what do you expect? Unfortunately this is not that shocking given what I just wrote. How long will it be before this happens in other area of our society. It is amazing how we have sold our sole and our country to greed and selfishness.

[CompletelyFrustrated]

While I can see why we are reacting strongly against the Muslin community, this is not just about Muslim, we have had some horrible things done to other in the USA by those who claim to have done it for or in the name of "GOD" Mc Veigh, Koresch, Jeffs, Garrido and the list goes on...

What we really need to do is at the earliest point where something seems wrong or communications may indicate the potential for violence the authorities jump in and take immediate action, no more wait and see!

It is also hig time that our immigration laws get enforced! Expired visa, illegal entry automatic trip home and all future visa request should be denied!!!!

[schaick]

Yes, people have used religion to do horrible things but guess what, not all are acting out their religionus texts. By the way the New Testament does not condone violence and killing. The quran does.

The only sure way a muslim can get to paradise:
9.111 Allah hath purchased of the believers their persons and their goods; for theirs is the garden: they fight in His cause, and slay and are slain:

Islam is not a religion it is a cult. A political system out to be supreme above all:
9.29 Fight those who believe not in Allah nor the Last Day, nor hold that forbidden which hath been forbidden by Allah and His Messenger, nor acknowledge the religion of Truth, of the People of the Book, until they pay the Jizya with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued.

We are a tolerant people allowing an intolerant cult to tell us how to ruin our great nation!! AND the USA is a great nation we must never forget that!!

[bruce691]

What FDR said is so true. ?We have nothing to fear but fear itself?. The enemies of democracy. Yes many are American citizens will use fear to get what they want. They?ll tell you our overseas enemies want to destroy America, yet they have no tanks, no submarines, no destroyers, no battleships. They really have no armed forces and are not a threat to take over this country in any way shape or form. Can they do damage, yes. For this we must be vigilant and pay any cost to protect or citizens. The one cost we must NEVER pay is to give up one freedom. This would be equivalent to spitting in the faces of every soldier that ever died for this country. These American enemies come in many varieties. Some want to set up a quasi religious state in violation of the constitution. Some want to limit our right to settle matters of court against corporations. They believe that It o.k. for a corporation to sue another corporation but an individual should not be able to sue a corporation. When people don?t have the facts on their side they resort to lies and fear to get what they want.

[krmopilci]

Nobody wants to destroy America.People just want your soldiers out of their countries-that you destroyed.

[ToolMangler1]

by krmopilci November 6, 2009 3:14 PM EST
"Nobody wants to destroy America.People just want your soldiers out of their countries-that you destroyed"



Then why don't you people do the job for us (Stop the fighting and killing and we 'WILL' leave)...

[Joerrt]

to: KRMOPILCI
Nobody wants to destroy America you say??? You'll never get the chance again and as far as "People" just want your soldiers out of their countries, that we destroyed? Are you one of those people? Muslim? So figure....

[SusanStoHelit]

Sounds like he was a decent enough soldier for us, until the bigots started harassing him for his religion. Something to think about. Intolerance never breeds anything but violence.

[excoachken]

Sheppard Smith should be fired for his racist question. Let's see if Fox is "Fair and Balanced"? after all they piled on Obama about his ex minister being racist, will they fire their own reporter for race baiting question?

[makemyday2day]

excoachken - I wondered the same thing - until the reality was it's FOX News (no surprise!), but if any other media had spewed such stupidity, FOX would have been the first the jump all over it.

[bruce691]

Unfortunately this is the cost of freedom. We could have a completely safe country at the cost of our freedom. I choose freedom. Freedom and democracy are not easy. If you can't deal with the costs of freedom I suggest you find another country to live in. As B. Franklin said. I am paraphrasing. "Those who would choose security over freedom deserve and will get neither"

[MiddleClassWorker]

Well said.