The Americans are rightly shaken by this week’s rampage at the Fort Hood Army base. A US Army psychiatrist allegedly turned the gun on fellow men and women in uniform, killing 13 people and wounding at least 30.
The United States is no stranger to bizarre shooting incidents involving individuals. The first incident that comes to mind is the tragedy of Columbine High School shooting ten years ago when a student went on a killing spree with his dad’s gun. And the most recent one had been the horror that struck Virginia Tech two years ago. In Orlando, on Friday, hours before the Fort Hood shooting, a gunman shot and killed one person and wounded several others.
Yet the Fort Hood incident stands out in many ways. This is the first time such a tragedy has happened at a US military facility and has claimed so many lives of army personnel. However, the highlight of the Fort Hood horror is the fact that the attacker happens to be an Arab and Muslim.
Major Nidal Hasan Malik was born in the US to Palestinian parents. As a psychiatrist, he counselled thousands of military personnel, many of whom have served in Iraq and Afghanistan. Is it possible that Maj Malik himself may have suffered from serious psychological problems and needed help? Of late, Maj Malik, a devout Muslim with an exceptional academic and service record, had been increasingly worried about being posted in Afghanistan or Iraq. He’s already served in Afghanistan. He is also said to have complained of facing harassment on account of his faith.
On the other hand, his grandfather and other family members in the West Bank insist that Malik, who loved America and took pride in working for the army, is simply not capable of this outrage. Whatever the truth, it may take a while to get to the bottom of it. President Barack Obama did well by reminding the Americans that “we do not know all the answers yet.” Obama has also cautioned everyone including the media against “jumping to conclusions.”
Which is the need of the hour. The US media, especially the ‘fair and balanced’ networks like Fox News, are always looking for an excuse to go after the usual suspects, ratcheting up jingoistic rhetoric against Arabs and Muslims to inflate their ratings and circulation figures. As Dr Muqtedar Khan argues in his opinion piece today, Muslim Americans have invested years of efforts and hard work to check Islamophobia by reaching out to the mainstream America. This incident threatens all those efforts.
However, this incident must not be interpreted and profiled as yet another act of violence against America by angry Muslims. This has nothing to do with Maj. Malik’s religious beliefs. It’s just another act of despair by a lonely and depressed individual who just went off the bend. Like so many others before him have. With America bogged down in two long and disastrous wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, its men and women in uniform are increasingly paying the price — and not just with their lives. The US authorities, ordinary Americans and Muslim groups must do everything to ensure this unfortunate but isolated incident does not spark another wave of anti-Muslim hysteria in America. We’re in this together.
“Maj Malik, a devout Muslim with an exceptional academic and service record, had been increasingly worried about being posted in Afghanistan or Iraq.”
First, he did not have an “exceptional” service record. He actually received a very poor OER at his previous post, and his own Muslim chaplain said that he was “concerned” about Maj. Malik. Many of Malik’s coworkers complained about his performance before this incident as well. So that part is just untrue.
Second, if he was worried about being deployed to a foreign country, he shouldn’t have joined the military. That is what we do. We get sent to other parts of the globe. As a psychiatrist, he would have never faced any real danger. Why would he worry? If he really was concerned, where are the facts to back this claim up? If you are unwilling to fight ALL enemies of America, foreign and domestic (including those who may hold your faith or creed), then you have no place in the military or in this country.
“He’s already served in Afghanistan. He is also said to have complained of facing harassment on account of his faith.”
No, he did not go to Afghanistan. He had never deployed before. That is just plain untrue and results from bad research (or trying to twist the truth, perhaps?). As for the “harassment” he faced, consider that it may have resulted from the incessant preaching he did in Army schools, symposiums, conferences, papers, etc. of his view on Islam. Many people (including his own Islamic chaplain!) have stepped forward with records and statements which indicate that he had a very anti-American view of world affairs. He even gave a lecture on “The Koranic World View as it Relates to Muslims in the US Military”, and concluded with the recommendation that the military should allow Muslims to be conscientious objectors to increase morale. Yet Mr. Malik (who, as a psychiatrist, was no stranger to paperwork) did not go through the proper channels or submit the proper paperwork to have these “harassment” issues taken care of. This leaves the question: did they really occur, or was he making it up to evoke sympathy from family?
Finally, you complain about the possibility of another wave of anti-Muslim hysteria. Can you really blame us if it does happen? What faith were the attackers of the Marine barracks in Beirut? Islam. What religion did the PanAm flight bombers subscribe to? Islam. Khobar Tower incident? Done by Muslims. Empire State building shooting in 1997? Palestinian gunman…who just so happened to be Muslim! USS Cole incident? Our peace-loving friends, the Muslims. And finally, I mention Sept. 11.
I do not say all this to upset Muslims. I simply listed facts. If the facts upset you, then all I have to say is that sometimes the truth hurts. If Muslims want the bad rap against them to go away, and if they REALLY are peace-loving, then they need to convince us all, because right now that small minority of “radical” muslims is really making a lot more noise than the peace-loving group. Issuing statements condemning terrorist attacks is just not good enough any more. Talk is cheap; let’s see some action.
Assumption : A shrink(healthy mind) treating the sick/perturbed minds of the armed forces under normal conditions sounds reasonable . Healthy mind treating unhealthy minds makes medical sense.
By assumption, Major Nidal was supposed to possess a healthy mind because the sick cannot treat the sick? Right?
If the healthy mind becomes sick in association with the sick ,then there is NO healing taking place?
If that condition really exists, then the sick will become more sick and possibly self destruct or resort to other sick actions. At Fort Hood, healthy and sick minds combined are becoming more ill , not better. Major Nidal is an example of this .
Main Question: Where is healing in this scenario ? Does morality and justice not form part of the healing process? Or is that element altogether removed from the diagnosis and prescription?
Major Nidal was trusted by the US military in his position of shrink as one with a healthy mind – not sick. Question: Can the sick heal the sick? Can the blind lead the blind?
Clearly the double standard, confusing morality of endless, perpetual wars is lacking healthy direction. These wars are bound to create more and more mental instability/turbulence due to the consequent dilemma it is causing within the human being. Killing/murder is not a natural act and therefore will cause a NEGATIVE REACTION-SICKNESS WILL MANIFEST IN MIND AND BODY.
Are we programming ourselves to self destruct ? Have we forgotten that preservation of life is the basis of life?
Killing and murder is not a natural act, you are correct. However, with over 14,000 wars since 2000 B.C. (and that is a conservative estimate), it is hard to say that we humans do not want war.
Maj. Nidal was not directly affected by these wars. He had never deployed, and all he did was treat Soldiers who returned from them. If you can’t maintain your sanity in a controlled environment when you are treating people who are not really insane, but just have minor issues resulting (most likely) from combat, then you are sick indeed.
Maj. Nidal was NOT sick with a mental illness: he was sick with Islamic fundamentalism. He read the Koran and took the section literally where it speaks about killing the infidels. He accepted Bin Laden’s many fatwas that urged jihad against Americans and their allies. He finally made the decision to kill as many of his fellow Soldiers as he could, all while shouting that Allah is great. That is not “sick” in the normal sense: that is one who has taken his religion seriously.
Anyone who has read the Koran knows that Islam cannot be a religion of peace. Granted, the vast majority of muslims do not practice jihad, nor do they intend to. The vast majority of most faiths do not practice everything that their holy books tell them to. Does that change what the original intent of the faith was? Not at all. Islam gained all the converts and land it controls now through force (that is well-documented history). Mohammed himself led his troops in battle against those who refused to convert. Why in the world would anyone think that Islam’s goals have change in the past thousand years?