Hunting Witches After the Fact

On the eve of major memorial services at Fort Hood, new allegations and information about the shooter, Arlington, Virgnia native Major Nidal Hasan, are coming to light. Among this new information is the fact that Hasan attempted to contact radical Yemeni Imam Anwar al-Awlaki. Al-Awlaki is an American-born scholar who was imam at a mosque in Falls Church, Virginia where two of the 9/11 hijackers worshiped prior to those attacks. What makes this more significant is that al-Awlaki apparently made statements in support of the shootings soon after the news was released. More investigation by other news agencies then found the connection to the 9/11 hijackers and already there has been rampant speculation that perhaps Hasan's attack was a premeditated and coordinated attack that had support from other corners of the country.

Now I think the shooting itself is a tragedy and even more so from the fact that it was perpetrated by an American soldier against fellow soldiers on American soil. However, one thing which I will say is a bit different from any similar attacks is the focus being put on the fact that Hasan is Muslim and that he had contact with someone like al-Awlaki. There is no denying that al-Awlaki and his points of view are clearly anti-American based on some of the sermons he gave while here in this country and the fact that he applauded Hasan's actions but is he the only one who has ever made such radical declarations? Aren't there priests and reverends and other religious leaders in this country who continue to preach violence against us while living here in this country?

I don't think it's limited to one religion or one people but it's a much more widespread problem. Many people, for whatever reason, seem to have become increasingly disillusioned with our country. What surprises many people is the fact that the FBI was aware that Hasan had been in contact with al-Awlaki and that al-Awlaki himself had very radical views and suspected ties to al Queda; but in statements released by the FBI they indicated that in intercepting communications with al-Awlaki they did not find anything suspicious. For many people just the fact that al-Awlaki preaches radical Islam in Yemen is enough to paint anyone associated with him as a radical as well correct? Then if that's the case then why not arrest everyone who ever attended his lectures at his mosques here in Virginia.

But then if we're going to do that then why don't we arrest everyone who attended a lecture by Jeramiah Wright? You remember that he was the Reverend who once preached at a church that President Obama attended for a number of years. His speeches against America were inflammatory (though not necessarily as anti-American as al-Awlaki) but then if al-Awlaki and his followers are guilty then what about Wright's? Or how about Pastor Stephen Anderson of Arizona who called on his followers to pray for Obama's death? He was the Pastor who prayed that Obama be struck dead by the same brain tumor that had (then) recently killed Senator Ted Kennedy. Isn't that Anti-American when you publicly call for the President's untimely demise? So then shouldn't he and his followers also be investigated by the FBI?

I in no way condone the actions of Major Hasan. I think his act of attacking unarmed co-workers is cowardly and low and the fact that his actions are being applauded by people such as al-Awlaki speaks about their radical views but they are by no means the only bad ones out there. While the search and investigation continues into 'why' Hasan did what he did, we should be careful as a community of not falling into the convenient excuse that his religion or his background or whom he interacted with as being the simple and quick solution. If the true nature (without unnecessary speculation by the public and the media) is discovered then the tragic events of last week at Fort Hood can be avoided.