An Execution, Murder, and the Wrath of Our Creator

     It’s done.

     At 9:11 PM Eastern time on Tuesday, November 10, 2009, the D.C. Sniper, John Allen Muhammad, received a lethal dose of intravenous poison, putting an end to the life of a conflicted, misguided, and murderous coward who hid in a retrofitted car trunk to carry out his homicidal rampage that took the lives of at least 10 innocent individuals.

     Like so many of the same ilk—John Allen maintained his innocence right up to the end, refusing to make a statement, and remaining stoic—something that reflected the deadly demeanor of his emotionless killing spree. It’s ironic that the witnesses to his execution were struck by how quietly he died—unlike how his victims’ lives were stolen from them and their loved ones. Although John Allen’s lawyer accused the State of Virginia of executing a Gulf War veteran who was severely mentally ill, it’s even more ironic that his execution took place the day before Veterans’ Day.

     From the moment that the attacks began in the Beltway, Islam’s haters were using John Allen’s last name as a badge of blame for all Muslims the world over—evidence enough for this rabble that Muslims and Islam are inherently violent, flawed, and primitive.

     The terrible tragedy that took place at Fort Hood, Texas a few days prior is just another example of how one individual who shares a certain faith, race, or ethnic origin can plow the road for bigots who place the culpability at the feet of one-fifth of the earth’s population.

     While watching Tuesday’s memorial service on CNN for the 12 slain soldiers and lone civilian at Fort Hood, I was struck by President Obama’s statement that a “twisted logic” drove the accused gunman, Major Nidal Hasan. “No faith justifies these murderous and craven acts. No just and loving god looks upon them with favor.”

     “For what he has done,” Obama said, “we know that the killer will be met with justice — in this world, and the next.” How true. There is no punishment on this earth that can match the wrath of Our Creator. Moreover, Islam teaches that part of receiving Allah’s forgiveness is to accept the responsibility of what you have done: admit it and ask for forgiveness from those who you have wronged.

     The D.C. Sniper, the Fort Hood shooter, and all who commit criminal acts—whether in the name of Islam or from some dark reasoning in their own perverse minds—must take the blame for not only the killings of their victims, but of the thousands, and possibly tens of thousands of people whose blood covers their hands. It lies on their souls that their odious sins caused acts of revenge.

     Let me be clear here: there will be soldiers who enter the military to exact revenge for the actions of these twisted individuals; there will be a bomb dropped with glee on a village of innocent civilians who will be classified as “collateral damage;” there will be an innocent Orthodox Christian priest brutally attacked right here in the US by a moronic, misinformed inbred because the priest “looks like a terrorist,” and there will be a Muslim woman who is assaulted and murdered in your hometown because she is wearing “a rag on her head.”

     In a widely published press release The Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR), a prominent national Muslim civil rights and advocacy group, has condemned the attack on Fort Hood military base in Texas: “We condemn this cowardly attack in the strongest terms possible and ask that the perpetrators be punished to the full extent of the law. No religious or political ideology could ever justify or excuse such wanton and indiscriminate violence. 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.”

     Along with innumerable condemnations of terror, CAIR has in the past launched an online anti-terror petition drive called “Not in the Name of Islam,” initiated a television public service announcement (PSA) campaign against religious extremism and coordinated a “fatwa,” or Islamic religious ruling, against terrorism and extremism.

See CAIR’s Anti-Terrorism Campaigns at http://www.cair.com/AmericanMuslims/AntiTerrorism.aspx

     Foaming-at-the-mouth commentators on Fox and conservative radio talk shows across the country have squarely placed their cross-hairs on Muslims in the military. Despite the long history, and the fact that they constitute the largest religious minority, Muslims serving in the US military are now having to show proof of their patriotism. Dave Gaubatz, author of the contentious book “Muslim Mafia” which declares that Muslims working in Congress are "spies," called for “a professional and legal backlash against the Muslim community and their leaders.” Pat Robertson on his 700 Club television show ridiculously claimed that Islam is “not a religion,” but “a violent political system bent on the overthrow of the governments of the world and world domination.” {{Dear Pat, where's your "Christian love?"}}

     It’s as if we have gone back eight years to September 11, 2001!!!

     As Muslims in America and the other 1.2 billion Muslims around the world mourn those innocents who have died in both senseless attacks and armed conflict, we also raise our voices to say that we are no more responsible for the acts of a few individuals or militant groups than all Christians are responsible for the acts of Hitler against millions of Jews, or the KKK against African-Americans, or Catholics are for Timothy McVeigh's bombing of the Murrah Federal Building, or for the murder of doctors who perform abortions.

     As a Muslim whose father, brother, uncles, and cousins all served this country by humbly wearing the uniform of the United States Marine Corps, Air Force, and Army, I say proudly, “I am a Muslim American, and this is my country, too!”