WAFF.com: North Alabama News, Radar, Weather, Sports and Jobs-Huntsville's Islamic community condemns Fort Hood massacre
Member Center:
HUNTSVILLE, AL (WAFF) - Members of Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan's family have spoken out against his killing spree, which resulted in 13 dead and 30 wounded at Fort Hood, Texas, calling it "despicable and deplorable."
Huntsville's Islamic community is also very troubled by this.
They say they can't believe he would use their faith to justify his actions.
On Islam's weekly holy day, worshippers engage in afternoon prayer.
The news of the previous day's mass killing, by a man who considered himself a devout muslim, weighing heavily on the minds of many.
"As a Muslim, I was deeply hurt for this troubled individual to claim that he is a Muslim and we have to work through that," said Dr. Abdalla Elsamadicy, a Physics professor and the advisor of the Muslim Students Association at UA-Huntsville.
Elsamadicy and others hope that people will not equate the Islamic faith with one man's heinous act.
"I wish and I believe in the collective wisdom of our society and they will read the act as it is, a horrible act of a troubled individual," he said.
"There's no way he did it with any normal mental capacity. It saddened me that somebody with my profession, with my faith, would do such a thing," said Dr. Ammar Alrefai is a Muslim and a psychiatrist, something he shares with Maj. Nidal Hasan.
"Psychiatry is probably one of the most stressful jobs, because you have to deal with people who are mentally ill and deal with their pain and agony. Often it's hard not to internalize it," Alrefai said.
This community said they've always felt accepted in the Huntsville area and are grateful for the support they've received, especially in difficult times.
The Islamic community said nothing about their faith would condone such a horrific act.
©2009 WAFF. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Comments Terms of Use: We welcome your participation in our community. Please keep your comments civil and on point. Notify us of any inappropriate comments by clicking the “Mark as Offensive” link. You must be at least 13 years of age to post comments. By submitting a comment, you agree to these
Terms of Service
You must be logged in to leave a comment. Login or register See all comments |
C'mon, play. You know you want to. The boss will never know.
