WE ARE NOT ALL TERRORISTS…
I am a soldier who just happens to be Muslim. That fact has nothing to do with my job. We – SOLDIERS – need the support of the American people in order to survive as defenders of the United States of America. Knowing that the people we serve are behind us, beside us, and with us, gives us the encouragement we need to intentionally make it through each day that we put on our uniforms and go to work whether here in the United States or overseas in a combat zone.
MAJ Derrill Guidry (Khalil Shaheed Abdur-Raheem)
WHAT IS THE GREATEST JIHAD?
At this moment I am experiencing different levels of frustration because of the biased coverage by news outlets of the recent shootings here at Fort Hood. In a couple of hours I will be inside the III Corps and Fort Hood headquarters trying give voice to the true and positive nature of Islam in the wake of the numerous accusations against MAJ Hasan (the suspected shooter) of potential links to terrorism and extremist organizations. The media is selectively choosing single words and potentially inflammatory phrases in order to make their stories “exciting.”
WE – ALL OF US – must STOP, take a deep breath, and apply the laws of common sense and honesty to this situation. We don’t yet know all the facts of the incident. We cannot definitively determine if this heinous act was truly fueled by extremist intentions. So until evidence is discovered to substantiate those accusations, MAJ Malik Nadal Hasan should be treated as a suspect who is Soldier that just happens to Muslim. As an example, if MAJ Hasan did utter the words “Allahu Akhbar” just before pulling the trigger, what does that really mean? That he is definitely a terrorist? Because terrorists are the only Muslims who say those words out loud? What does that prove — ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! As a Muslim I say those words in times of extreme stress on the job, or when I am thankful for waking up to another day with my beautiful wife, or when my eight-year old son makes all A’s on his 1st Grade report card. Allahu Akhbar IS NOT a terrorist battle cry, it means plainly and simply, “GOD IS GREAT!” What is so wrong with those three words?
And what about the accusations of a Muslim jihad on a U.S. military installation? Well, I ask each of you this question: WHAT IS THE GREATEST JIHAD?
I invite you to view this short video to get a perspective of jihad with which I agree. The clip is from the HBO series Sleeper Cell…enjoy and be enlightened…
Khalil Shaheed Abdur-Raheem (MAJ Derrill Guidry)
THE INCIDENT AT FORT HOOD
For those of you who don’t know, I am Muslim. Suddenly I am being sought out as a beacon of Islamic knowledge. Why now? As with many institutions across the globe, American society has a tendency to ignore the neon-green elephants in the room adorned with glitter, lip gloss, and strobe lights until something significant happens…like a bunch of innocent human beings murdered by a very disturbed individual who wears the ACU…Army Combat Uniform. I have a grand and noble task ahead of me…
Another thing you might not know is that I too have suffered harassment and persecution by peers, superiors, and senior Army leaders because of my faith of choice AND for being honest and truthful about the effects of our military culture and operations on PEOPLE. I am fortunate, however, that I have the faith and strength of mind to effectively confront the negativity that many face in the military – not just Muslims – and do so without losing rational thinking to raw emotions. I am currently developing an outreach and education program focusing on Islam for Fort Hood and the surrounding communities. A great concern of mine will be breaking through the egos and self-conceived notions of “superior wisdom and knowledge” that embolden certain authority figures to tout speculation as fact and/or experience when it is neither. Don’t be surprised if you see me on CNN talking smack (smile)…more to follow…
Khalil Shaheed Abdur-Raheem
3EYEVISION 