Local, national Muslim leaders condemn Fort Hood violence

Gregg Krupa / The Detroit News

Dearborn -- Within minutes of the public identification of the alleged shooter in the Thursday massacre at Fort Hood, local and national Muslim and Arab-American civil rights groups and other organizations mobilized to denounce the violence and to assure the safety of their communities.

The Islamic Center of America in Dearborn, the largest mosque in the United States, issued a statement saying that it "condemns the atrocious attacks on Fort Hood military base in Texas. This inexcusable act of violence must not be tolerated, and the perpetrators should be held accountable for their crime.

"Islam in no way accepts such violence and terror," the statement continued. "Islam is a peaceful religion with great reverence for human life."

The suspected shooter, who killed 13 people in the rampage, is believed to be Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan. Hasan, 39, was among 30 people wounded in the shooting spree and remained hospitalized today on a ventilator.

Mary Rose Oakar, the former congresswoman and the president of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) called Thursday's attack "absolutely deplorable."

"ADC has been consistent and on record in condemning any attacks aimed at innocents, no matter who the victims are or the perpetrator may be," Oakar said. "Such violence in morally reprehensible and has nothing to do with any religion, race, ethnicity or national origin.

"ADC also calls upon law enforcement agencies to provide immediate protection for all mosques, community centers, schools and any locations that may be identified or misidentify with being Arab, Muslim, South Asian or Sikh as a clear backlash already has started," Oakar said.

Other organizations issuing statement deploring the attacks and asking for understanding included the local Council on Arab American Organizations, the Muslim Public Affairs Council and the Council on American Islamic Relations.

"Our entire organization extends its heartfelt condolences to the families of those killed as well as to those wounded and their loved ones," said Salam Al-Marayati, executive director of the Muslim Public Affairs Council. "We stand in solidarity with law enforcement and the U.S. military to maintain the safety and security of all Americans."

This is second time in recent weeks local religious leaders have responded to dramatic events.

Luqman Ameen Abdullah, imam of the Masjid Al-Haqq mosque in Detroit, was killed by the FBI during a raid in which he was to be arrested on a raft of federal charges including conspiracy, receipt of stolen goods and firearms offenses

Court documents filed in that cased identified Abdullah -- also known as Christopher Thomas-- as "a highly placed leader of a nationwide radical fundamentalist Sunni group."

Area religious leaders took exception to the characterization and said the Sunni branch merely works to help the downtrodden and establish tight-knit neighborhoods of believers.

gkrupa@detnews.com (313) 222-2631 The Associated Press contributed to this report.