http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2009/nov/08/fort-hood-muslim-new-mccarthyism

Now the documented fact that Hasan was a Moslem has suddenly become a matter of opinion:

“Because the shooter appears to be a Muslim. ”

and the McCartyistic American press/society/people has immediately sprung to the amazing conclusion that a man who shouted “Allahu Akbar” before emptying his gun into a crowded group of soldiers might have had a motive associated with his religion for doing so:

“It is interesting to see how the media have already reported on this tragic event – immediately, questions (and answers) were posed about the shooter’s ethnicity and religion: implicitly (and in some cases, explicitly) making clear that such things were not just relevant to the story, but probably causal factors. The fact that he was born and raised on American soil is irrelevant.”

The sickness at the Guardian and among its contributors is deep and wide, but also foolish - who on earth do they think they are fooling?

(and, by the way - his American upbringing is very much to the point, and relevant - the major question these “McCarthyites” are asking is how a second generation American could choose his religion over the country that gave his parents a new home, where he was born, raised, educated for free at medical school).

“You’ve probably heard about the shooting at Fort Hood, Texas - America’s biggest military base. The main suspect has a Muslim name. Does this matter? If he did it in the name of Islam, then religion is a motivation. In that case, his Muslim identity is relevant. But if he did it out of other motives - say, mental illness - then his Muslim ID means nothing. That’s my take. Yours?”

http://www.irshadmanji.com/