Were Fort Hood Killings Religiously Motivated?

Nidal Malik Hasan, Muslim Faith, Islam, Religious Intolerance

Nov 9, 2009

The motivation for Major Nidal Malik Hasan's killing spree at Fort Hood remains unclear, but his Islamic faith and his experiences as a Muslim may have been factors.

On November 5, 2009, Major Nidal Malik Hasan went on a killing spree at the Fort Hood Army Post, murdering 12 soldiers and one civilian and injuring nearly 40 people. What motivated Hasan, an Army psychiatrist, remains unclear, but some are suggesting that religion may have played a role.

Was Hasan’s Experience as a Muslim a Factor in the Killings at Fort Hood?

Nidal Malik Hasan was born in Arlington, Virginia, to Palestinian parents. He was also born into the Islamic faith. Hasan continued to practice his faith as an adult, worshiping at a mosque at 6:00 a.m. each day and frequently praying there five times a day.

The image of Hasan differs according to who is painting the picture. Some individuals described Hasan as a polite, soft-spoken man, a devout Muslim, and a competent psychiatrist. Superior medical officer at Fort Hood Colonel Kimberly Kesling said Hasan provided “excellent care for his patients. . . . There was never any indication he would do something like this.” One of Hasan’s former colleagues remarked, “I found him to be very pleasant. He didn’t give the impression that he was a fanatic or angry.”

Other people described Hasan as a radical Muslim, who was a ticking time bomb. Dr. Val Finnell, a former classmate of Hasan’s, said Hasan was an outspoken critic of the War in Iraq, who told fellow students, “‘I’m a Muslim first and an American second.’”

Hasan’s Proselytizing About Islam

Hasan was passionate about teaching others about Islam. It's been reported that Hasan had been disciplined during his post-graduate work for proselytizing about his Muslim faith to colleagues and patients.

In the weeks before the shootings, Hasan had been mentoring 18-year-old Duane Reasoner Jr. about Islam. The two men prayed and attended evening worship services together. Hasan had also given out copies of the Muslim holy book, the Quran, to his neighbors in the days before the killings.

Hasan’s Mistreatment Because of His Religious Beliefs

Hasan’s relatives have said publicly that Hasan felt that he had been mistreated in the Army because he was a Muslim. Since the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the family said Hasan had been harassed and had wanted to leave the military. In August 2009, a soldier was charged with ripping a bumper sticker off of Hasan’s car that read, “Allah is love,” and causing $1,000 in damage to the car.

Hasan’s cousin, Mohammed Malik Hasan, explained that Hasan told the family “as a Muslim committed to his prayers he was discriminated against and not treated as is fitting for an officer and American. He hired a lawyer to get him a discharge.” However, Hasan had not been granted a discharge.

Hasan’s Opposition to War in Iraq Because of His Religious Views

Hasan was set to leave for Afghanistan in November 2009 for his first overseas deployment. Duane Reasoner Jr. said, “[Hasan] didn’t want to be deployed. He said Muslims shouldn’t be in the U.S. military, because obviously Muslims shouldn’t kill Muslims. He told me not to join the Army.” Dr. Val Finnell said that Hasan “equated the war against terror with a war against Islam.”

Members of Hasan’s family said that Hasan was also upset over his deployment because, after a long and difficult search in the small Islamic community near Fort Hood, he had recently met a Muslim woman he wanted to marry.

Alleged Evidence Suggesting Hasan Was Motivated by His Religious Beliefs

In addition to Hasan’s statements made to his family about his mistreatment in the Army, other allegations have come to light that suggest that Hasan may have been extremely angry and motivated by his religious views. The FBI has been investigating inflammatory Internet posts allegedly made by Hasan that asserted that suicide bombers sacrifice their lives for a noble cause.

Hasan’s killing rampage took place in the Soldier Readiness Center at Fort Hood, where soldiers deploying overseas receive final medical checkups. Just before pulling out two guns and opening fire, Hasan allegedly yelled, “Allahu akbar!,” Arabic for “God is great.”

Detangling Hasan’s Motivations for the Killing Spree at Fort Hood

Investigators hope to get to the bottom of the convoluted story that led up to the most horrific killing rampage that has occurred on a U.S. military base. Hasan himself, who survived the incident but sustained multiple gunshot wounds, may provide key information about what caused so much hate to well up inside him that he exploded. Was religion indeed a key factor?

However, until there are more answers, Hasan’s family’s statement resonates with the shock, dismay, and sadness that many, including Muslims and Islamic organizations, feel in the face of this tragedy: “We can not explain, nor do we excuse what happened yesterday. Yesterday’s violence in no way reflects the feelings, beliefs, or principles of our family.”

The copyright of the article Were Fort Hood Killings Religiously Motivated? in Religious Persecution is owned by Aimee Larsen Stoddard. Permission to republish Were Fort Hood Killings Religiously Motivated? in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.