A US born, and raised Army Major massacred 13 people at Fort Hood, Texas on November 5th.  The assassin was a US Army doctor and psychiatrist who also was a Muslim.   This man’s act of violence is now being investigated to see if it was a random and isolated act of a man who snapped under mental stress or whether it was an act of terrorism. It will be easier for everyone if this act is discovered to be a random act of violence by one angry man who had personal grudges, and psychiatric issues rather than the work of a group, or a man who was driven ideologically on extremist religious beliefs and was acting merely on his own extremist Islamic views.

As to be expected, this attack has started a great debate about trusting Muslims in the US. This was taken up on the airwaves and on internet sites minutes after the revelation of the murderer’s identity. A lot of rightwing sites are already calling this the single largest act of terror inside the  US after 9/11.  For most who even remotely look Arabic including South Asians as myself this is a rather discomfiting moment.  Most immigrants of South Asian descent wished the assailant was not an Arab or not a Muslim.

People who look Arab are again going to be viewed with suspicion. And above all this act of terror or violence will put the American Muslim community under suspicion and the microscope as a group.  There is a fear among Muslims in America that they’ll be collectively found guilty for the actions of one man.  Internet sites devoted to military affairs, are arguing that Muslims should be barred from the armed services.

Some are saying the Obama government is too politically correct.  Some say the Obama government has failed to keep a close eye on possible homegrown terrorist cells even when there were signals such as this man’s alleged internet posting.  There isn’t evidence to support any theory so far and people should not come to conclusions. This act by a deranged man is all they need to carry out their witch hunts. People in the US behave very much like people in other nations in a time like this.  No amount of preaching by their diplomats about other nations will change the mindset of people.  Make no mistake, the truth must be discovered about this man.  And this man must be given the maximum possible punishment for his crime just like Timothy McVeigh.