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"Many seized Fort Hood to stereotype Islam and distort its image," Safi told IOL. |
WASHINGTON – Eager to show that their religion is all about compassion and nothing about violence, American Muslims are reaching out to the families of the victims of the Fort Hood deadly shooting tragedy, setting up a fund to help them.
"We want to emphasize that Muslims care for those who go through tough times," Louay Safi, Director of Communications and Leadership Development at the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), told IslamOnline.net.
Major Nidal Malik Hasan, a Muslim army psychiatrist, is the sole suspect in last week’s shooting spree at Fort Hood army base in Texas which killed 13 soldiers and wounded more than 30 others.
Hasan has emerged from a coma after being wounded by police gunfire but remains hospitalized at an intensive care unit in guarded condition.
"Islam is about compassion not only with Muslims but with non-Muslims too," said Safi.
ISNA, a 40-year-old umbrella organization for Muslims in the United States and Canada, has launched the “Fort Hood Family Fund” in tandem with other Muslim organizations, including the Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC), the American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC), and the American Muslims in the Armed Forces.
"The idea came to Muslim community leaders after the incident as they agreed that we need to practice what we preach," Safi explained.
Mosques across the country are encouraging their members to donate for this humanitarian initiative.
The ISNA official asserted that non-Muslims are also welcome to contribute to the fund.
Appreciated
The Muslim groups hope to raise millions of dollars to help the victims’ families, like what they did for the Hurricane Katrina victims through a special ISNA fund.
"We are contacting people in the military and different soldiers’ organizations to know the best way to help the families with that fund," said Safi.
The army welcomed the Muslim initiative and said all American faiths groups can help victims.
"It is of good-nature," US Army spokesman, Lieutenant Colonel Nathan Banks, told IOL.
Safi said the fund announcement was also very well received by the American media.
"There were very positive reactions from the community at large."
The ISNA official regretted, however, some negative reactions from certain Muslim-bashing groups.
"Some just seek to distort whatever you do."
Shortly after the tragedy, some right-wing commentators rushed to link the shooting to Islam as a religion although leading Muslim groups, including ISNA and the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR), had immediately condemned the murders as unjustified and un-Islamic.
"Many will seize Fort Hood to stereotype Islam and distort its image," Safi fears.
"We want to emphasize that this is not true. Islam was never about violence."
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