The FBI has identified 24 year old Mohammad (Mohammod) Youssef Abdulazeez as the shooter who drove to two military installations in civilian areas and fired an automatic weapon from a rented vehicle, killing four U.S. Marines and injuring others on Thursday (July 16, 2015).
By Ray Hanania
Ray Hanania covering Chicago City Hall (1976-1992)
A Kuwait Muslim from Jordan, Mohammod (Mohammad) Youssef (Youssuf) Abdulazeez, 24, has been identified as the suspect responsible for the cold-blooded murder of four U.S. Marines at a marine installation and injuring others at a Military recruiting station in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
Witnesses said that the suspect pulled up in w silver convertible Mustang and fired dozens of bullets into the front of a recruiting station in Chattanooga, Tennessee where he injured at least one person, before driving seven miles away to a U.S. Navy operational support center where he shot and killed four uniformed U.S. Marines.
The killings occurred as Muslims around the world were observing the official end of Ramadan, the Islamic Holy Month of fasting and reverence which ends at sundown on Thursday.
Ramadan is the 9th month of the Islamic calendar and is marked by daylong fasts by devout Muslims, and re-affirmation of their religious faith.
Muslims waiting for sunset during Ramadan (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
But the killings and the timing of the attack by the suspect who has been identified as an Arab Muslim at a time when the Islamic extremist group in the Middle East, Daesh (or ISIS, the Islamic State) has openly urged Muslims to engage in acts of violence against American targets, saying to kill and infidel will guarantee the killers extra righteousness in paradise.
But mainstream Muslims denounced the killing as a crime that does not reflect the fundamental precepts of Islam which is a religion of peace and based on the same religious principles and prophets as Judaism and Christianity. Muslims recognize Abraham, Jesus and even the Virgin Mary as prophets who are revered and respected in Islamic teaching.
Muslims, Arabs and people who “look” Middle Eastern have been living in constant fear of violent racist backlashes following criminal incidents committed by suspects identified as Muslim or Arab. Racists and political extremists in America have used violence by Muslims and Arabs as justification to impose more restrictions on Arabs and Muslims in the United States.
Abdulazeez, according to news reporters, rammed the gate of the Naval Training Center and where he was shot and killed by a uniformed police officer. Some suspected he had committed suicide, according to earlier media reports. Officials said Abdulazeez, a naturalized U.S. Citizen, was not considered a “terrorist threat.”
Ironically, as the nation focused on the massacre of the four U.S. Marines, a jury in Colorado convicted movie theater killer James Holmes, 27, of 165 charges relating from the killing of 12 people who were murdered during the 2012 premiere of the Batman movie, “The Dark Night Rises.” Holmes faces the death penalty, but he was never associated by the media or the public with any rightwing, White or religious factions.
Most White killers who engage in mass murder are written off as “lone gunmen,” as was Holmes, but Arabs and Muslims who engage in violence and killings are immediately viewed as terrorists engaged in a form of international terrorism. They are also cast by many as representatives of Islam, which has been denounced viciously by racist critics as a “religion of violence.”
Immediately after the killings in Tennessee, anti-Arab racist Pamela Geller issued a statement blaming the killings on ISIS, and on Islamic extremism. Geller who has built up her celebrity by bashing Muslims and fear mongering after Muslim or Arab-involved violence, has never denounced any violence by Whites or mainstream Americans, never criticized the gun industry, or noted that that largest wave of murders in America occurs in American cities such as in Chicago and New York where hundreds of African Americans are murdered, including in several recent incidents by White Police officers.
A poll now being conducted by The Arab Daily News (view poll in the right column of this and other online newspaper pages) suggests that many blame Islam, as is predicted.
President Barack Obama announced that all of the nation’s military defense facilities would be put on alert and there is a growing debate about placed armed soldiers at military recruiting stations and reserve centers like the two targeted by Abdulazeez.
FBI investigators were continuing to determine if there is a direct connection to Daesh, ISIS and international terrorism, or if the 24 year old naturalized citizen had other reasons to engage in his murderous violence.
Arabs and Muslims around the country expressed condolences for the families of the victims, and noted that many Arabs and Muslims have served in the military and can identify with the victims.
But the focus won’t be on mainstream Muslims or mainstream Arabs. The violence Thursday will fuel a rise in racist rhetoric and hate speech against Islam as a religion, and all Muslims and all Arabs.
Ray Hanania is an award winning political and humor columnist who analyzes American and Middle East politics, and life in general. He is an author of several books.
Hanania covered Chicago Politics and Chicago City Hall from 1976 through 1992 at the Daily Southtown and the Chicago Sun-Times. He began writing in 1975 publishing The Middle Eastern Voice newspaper in Chicago (1975-1977). He later published “The National Arab American Times” newspaper (2004-2007).
Hanania writes weekly columns on Middle East and American Arab issues as Special US Correspondent for the Arab News ArabNews.com, at TheArabDailyNews.com, and at SuburbanChicagoland.com. He has published weekly columns in the Jerusalem Post newspaper, YNetNews.com, Newsday, the Orlando Sentinel, Houston Chronical, and Arlington Heights Daily Herald.
Hanania is the recipient of four (4) Chicago Headline Club “Peter Lisagor Awards” for Column writing. In November 2006, he was named “Best Ethnic American Columnist” by the New American Media. In 2009, Hanania received the prestigious Sigma Delta Chi Award for Writing from the Society of Professional Journalists. He is the recipient of the MT Mehdi Courage in Journalism Award. He was honored for his writing skills with two (2) Chicago Stick-o-Type awards from the Chicago Newspaper Guild. In 1990, Hanania was nominated by the Chicago Sun-Times editors for a Pulitzer Prize for his four-part series on the Palestinian Intifada.
His writings have also been honored by two national Awards from ADC for his writing, and from the National Arab American Journalists Association.
Hanania is the US Special Correspondent for the Arab News Newspaper, covering Middle East and Arab American issues. He writes for the Southwest News newspaper group writing on mainstream American issues.
Click here to send Ray Hanania email.
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More condemnations from Michigan Muslim Community
July 17, 2015 (Royal Oak) Michigan Muslim Community Council stands with other American Muslim organizations across this country in condemning the attack and offering prayers and condolences to the families of the Chattanooga victims.
Our hearts go out to the loved ones who are grieving. Islamic Society of North America, along with other national and local organizations, issued this statement, echoing the sentiments of the Michigan Muslim Community Council and the imams in the Metro-Detroit area:
“We wholeheartedly condemn the horrific actions of the shooter who claimed the lives of US military personnel. These violent acts are unjustifiable and are a gross violation of the spirit of Ramadan, a month of charity, mercy and forgiveness. We offer our condolences, support and prayers to the families of the victims.”
Condemnation of massacre by The Muslims of America
THE MUSLIMS OF AMERICA’S CONDEMNATION OF CHATTANOOGA TERROR MASSACRE ON MILITARY FACILITIES
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – JULY 16, 2015
(Hancock Islamberg, NY) The Muslims of America, Inc. (TMOA) condemns today’s murderous attack on two military facilities in Chattanooga, TN. TMOA extends its deepest condolences to the families and community affected by this horrific and cowardly act.
Terrorism has no place in Islam. In The Islamic Post, TMOA media partner, the congregation publically condemned the likes of ISIS and other so-called Islamic extremist groups. TMOA stands with the Department of Justice, the entire Chattanooga community and all citizens impacted by the atrocity inflicted upon this country today.
TMOA members are all too familiar with being victimized by terror plots. On July 13, TMOA and local Muslim and non Muslims gathered outside of the federal courthouse in Chattanooga for a rally to voice support for domestic terror and hate charges for admitted would-be mass murderer Robert R. Doggart of Signal Mountain, TN, a failed congressional candidate whose terror plot to burn their mosque and slaughter their children in a Muslim hamlet in New York was thwarted by the FBI in April. Doggart, a Caucasian, is accused of targeting TMOA communities who are predominately African American Sunni Muslims. Doggart’s case is pending in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee in Chattanooga.
Observers have decried the lenient treatment of Doggart and the failure of the government to label his actions as “hate” crimes and “domestic terror.” Doggart, who was indicted on July 13 on a sole count of solicitation to commit a civil rights violation, is on home confinement and awaiting trial September 2015. “Doggart targeted us because we are Muslim. Therefore his actions must be called “hate crimes.” Additionally, his actions meet the legal elements of domestic terror and he should be so charged. If the offender were a so-called Muslim extremist, he would be charged as a terrorist,” stated Tahirah H. Clark, legal counsel for the religious organization in a July 8 statement.
“The people of Chattanooga were gracious to us during our stay there this week. They have our sympathy. We deserve better as a country and we support the DOJ pursuing all terrorists aggressively and equally without regard for their race, gender, religion or ethnicity,” stated Muhammad Matthew Gardner, spokesperson for TMOA.
Hon. K. Hussein Adams
Chief Executive
The Muslims of America, Inc.
Condemnation from another Muslim organization, US Council of Muslim Organizations USCMO:
USCMO condemns killings in Chattanooga, offers condolences to victims’ families
(Washington, D.C., 7/17/2015) – The US Council of Muslim Organizations (USCMO), a coalition of leading national and local Muslim organizations, strongly condemns the tragic shootings in Chattanooga, Tennessee yesterday which left four Marines dead in an attack on a military recruiting center and another US military site. USCMO offers its sincere condolences to the victims’ families and urges law enforcement to fully investigate these crimes.
“We are deeply saddened by this horrific incident and our hearts go out to the families of the victims. These types of senseless acts of violence are condemned and unequivocally rejected” said Oussama Jammal, the secretary general of USCMO.
The USCMO encourages all communities to continue working towards creating a safer and more peaceful nation.
Statement from the American Humans Rights Council in Detroit:
The American Human Rights Council (AHRC-USA) condemns the terrorist and criminal attack in Chattanooga, Tennessee killing four Marines and injuring three other people yesterday, Thursday July 16, 2015. This violent attack reminds us that the threat facing the U.S and the world is indeed real. Taking a human life is the worst human right violation.
Our heartfelt condolences and prayers go to the families of the victims and the nation. AHRC calls upon the authorities to conduct a transparent investigation regarding the motives behind such unspeakable crime and act of terror.
Indeed it’s another shock and another human tragedy. At a time when Muslims are getting ready to celebrate the Muslim Eid- Festivity, after a month of fasting and prayer, enemies of humanity chose to take lives in a despicable and hateful way.
“We condemn this crime in the strongest terms and urge all to remember that terrorism and criminality have no religion or nationality,” said Imad Hamad, AHRC Executive Director. “HATE is our common enemy and it should not be tolerated. We stand united against it” continued Hamad.
American Human Rights Council (AHRC)
13530 Michigan Ave # 332
Dearborn, Michigan 48126/USA
Tel: 313-914-3251 Fax: 313-914-3284
http://WWW.ahrcusa.org
#ChattanoogaAttack Listen to the radio discussion Live this morning (Friday July 17, 2015) at 8 am EST in Detroit Radio AM 690, and Washington DC, Radio AM 700, on the Chattanooga murders of four US Marines. Call 248-557-3300 Arabs/Muslims denounce killings http://tunein.com/radio/WNZK-690-s21615/
Condemnation of this murderous act from Muslims and Arabs continues non-stop. Here is the press release from CAIR, the Council on American Islamic Relations:
WASHINGTON, July 16, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today condemned a deadly attack inTennessee that left four Marines dead. In a statement, CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad said:
“We condemn this horrific attack in the strongest terms possible. Such inexcusable acts of violence must be repudiated by Americans of all faiths and backgrounds. The American Muslim community stands shoulder to shoulder with our fellow citizens in offering condolences to the loved ones of those killed and injured and in rejecting anyone who would harm our nation’s safety and security. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families impacted by this tragedy.”
CAIR is America’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.
I can’t let the day pass without pointing out that I have spoken with dozens of Muslims I know, all Arabs in the Chicago area, who said they are saddened and disgusted by the actions of this killer. They are saddened because they were preparing to celebrate their “Eid,” or holiday marking the end of Ramadan. It should be a happy event, not a sad one. So many text messages from American Muslims, and Arabs, who say that what this killer did DOES NOT represent them, what they believe and what Islam, in their eyes really means.
Most of the Muslims do kill in the name of religion