Attack on Jewish Federation Building in Seattle:  Hell No…Not Here, Not Ever, Not In My Name

Dr. Hesham A. Hassaballa

Posted Jul 29, 2006      •Permalink      • Printer-Friendly Version
Bookmark and Share

Hell No…Not Here, Not Ever, Not In My Name

Dr. Hesham A. Hassaballa


In the Name of God, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful

I categorically condemn, with every cell in my body, the attack on the Jewish Federation Building in Seattle allegedly by a Muslim-American was is “angry at Israel.” According to the Seattle Times, 30-year-old Naveed Afzal Haq barged into the offices of the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle and opened fire with a handgun, killing one woman and wounding five others before he surrendered to police.

According to the article, Haq has a history of mental illness, and he was recently charged with misdemeanor lewd conduct for allegedly exposing himself in public. Yet, this is neither here nor there. It is no excuse. It is simply beyond wrong for someone to attack innocent Jewish fellow Americans because he is “angry at Israel.” It is hate at its ugliest, and I condemn it as forcefully as I can. It is as heinous as someone attacking a mosque in “revenge” for the acts of terror committed by so-called Muslims across the world.

The conflict over there must never be transplanted over here. No matter what happens over there, you do not maim and murder representatives over here. It is as simple as that.

Now, of course, there are those who will claim that this is yet another example of how Islam is a “wicked, violent” religion. This is not true. There is no justification in Islam for what Haq has allegedly done. None whatsoever. And I don’t care how many verses of the Qur’an one may quote in an attempt to “prove” otherwise.

Islam does not and never has taught me to hate non-Muslims. Islam does not and has never taught me to “kill all the infidels.” Islam does not and never has taught me to hate Jews and Christians. It just has not, and it is as simple as that.

It is still unclear why Naveed Haq did what he did. So far, however, none of the news reports I have read indicate that he did this out of religious conviction. You would be right in calling it an act of terrorism, but not the sort of terrorism of Al Qaeda, but rather the terrorism of Benjamin Smith, the Midwest man who went on a tirade in 1999, killing Jews, Blacks, and Asians. It was a hate crime committed against Jewish Americans, similar to the many hate crimes committed against Muslim Americans, especially after September 11.

I stand in solidarity with the Jewish community in Seattle as they recover from this terrible tragedy. I also stand in solidarity with the innocent victims of the war between Israel and Hezbollah. They did not want this war, and they did not deserve to die. I pray to the Most Holy Lord God On High that the fighting stops now. I pray to the Most Holy Lord God On High that peace reigns supreme in the Holy Land. I pray to the Most Holy Lord God On High - Lord of Jesus, Moses, and Muhammad (peace be up on them all) - that the children of Abraham will one day learn to resolve their disputes over tea and biscuits as opposed to bombs and rockets. In Your Most Holy Name, O Lord, I ask these things, Amen.

Permalink