Semper Fidelis

by Robert Salaam

Again the treacherous actions of a Muslim in uniform have been brought to the attention of the residents near Ft. Hood Army base and all of America. As a veteran and Muslim, I join with my fellow Americans who are appalled and disgusted by the brazen disregard of duty, service, honor and sworn oath given by Pfc. Naser Abdo.

In the shadow of the terrorist and traitor Maj. Nidal Hasan, Naser Abdo planned a cowardly repeat offensive on the innocent men, women, and children of Texas and attempted to make a name for himself among those pretenders who dare claim to belong to the shared faith of American Muslim men and women who unlike Hasan or Abdo serve their nation, service, and faith with honor.

I pray for the families still grieving and having to deal with the trauma of reopened wounds caused by actions of this coward. We Muslims who are true to our faith, our oaths, and to the honor and standards inherent in the uniforms we so proudly wear, condemn any action or deed committed by these men. They are not representative of our service, our nation, or our faith. We hope that they are treated like the criminals that they are and are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

We Muslims who know what service to our nation truly means and what our religion truly teaches share the same desire to ensure a safe and secure America and applaud the actions of those who brought this madman to justice. In a time when our strength is reflected in our unity and not our division, let us all remember that for every pretender there are those who are true to this great country of ours and still serve to protect our country against all enemies foreign and domestic doing so with honor, courage, and commitment to our God, our nation, and our Corps. We may pray differently but we serve equally.

Semper Fidelis,

Robert Salaam