People are dead in Texas because common sense has vanished from our discussion about terrorism.

I am a Christian and believe abortion is a wicked act, but if my neighbor began to spout extremist rhetoric and talk about killing abortion doctors, I would have to do something. Though uncommon, extremists have murdered physicians in the name of perverted Christianity and so it would be reasonable to worry about my neighbor.

On behalf of SSGWI , my wife Samina and I condemn the senseless act of violence allegedly perpetrated by Maj. Nadal Hasan yesterday at Fort Hood. We send condolences to the bereaved families who have lost their loved ones and prayers for those young men and women who were injured.

As the horrific details of this terrible tragedy come to light, we are reminded sadly, that it only takes one man's twisted actions to shake up an entire community of peaceful, productive and lawabiding citizens. Yesterday's carnage has caused deep hurt to all of us who would like to see relations between America and the Muslim world strengthen and improve.There are those who will use this tragedy to seek to divide us and create a sense of fear and apprehension, but It would be unfair and wrong for anyone to judge Islam and Muslims based on the motivations of a minority of lunatics.

In the immediate aftermath of the breaking-news of the massacre at Fort Hood, a shocked nation and media scurried to find out who did it, how many were killed and injured and why? As is true in all such tragedies, in the initial chaos surrounding such events, facts are hard to corroborate and reports are often incomplete and contradictory.

While many in the major media were careful and tentative, focused on whatever information they could garner, others jumped the gun, with speculations that created rather than reported the news. Thus, in the midst of so many unanswered questions, why would a major reputable newspaper like The Washington Post run a story this morning titled "Suspect, devout Muslim from Va. Wanted Army discharge...," wanted Army discharge that was illustrated with a picture of an Islamic center and this caption: "The Muslim Community Center in Silver Spring where Maj. Nidal M. Hasan used to pray. 'He was a very quiet and private person,' said Arshad Qureshi, chairman of the board of trustees at the mosque" and whose lead sentence is: "He prayed every day at the Muslim Community Center in Silver Spring, a devout Muslim ..." Why immediately rush to brushstroke Islam, Hasan's religion, by linking it to this tragedy?

I was so deeply saddened by the events at Fort Hood, Texas, yesterday. My prayers and sympathy are with the families of those brave American soldiers who were killed and wounded in this senseless act.

What this unfortunate Army major did was against the laws of Islam, even though news accounts said he was an observant Muslim. It is too early to understand his motivations and mental stability. He obviously was violating his faith when he undertook this act. Killing is as much a sin in Islam as it is in Christianity, Judaism and all the major religions. Taking the law into one's own hands is against Islamic teachings.

We do not know how our soldiers will react under the stresses of war. It is something that we as religious leaders should take seriously as we minister to our troops.

I am concerned that this incident will cause some Americans to react against the Islamic faith and Muslim Americans. Our fellow Americans should understand that every major American Muslim organization has condemned it in no uncertain terms. Thousands of American Muslims serve in the U.S. armed forces, and they are essential to the U.S. goal of bringing peace, stability and democracy to Iraq and Afghanistan. They are supported by millions of American Muslims.

This is a time for all Americans to draw together in our grief and sympathy for the victims of this senseless act, and to support the care and well-being of our troops with the hope that they will soon be able to return home.

Giving the wrong people seemingly harmless power can result in unintended consequences.

Even granting control of the office coffee pot can determine a man's corporate fate. This possibility isn't listed in the job description for "snack and beverage provider," but I have seen an aggressive and clever employee use their role near the java to make the contacts and dish the dirt that got them their next promotion.

The Fort Hood shootings present Americans with two choices about how they think about American Muslims. One choice is reactive and negative, taking a horrible act of one American Muslim, Major Nidal Hasan, and saying that he represents all American Muslims. Another choice is reflective and constructive, refusing to universalize harmful actions of one person to an entire faith group.

The greatest tragedy in yesterday's shooting at the Fort Hood military base was the death of 13 American soldiers, not to mention the life-changing impact on the 30 injured. This is the human tragedy. And there is Major Nidal M. Hassan's violent breach of the sanctity of the American military and its commitment to respect and trust between its personnel. When one considers the roughly 20,000 Muslims serving in the American military, this is particularly shocking. This is the American tragedy.

Yet as a Muslim, I cannot deny my heartache at the potential impact of this horrific event on the American Muslim community. When I heard the news, my initial reaction was shock and sorrow. How could this happen? What will the families of the victims do? Who would do this? Are my friends and family who serve in the armed forces safe? I prayed that the victims' families and the other soldiers involved would feel peace and comfort in spite of their fear and suffering. I prayed for our country. A distressing thought then crossed my mind...and it lingered. What if the perpetrator was a Muslim?

Long ago I conquered my anger and placed it in my pocket. When I have need of it, I take it out."
--The Koretzer Rebbe

Ever feel angry, so deeply angry that you had to restrain unrecognizable forces of violence? Ever analyze that anger, try really hard to understand where it came from? Judaism recognizes that anger is passionate and that passion is not always a bad emotion when properly harnessed.

I was saddened by news that some Muslim mosques have been threatened in the aftermath of yesterday's shooting at Fort Hood, allegedly by a U.S. Army psychiatrist named Nidal Malik Hasan, but I was not surprised, and that is sad as well.

A lawyer friend once told me the following lawyer joke: "It's just those 98% of lawyers that give the rest of us a bad name." On the other hand, well over 95% of the lawyers I know are among those remaining 2%. Of course, my experience may be statistically skewed because most of them generously donate their time and energy to non-profit organizations I support.

The stress of war damages beyond belief--years and years after serving in the military, troops can still be suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. But one thing we may not have sufficiently appreciated is that the trauma of war is contagious. Witnesses to violence, those who work with people who have experienced war directly, also can become severely traumatized.