Published: December 10, 2009

The radicalization of a minority group is often the result of a sense of exclusion and unfair treatment. Extremist ideologies responsible for violent outbursts are often rooted in the socially acceptable demonization of minority groups. Therefore, it is unfortunate that media coverage of Muslims has led to a greater feeling of marginalization amongst America’s Muslim population.

In the past months, Americans have been confronted with headlines ranging from “Holy War at Home: Domestic Islamic Terror Threat,” and “Are we willing to fight the Islamic Threat?” which makes it difficult to arrive at an objective view of world events. These headlines seem to be claiming that America is engaged in a holy war with Islam—a ludicrous claim.

The vast majority of Muslim organizations around the country have for years tried to ensure that American Muslims be productive members of mainstream American society. So when news programs hold interviews asking military heads if all Muslims should be pre-screened before being considered for military service, it’s no wonder that some Muslims feel frustrated and alienated in their own country.

On Nov. 9, a Muslim American soldier opened fire on a group of soldiers who were preparing to deploy by getting last-minute medical check-ups and dental treatment. The perpetrator shot 13 of his fellow soldiers and is currently in custody. After the tragedy, his family sent out a press release that stated, “Our family loves America. We are proud of our country and saddened by today’s tragedy” and that they were “filled with grief for the families of today’s victims.” Following the tragedy, influential American leader and political voice, Sen. Joseph Lieberman, used the Fort Hood tragedy to reprimand the entire Muslim community. If an Episcopalian had committed the horrible tragedy, would anyone chastise the entire Episcopalian population of America? Not likely.

Lieberman decided to press ahead with his investigation of the Fort Hood fatal shootings despite President Barack Obama’s calls on all lawmakers not to turn the shooting into a “political theater.” Obama wanted to wait until his administration and the military investigations were complete before beginning the government investigation. The Senate Armed Services Committee responded positively and cancelled a scheduled closed-door hearing with Secretary of the Army John McHugh and Army Chief of Staff George Casey.

However, Lieberman told a press conference on Thursday that he was “not interested in political theater,” and that he wanted instead to get “the facts” and begin “correcting the system.” Yet none of those who spoke on Friday at the hearing had access to the facts of the Fort Hood shooting. And while the motives of the perpetrator of the rampage are still being investigated, Lieberman called the fatal shooting a “homegrown terrorist attack”—a blatant attempt to link the shooting to the war on terrorism without any official evidence. How can such a high-up official make such a serious claim without all the facts? Such suggestions fuel paranoia, which in turn fuels marginalization and potential radicalism.

So far, the vast majority of Muslim Americans have continued to show unquestionable loyalty to their country and have rejected extremism despite all the pressure brought on them both internally and externally. Unfortunately, these are rarely the Muslims we see on the news.