: Muslims Feel Relief, Anxiety as Sniper Suspect Caught

Here we go again. Even though sniper suspect John Allen Muhammad seemed to be motivated more by a $10 million payoff rather than any connection to Islam, fears in the Muslim community of another backlash are high right now. “The whole Muslim community was praying day and night: ‘God, please. There has to be no connection to Muslims,'” Faiz Rehman of the American Muslim Council said Thursday. “People in a hurry will think that this is just a Muslim thing again. The community really fears it.” Although the suspect’s military background and personal troubles would seem to have more to do with these crimes than Islam, many fear that Islam will get the blame anyway. “The sniper does not represent Islam“, says Imam Abed Mubarak of Baton Rouge. “He’s a criminal, and to suggest that Islam motivated the murders is offensive.” “If we’re going after everyone named Mohammed,” wondered New Jersey lawyer Sohail Mohammed, “why don’t we go after everyone named John?”

Shahed Amanullah is editor-in-chief of altmuslim.com.