Religion and Violence
When President Obama asked the public to reserve judgment about the motives behind the shooting this week at Fort Hood, he predictably elicited the ire of detractors who were quick to castigate him for “whitewashing” what was clearly an act of religious violence. Obama, according to this accusation, was trying to obscure the fact that the shooter, Major Nidal Malik Hasan, was a Muslim extremist whose violent outburst could only have been rooted in his religious beliefs. This perspective is consonant with two widely held, but unsubstantiated, views about links between religion and violence...
3 comments - Posted by William Barbieri at 11:53 AM - Categories: Government & Civil Society