“I love America, so I fight for it -- that's my jihad”

There is no question one can be both a proud Muslim and a patriotic American. Just ask Lamia Lahlou who joined the U.S. army in response to the 9/11 attacks. "I love America, so I fight for it -- that's my jihad," she said. Morrocan-born Lahlou served honorably in Iraq, fighting for the country she loves.

For Ms. Lahlou and other American Muslims who have served in the armed forces, there is no contradiction between their faith and their service to their country. Unfortunately, Major Nidal Hasan, who was responsible for the recent Ft. Hood attack, was unable to similarly reconcile his faith with his role in the military.

Although it remains unclear exactly what motivated Major Hasan to breach his loyalty to his country, it’s been alleged that he may have been influenced by political Islam in his place of worship.

The mosque he attended in Virginia in 2001 was led at the time by preacher Anwar al-Awlaki, who has been described by a former U.S. intelligence official as an "al-Qaeda supporter, and former spiritual leader to three of the September 11 hijackers... who targets US Muslims with radical online lectures encouraging terrorist attacks from his new home in Yemen.” The Telegraph reports that “Hasan's eyes "lit up" when he mentioned his deep respect for al-Awlaki's teachings, according to a fellow Muslim officer at the Fort Hood base.”

The Ft. Hood tragedy is not an isolated case involving alleged extremists threatening their fellow citizens. Other recent plots include the following:

--Last month, a cleric in New York was charged with plotting a terrorist attack on the city.

--Last month, a Detroit imam was killed in a shoot-out with federal Authorities.

--Last month, two Boston-area men were accused of planning an attack at a mall, and planning to kill U.S. soldiers overseas.

--In September, two men were charged with plotting an attack on a Virginia military base.

--In September, an Illinois man was charged with attempting to blow up a federal building.

n the wake of Major Hasan’s attack, some leading Muslims and Muslim groups have responded with statements downplaying any possible faith connection, and offering pleas against a possible backlash against Muslims.

--“This was an unpredictable and isolated episode, impossible to anticipate and guard against.”

--"I am concerned that this incident will cause some Americans to react against the Islamic faith.”

--“The perpetuation of negativity in such instances often unwittingly serves as an equally unnecessary exacerbation of the atmosphere of hate, violence and Islamophia.”

--“We also urge American Muslims, and those who may be perceived to be Muslim, to take appropriate precautions to protect themselves, their families and their religious institutions from possible backlash.”

While some groups have offered strong condemnations of the attacks, these condemnations have usually not been coupled with recommendations for substantive action to help prevent similar attacks from occurring in the future.

There are individuals within the Islamic community who have, over the last decade, been actively engaged in trying to find and implement solutions from within. Among them is Dr. Zuhdi Jasser.

Like Ms. Lahlou, Dr. Jasser is an American Muslim who has served honorably in the armed forces. Since 9/11, Dr. Jasser has been speaking out about the threat of political Islam, and the importance of engaging the Muslim community within to ensure attacks like these do not happen in the future. Responding to the Ft. Hood tragedy he said, “When I found out it was a Muslim, I realized again that we have a lot of work to do. That we not only have to urge for calm and urge for us to come together as a country… but also to realize that we as Muslims have to start look at what’s causing this from within the community.”

Men and women like Dr. Jasser and Ms. Lahlou are not alone in their views, which are likely shared by most American Muslims. However, they are among the few who have publicly taken action in support of their beliefs. In turn the problem continues to grow, as evidenced by the flurry of uncovered plots over the last two months.

One can be both a proud American and also be a proud Muslim, fighting threats to our country that include extremist Muslims.

Ms. Lahlou said the following about her work: “I fight for this country. Even though I’m Arabic and I’m [sometimes fighting] against Arabics, that doesn’t mean I’m against my brothers and my sisters. It’s because it’s something that I have to do for my country no matter what.”

Other Americans would be advised to learn from examples set by her, Dr. Jasser and others.