As The Huffington Post reports, hours after Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan allegedly killed 13 and wounded 31 at Ft. Hood Army Base on Nov. 5, a local candidate and the media are trying to frame this issue through the lens of terrorism.

Lt. Col. Allen West issued a statement saying “This enemy preys on downtrodden soldiers and teaches them extremism will lift them up." He added, “Terrorists are infiltrating Military," and, "Our soldiers are being brainwashed."

Ralph Peters of the New York Post claims it was “the worst act of terror on American soil since 9/11. And no one wants to call it an act of terror or associate it with Islam.”

Unfortunately, there is no common definition of terrorism, but the Department of Defense defines it as “The calculated use of unlawful violence or threat of unlawful violence to inculcate fear; intended to coerce or to intimidate governments or societies in the pursuit of goals that are generally political, religious, or ideological.” West’s idea of terrorism implies organizational capacity, while Peters suggests identifiable political and religious motives.

Instead of politicizing this act, it may be helpful to examine instead of assume. An incorrect and tactless assumption could cause serious repercussions for the Muslim community.

There is no information as of yet to suggest a political or religious objective for yesterday’s violent act. Nor is there any indication at all that this was planned or organized.

Even by their standards, the New York Post should be ashamed to publish such garbage. Not only is Peters jumping the gun on guilt, but he is capitalizing on fear by directly implying that this tragedy is a result of political and religious extremism without any facts to back this implication up. Peters even goes so far as to imply that Islam itself is a violent religion.

Hasan, an Arab-American Muslim of Palestinian descent, is purported to have strongly disagreed with his impending deployment. But according to an AP report, an anonymous army official said that Hasan was willing to go to Afghanistan but not Iraq. This peculiarity provides context that compounds attempts to neatly tie it to political-religious terrorism or organized crime.

Instead of jumping the gun on this issue, let’s for once turn to examination. Whether people like it or not, Hasan is an American citizen. Therefore, he is a product of American culture.