Why the calling the sniper an Islamist is semantic vandalism
The Nation of Islam is considered a cult by most Muslims. The link points to significant doctrinal differences.
Trying to tie them together to any of the more traditional (it is my view orthodox Islam is a poor choice of terms) is a mistake. It could well be that Muhammed went from the NOI to some traditional form, but we have no information indicating that. Beyond that, he appears deeply disturbed with the NY Times reporting that he claimed he was God.
From what we know so far, it seems more likely that the NOI was attractive to him because he was disturbed, and not the cause of the violence as many warbloggers are trying to insinuate. Islam is a diverse religion and NOI is a very small offshoot that is not Islamist nor is it representative of any of the significant sects. NOI has little if any connection to traditional Islam, though Farrakhan has made some overtures in recent years. Islamists consider the NOI heretical and minus any specific connection, this is a weak argument. We don’t tar Christianity with the Aryan Nation fruitcakes, Islam deserves the same respect.
Islamists are a different story. They are tied to traditional Islam and they are a force Islam must come to terms with both politically and from faith. Maybe some tie will be found, but it seems less likely the more that is reported. Hearing the word Islam and going into full scale babble about Islamists sheds a lot of heat, but not much light.
For all the whining about how the press isn’t connecting this to Islamic violence, there is little understanding of these issues. This shouldn’t be surprising since much of the echo chamber is ignorant of the more scholarly works, such as Huntington, that argues for a “Clash of Civilizations.” Hell, a copy of the Autobiography of Malcolm X would do most of them some good.
A more productive critique made by several was the emphasis on the individual being white. It turns out that only 55% of serial killers are white. Apparently being a sick bastard is an equal opportunity issue.