Washington ( CNN ) -- Ibrahim Hooper knows the drill . When news first broke Thursday that a shooting at Fort Hood , Texas , killed and injured U.S. soldiers , the national communications director for the Council on American-Islamic Relations wrote a statement of condemnation . He only sent it out later , when reports emerged that the alleged shooter 's name was Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan . `` As soon as we saw what appeared to be a Muslim name , we issued our statement , '' Hooper said . `` Until that time , we were praying that no Muslim would be involved . '' That 's the reality of crisis management for the Muslim-American community , said Hooper , who handles communications for the nation 's largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy group . Even without confirmation that the alleged gunman was Muslim -- there was no immediate determination of any religious affiliation for Hasan -- the mere reporting of a possible Muslim name required an immediate comment , he said . `` That 's unfortunately the world we live in nowadays , '' Hooper said . `` So often , Muslims are accused of not condemning these kind of acts . '' The CAIR statement said : `` No political or religious ideology could ever justify or excuse such wanton and indiscriminate violence . The attack was particularly heinous in that it targeted the all-volunteer Army that protects our nation . American Muslims stand with our fellow citizens in offering both prayers for the victims and sincere condolences to the families of those killed or injured . '' In a separate statement , the Muslim Public Affairs Council , based in Los Angeles , California , condemned what it called the `` heinous incident . '' `` We are in contact with law enforcement and U.S. federal government officials to gain more facts from this tragic incident and work together in dealing with its aftermath , '' the group said . Its statement called on `` all members of American Muslim communities to be in contact with local law enforcement for the safety and security of their communities and their institutions . '' The Islamic Information Center also issued a statement `` in conjunction with all the major Muslim organizations nationwide '' that condemned the attack . `` While several news reports have cited one of the gunmen to be Army Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan , IIC strongly emphasizes that this attack and its perpetrator are in no way representative of the Muslim people or the peace-loving religion of Islam , '' the statement said . `` The individuals who perpetrated this attack blatantly acted against the teachings of Islam and humanity , '' it added . After the September 11 , 2001 , terrorist attacks on the United States , Muslim-Americans reported increased attacks and threats by revenge-minded non-Muslims . `` We 've seen this before , '' Hooper said of a possible backlash . `` Whenever there 's an incident of this type , there 's always the possibility this will happen . '' Even non-Muslims could be targeted , he said , noting that Sikhs who wear turbans or Hispanic-Americans can be mistaken as being of Middle Eastern descent . On Thursday night , CAIR Executive Director Nihad Awad told a news conference the alleged Fort Hood attacker 's motive remained unknown . `` We urge all Americans to remain calm in reaction to this tragic event and to demonstrate once again what is best about America -- our nation 's ability to remain unified even in times of crisis , '' Awad said . `` We urge national political and religious leaders and media professionals to set a tone of calm and unity . `` Unfortunately , based on past experience , 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 . ''
Slain Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan accused in Fort Hood shootings . The Army psychiatrist was charged with 13 counts of premeditated murder and 32 other offenses for the November 2009 shooting rampage at a military base that left 17 people dead. `` American Muslims stand with our fellow citizens , '' one group says . Some fear backlash against Muslims and people who are thought to be Muslim .