Local reaction to Prophet Mohammed art event Texas shooting

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Osama Siblani, publisher of Arab American News.

At The Arab American Times in Dearborn, all eyes are on a shooting hundreds of miles away in Garland, Texas.

That's where two people were shot and killed Sunday after shooting at a security officer at an event for cartoon depictions of the Prophet Muhammad.

"Are you going to have an editorial on this," said Osama Siblani, publisher of the Arab American Times. "Inviting Muslim extremists to come in and commit this type of violence so they can prove Islam is violent when Islam is not a violent religion."

Siblani says cartoon depictions of the Prophet Muhammad are often viewed as insulting in the Muslim culture.

"When you depict Muhammed as a pig, a pedophile, a killer, yes it is offensive," he said. "I think we have to teach American public that this is a very sensitive issue to  Muslims in the world, depicting Muhammad in way that is very offensive." 

The organizer of the cartoon contest in Texas, Pamela Geller says she is standing up for free speech, but Siblani says there must be accountability.

"It has to be responsible and at same time exercising your freedom of speech does not mean you have to be attacked for any reason," Siblani said. "Not a cause for violence."

A former FBI agent was also keeping track of events from Garland, as well shared his insight into the investigation.

"Any of these terrorism investigations are the main priority of FBI," said Daniel Roberts, former assistant director of FBI.

Roberts is now the Chief of Police in Franklin-Bingham Farms Police Department. 

He says his former colleagues at the FBI are looking deep into the backgrounds of the two suspects.

"Any connections these individuals have to a larger organization, whether it is Al Qaeda, ISIS, ISOL" he said. "They are going to be doing deep dives into both of these individual's backgrounds."

And based on his expertise, Roberts has this to say about the two suspects 

"Likely they are probably just a couple of people that were lone wolves in their own mind," Roberts said. "And wanted to take this up as their cause."