The Washington Post has obtained a copy of a slideshow presented by Major Hasan to US military doctor colleagues in June 2007. Rather than speak about medical topics, as he was supposed to, he lectured on Islam, suicide bombings and threats the US military would face if it continued to fight in Muslim majority countries. He called it “The Koranic World View At It Relates to Muslims in the US Military”.
View it here.
At slide 11 he discusses fatwas concerning Muslims serving in the US military. It concludes with a quotation whose origins are unclear:
“It’s getting harder and harder for Muslims in the service to morally justify being in a military that seems constantly engaged against fellow Muslims.”
From slide 17 (a bit of a false start, he actually commences the discussion properly at slide 35) he starts to discuss abrogation. Hasan gives the Jihad Watch style simplistic definition that peaceful verses tended to come earlier, and there is a later passage allowing violence against non-believers (the so-called ‘Sword Verse’ – 9:05) and therefore Muslims are allowed to fight offensive jihad.
The most crucial and concerning slides are number 45, titled “Offensive Islam if [sic] the Future”, and 48 – where Hasan lists comments. These include:
If Muslim groups can convince Muslims that they are fighting for God against injustices of the “infidels”; ie: enemies of Islam, then Muslims can become a potent adversary ei: suicide bombing, etc.
And:
We love death more than you love life!
Comments continue on slide 49:
Muslims may be seen as moderate (compromising) but God is not.
And:
Fighting to establish an Islamic state to please God, even by force, is condoned by the [sic] Islam
This leads Hasan to conclude that Muslim soldiers should be allowed to opt out of fighting against other Muslims as “conscientious objectors” (slide 50).
How could the US military have missed signs this obvious? And what other signs has it been missing elsewhere?
4 Comments
Wow you lot are really going to town on this one arent you? Whats that 5 articles on this now?
Funny you didnt say a thing when US Sgt John M Russel killed fellow soldiers
But he wasnt a Muslim was he?
Whats the point? If youre arguing Muslims should be banned from the US army then spit it out
White council estate fascism – bad; Brown clerical fascism – good.
How very multicultural and anti-imperialist of you, Jonathan.
Quite apart from the fact that the Russell case was in May and I didn’t start writing here at the Spittoon until late June, this whataboutery will get you nowhere.
Did I say that? Did anybody say that? If that’s the kind of thing I would argue then I would probably not have been happy to join a blog chiefly written by Muslims. So no, I’m not arguing that.
You are terribly dull. Please toodle off now.
Well said Yossarian