| Bad enough when Muslim communities oppose Muslim soldiers fighting for Western governments. This can lead to spying, or it can lead to terrorism, as in the cases of Maj. Nidal Hasan's shooting spree at Ft. Hood. Alternatively, it can lead to a filing for conscientious objector status, as in the case of U.S. Army Nasser Jason Abdo, 20, currently stationed at Fort Campbell in Kentucky.
Pfc. Nasser Abdo, 20, wants out of the military on the grounds that he is a Muslim.
"A Muslim is not allowed to participate in an Islamicly unjust war. Any Muslim who knows his religion or maybe takes into account what his religion says can find out very clearly why he should not participate in the U.S. military." More explicitly: "I don't believe I can involve myself in an army that wages war against Muslims. I don't believe I could sleep at night if I take part, in any way, in the killing of a Muslim"
Abdo interviewed by Al-Jazeera on Aug. 21, 2010.
June 15, 2011 update: The army last month approved Abdo's conscientious objector application. However, his recurring Islamist statements prompted the army to look more closely at Abdo; specifically, the military's criminal investigation division and the Joint Terrorism Task Force investigated Abdo for making anti-American comments in language class. This investigation lead to the discovery of 34 pictures containing child pornography on Abdo's computer. He denies the pornography charge, claiming that the army raised this bogus charge to retaliate against him for winning the conscientious objector status, noting that both occurred on the same day.
June 23, 2011 update: Abdo is quoted about the conscientious objector status and child pornography issues in an article by Shaik Zakeer Hussain at IslamPolicy.com, "Nasser Abdo: Victim of America's Pornography obsession" (a curious title for an Islamist publication):
Nasser Abdo under arrest in Texas.
July 28, 2011 update: Despite winning conscientious objector status, Abdo appears furious at the military, perhaps because of the child pornography charge: he went AWOL over the July 4 weekend and is now under arrest, according to ABC News,
after making a purchase at Guns Galore in Killeen, Texas, the same ammunition store where Maj. Nidal Hasan purchased the weapons he allegedly used to gun down 13 people and wound 30 others on Nov. 5, 2009. Abdo, 21, allegedly told law enforcement he was targeting the base to "get even," according to law enforcement documents obtained by ABC News. …
When he was arrested, Abdo was in possession of large quantities of ammunition, weapons and what appeared to be the makings of a bomb, according to early accounts from law enforcement. He had also apparently purchased an Army uniform with Fort Hood patches from a local surplus store. To get even with a bomb!!!
Interesting that a soldier who applied for conscientious objector status in 2010, which requires him to oppose war in any form, tries to pull off a terrorist attack in 2011.
David Orbach RN |
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