A Muslim Soldier's view from Fort Hood

[snagglepuss]

Interesting interview in Huffington Post with a Muslim convert stationned at Fort Hood who had been praying with Hasan that morning and who disagreed with Hasan's etreme views and who didn't approve of Hasan's fundementalist Yemeni iman.

snip
As Richard got to know Hasan better over the next several months, he found the major to be a pious man who was at the mosque daily. But Richard also began to garner a sense of Hasan’s political views that troubled him. A black-and-white outlook on Islam and life that had no room for nuance or debate. Hasan had apparently attended a mosque led by an imam named Anwar Al-Awlaki, a Yemeni scholar whose political views Richard disagrees with.

Awlaki is a controversial figure among Muslims, and has been accused by the Congressional Joint Inquiry on 9/11 of serving as a “spiritual advisor” to two of the Septmeber 11 hijackers. While Richard is careful to say that he respects much of Awlaki’s historical scholarship, he rejects his political ideology, which posits a black-and-white, us versus them, view of America’s relationship with the Islamic world.

snip


A second incident that revealed the hints of radicalism inside Hasan’s worldview took place when Richard once asked a group of Muslims on the base whether they would consider the Taliban to be members of “Ahl-as-Sunna,” the Arabic term for those who follow the Prophet’s tradition and life example. It is a short-hand among many Muslims to denote those who are “mainstream” versus those who are “misguided.” Hasan became angry that Richard could even ask such a question, but the other Muslims rose to Richard’s defense, pointing out that the Taliban are a patchwork of a variety of groups, many of whom are clearly way out of the mainstream Islam as practiced by the vast majority of believers. Richard was taken aback by Hasan’s sudden anger at what had been seconds before a friendly discussion.

Perhaps most troubling are Hasan’s views on suicide bombing. The major has posted his opinions on the Internet, suggesting that he viewed at least some suicide bombers as the moral equivalent of soldiers who throw themselves on grenades to save others. Readers of my work will know that I have stated very clearly and with deep conviction that suicide bombing is a violation of Islam’s basic rules of war (and I have received death threats from radicals who disagree with me).


Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kamran-pasha/a-muslim-soldiers-view-fr_b_348973.html&cp

[benld74]

1. Extremist views in ANY religion is NEVER a good thing for anyone

[snagglepuss]

2. A number of posters take issue with the proposition that his religion had

anything to do with it, that he simply cracked. It seems more likely that he cracked because of his religion which was fundementalist Islam.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

8. People suffering from mental illness often turn to religion.....

....and proceed to misinterpret and skew it's teachings to suit their own distorted paranoia and view.

[snagglepuss]

10. Oh I forgot religion couldn't possibly be implicated in destroying peoples' minds.

Do you ever consider that religion exploits people who are on the edge?


edit spelling

[TCJ70]

22. You should rephrase that question:

"Do you ever consider that religions other than Christianity exploit people who are on the edge?"

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

25. If that's a question for me....

....the answer is clearly yes. I have none of the hang-ups that some here do about bashing radical Islam.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

26. Sure they do

And others turn to it for answers having never been recruited by anyone. They grab the Bible or the Koran and start reading, and read whatever they want into it.

I know you want an argument, but you'll get none from me on the semantics of the issue.

[paulsby]

12. bingo

and many people kept ignoring the ever mounting pile of datapoints that suggested that clearly his religion is a factor in this heinous incident.

they would not be so reticent to accept datapoints if it's a christian extremist murdering an abortion doctor.

double standards. it's what's for dinner

[Flubadubya]

23. Exactly so...

the same people who were trying to raise money on eBay for the defense of the accused abortion doctor killer no doubt condemn the actions of the Fort Hood shooter most vehemently! Damn him to hell, I bet.

[piratefish08]

15. You can remove the word 'extremist' from that sentence and it's every bit as valid.

[LynnTheDem]

3. " A black-and-white outlook ... that had no room for nuance or debate"

Rightwingnut fundies; Muslim, Christian...all the same shit from the same assholes.

[jesus_of_suburbia]

4. I'll take my chances in a Christian dominated country, nt

[emilyg]

7. So will I.

[bobbolink]

9. oh yes, because slavery and genocide is so much more appealing.

Unless, of course, you happen to be one of the targets.

[paulsby]

13. slavery and genocide still exist, but not in christian majority countries

so what's yer point

people of practically all (if not all ) religions have at one time or another been ok with holding slaves.

what is true is that RIGHT NOW, we only find slavery in countries such as the sudan.

do you want to guess what religion predominates in sudan?

christianity and judaism are not to blame for slavery. slavery predated christianity for pete's sake

it is absolutely true that at one point in time, the predominant view in judaism and in christianity was that slavery was a-ok.

that is no longer the viewpoint

slavery was also accepted in any # of other religions, including those found in what is now scandinavia, and africa

[bobbolink]

24. Check with the Indians about Christians and that genocide thing.

When the Spanish invaded what is now the SW of the US, they brought with them Franciscan priests, and the both of them killed and enslaved the Indians.

There is a painting of this in the state capitol of N.Mex, and it made me ill to see the Franciscans leading the occupation of the Indians.

When the Spaniards came, they counted 90 Indian Pueblos in New Mexico. They decimated the population, and there are now 19 NINETEEN pueblos.

The Christians have been just as horrible, in the name of religion, as any other religion.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

27. Then they grew up (for the most part)

Got their ass knocked around a few times, and realized it wasn't the way to "promote" their religion.

Islam hasn't grown up yet enough to realize you need to put the radicals in the play pen.

[bobbolink]

28. That's your opinion.

I would say that much of the world believes that about the US.

[geek_sabre]

29. for the most part, Christians have moved out of the dark ages

Most of the things we complain about here are relatively minor compared to countries like Iran that punish homosexuals and adulterers with death. I don't mean figuratively, but literally hung in public. No Hate Crimes Laws there.

[kelly1mm]

11. Wow, the (largely) unspoken truth here on DU. +1, TY and NT

[Flubadubya]

17. If the dominionists in this country get their way...

and that is for governance of the United States to be strictly by so-called "Biblical Law", you might want to revisit your proclamation. The only difference in "sharia" law and "American" law would be the brand of religion espoused.

[cali]

18. If, if, if. first of all, that's an unlikely scenario

and secondly one situation exists and the other doesn't.

[Flubadubya]

21. Well, I certainly hope it is as "unlikely" as you say...

but don't kid yourself that this is NOT the mission of a group of people in this country... to turn the United States government into a theocracy as backwards in its view of the world as fundamentalist Muslims but with a Christian basis.

My point is simply that I agree with post #3 from LynnTheDem, which is not a hypothetical statement. Opinion, perhaps, but one with which I agree.

[snagglepuss]

6. And it is that black and white outlook that led too his crack up.

How can someone who is unable to muster nuanced thinking ever be in a position to help anyone who has been traumatized? I don't know how this guy ever became a qualified shrink.



edit spelling

[paulsby]

14. there is a false assumption here

that people who are devout and/or fundamentalist are unable to master nuanced thinking.

that's rubbish.

[alarimer]

16. And probably the heaps of abuse he got as a Muslim in a "Christian" country

There was a segment on Democracy Now today about the sort of abuses Muslims (and atheists and Jews) endure in the military.

"Christians" are the biggest bunch of assholes on the planet. I want nothing to do with them at all.

[cali]

19. your bigotry is disgusting and has no place here.

Bigots are the biggest bunch of slimy fuckwads on the planet.

[MH1]

20. I was non-religious when I was in the military and received NO "abuse".

Oh, you said "atheist" not non-religious.

Anytime you are a minority and make your differences obvious you are likely to incur opposition, some of it rudely expressed. It's not that you should hide things away, just don't throw it in people's faces. I suspect the shooter got more abuse for his views than the other Muslim referenced in the o.p., because he sounds like he was confrontational in his views.

As for religion and politics, it is always a good idea to keep both out of the workplace as much as possible. Regardless of whether you are in the minority or not. It isn't anyone's business and has nothing to do with the mission at hand.

And yes I understand that some aspects of the military environment can be considered a "hostile environment" but that's what you sign up for when you take the benefits. (Ever try to be a vegetarian while on a military TDY trip to Germany, not near a base or city and without your own wheels? Now that's a hostile environment. Or at least a hungry one.)

[The Magistrate]

5. Very Interesting, Ma'am: Thank You For Sharing It