Fort Hood – Religious Freedom Or Freedom From Justice For Nidal Hasan?

Major Nidal Hasan is charged with 13 counts of premeditated murder and 32 counts of attempted premeditated murder in the November 2009 attack at Fort Hood.  A military appeals court ordered a stay for Hasan's trial because a judge had ordered Hasan be forcibly shaved to conform to military discipline.  The appeals court ruled that shaving Hasan forcibly would infringe on his religious freedom.  Hasan, a Major in the US Army at the time of the Ft. Hood massacre, is a U.S. Muslim born to Palestinian parents.

His attorneys noted that Hasan always appeared in court in "proper uniform".  I totally disagree with his lawyers about his "proper uniform" and in this instance I think we should disregard his freedom of religion.  When he enlisted in the U.S. Army he knew what the proper dress code entailed including being clean shaven with a proper haircut.  This man was and is a major, an officer in the U.S. Army and knows what the rules were.  Those rules include proper uniform and proper grooming.

Hasan does not want to shave his beard because his religion considers a bare face sinful and he has had a premonition that he will die soon.  A member of Hasan's defense team is a Muslim Imam and vouched for the fact that Hasan's refusal to shave is due to "a sincere, personal religious conviction."  I'm thrilled that Hasan has a premonition he will die soon.  I believe we should shave his beard, slap him in a Class A uniform, try him and if found guilty we should make his premonition a reality.

I don't think it is hateful of me to want a military trial for a man who was paid with our tax dollars as an Army officer accused of killing 13 and wounding 32 others.  I don't think it is hateful to want him to face a firing squad or a needle if he is found guilty.  I think it is despicable that an officer in our military will turn on his countrymen (he was born here) and slaughter them with no remorse.  I think it is despicable that Hasan is worried about his religious freedom at a time when he should be on his knees praying for forgiveness instead of worrying his facial hair.

Major Hasan knew what the rules were when he enlisted.  He knew the rule of law that said you must not kill another human being.  He wants the rules of military dress code disregarded for him but he want us to forget about the law commanding him not to kill innocent people?  I think it's bad enough when terrorists in the Mid-East disguise themselves as allies then turn on our soldiers and kill them in cold blood but Major Hasan is the lowest form of humanity.

I think we need to insure that Major Nidal Hasan will have a fair trial but I also think if he is found guilty he should not be excused from the death penalty by an insanity plea.