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Pipes' wishful thinking?

Reader comment on item: Nasser Abdo: The Full Story

Submitted by John in Michigan, USA (United States), Jul 17, 2011 at 08:17

"Allowing Abdo this status implies U.S. government endorsement that being Muslim and a loyal American are incompatible."

I have to wonder if this isn't a case of wishful thinking?

During the draft era, the USG routinely granted conscientious objector status to members of other religious groups, such as Quakers. It was never interpreted as an endorsement of the position that being a Quaker and a loyal American were incompatible. Rather, it endorsed the idea that certain people or groups were pacifists, whose conscience dictated that they could not participate in any war whatsoever.

In the post-draft era, the main basis for CO status is that someone joins the military with a clear conscience, but then undergoes a profound and sincere change of heart and becomes a pacifist. This is rare (and hard to prove) but it happens. Abdo's case is different. The ABC News report describes a man, PFC Abdo, who became disenchanted with the military, not someone who became a pacifist. You don't get to pick and choose. You don't get to bow out with honor if your life in the military sucks, or if you find yourself missing your old life, or if you object to some wars but not others. Even if he is cleared of the child pornography charges, he should receive a less-than-honorable discharge, or a court martial.

Even more problematic: There doesn't appear to be a policy of inquiring of potential Muslim recruits if their faith would prevent them from serving fully. If the purpose of the USG is as you say, wouldn't policies such as these be a no-brainer?

Rather than a rejection of sharia, Abdo's case represents, as far as I know, the first endorsement by the USG of the concept of selective conscientious objection, a concept which the courts have so far rejected for good reason.

It appears that under the new policy, Muslims who object to certain types of military service or certain wars may join the military, accepting all the training, benefits, status, and honor that comes with that, and then receive an honorable discharge when called upon to earn that honor. This is an insult to all Americans, particularly those few moderate Muslims who freely choose to serve their country without reservations in the military. It is bad for morale. Worst of all, it seems like an open invitation for Islamists who want to fight America to join up, be paid to receive the best training in the world, gain insider knowledge of which of our enemy's tactics are most effective...and then resign and proceed to fight against us...all while casting a pall of doubt on moderate Muslim service members who are loyal Americans.

"This has portentous implications" is true, but I think not in the way that you mean.

Submitting....

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Reader comments (34) on this item

Title Commenter Date Thread
United States of America - The Modern Pharaoh [100 words]AbdallahAug 13, 2012 06:01197874
That'd actually make it easier for actual jihadists to kill americans. They'd be armed. [42 words]AnonAug 12, 2012 21:05197862
2Most disturbing aside from the usual terrorism stuff [42 words]saraAug 12, 2012 20:08197860
1Shades of Hannibal Lecter [29 words]DaveAug 12, 2012 19:25197857
1He gets a secret + clearance in the Army? [98 words]JohnJul 12, 2012 19:24197198
4"I don't see that, from the Islamic point of view" [173 words]AhmedJul 10, 2012 17:55197132
2So called racism in the US Army [199 words]ShishirAug 1, 2011 07:33187894
2More due to being a result of a broken family [169 words]ShishirAug 1, 2011 07:22187893
4Why so much sex offences? [320 words]dr med Michael KochAug 2, 2011 09:08187893
A deranged boy [32 words]MosheAug 2, 2011 09:12187893
WHAT 'S YOUR OPINION [19 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
ABDOJul 25, 2011 07:39187680
7Can a Muslim be a Loyal American Soldier. I say no, Not as long as they Serve Allah. [141 words]AnneJul 21, 2011 10:41187601
You didn't read [12 words]ABDOJul 25, 2011 07:35187601
4Not as long as the serve Allah- response to ABDO [45 words]AnneJul 25, 2011 19:13187601
9al-munafiq al-kabeer [128 words]dhimmi no moreJul 26, 2011 14:39187601
1Pfc Abdo is a perfect fit to be CAIR's public relations manager! [217 words]PrashantJul 18, 2011 00:14187522
3Muslim loyalty [78 words]Philip SmeetonJul 17, 2011 13:44187510
3Muslim Loyalty [38 words]Nenette GrunbergJul 19, 2011 10:56187510
WHAT IS THE TITLE HERE?? [8 words]ABDOJul 25, 2011 07:33187510
9Ignorance and hypocrisy [44 words]dhimmi no moreJul 26, 2011 08:09187510
1Can a Muslim be a loyal American Soldier? [130 words]Nenette GrunbergJul 17, 2011 13:18187507
IS THERE?? [7 words]ABDOJul 25, 2011 07:30187507
7The real Egyptians are not the wannabe Arabs like our dear Abdo [93 words]dhimmi no moreJul 26, 2011 14:29187507
1Is there [115 words]Nenette GrunbergJul 28, 2011 15:57187507
7A violation of military regs [146 words]Dean M.Jul 17, 2011 12:57187506
1War, Islam and Abdo [24 words]Steven LJul 17, 2011 12:56187504
4Muslims in the US Army [92 words]Anil K. Sarkar. MDJul 17, 2011 12:13187499
2Perversion of the chanin of command. Abdo tries to build an American Hiz'b'allah [227 words]Abu NudnikJul 17, 2011 11:55187496
2Then, Why the heck did he join the Army in the first place? [57 words]PazuzuJul 17, 2011 11:28187492
Thoughts on Abdo [318 words]Sigmund DermanAug 22, 2012 10:28187492
All that aside, Abdo had set a major precedent [111 words]saraAug 22, 2012 17:16187492
Islam, Anthem, Citizenship [73 words]Alan SilvermanJul 17, 2011 08:20187481
That guy was not a true Iranian [46 words]KouroshDec 24, 2011 02:16187481
3Pipes' wishful thinking? [462 words]John in Michigan, USAJul 17, 2011 08:17187480

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Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome but not comments that are scurrilous, off-topic, commercial, disparaging religions, or otherwise inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the "Guidelines for Reader Comments".

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