Folks, I have read some kooky things before, but this about takes the cake! The court martial of accused Ft. Hood Shooter Major Nidal Hasan has been delayed. And why? Because they don’t know if they can order his beard to be forcibly shaven. No I’m not kidding.
On Wednesday when Hasan entered court with a beard he had been growing, the proceedings were stopped and he was fined $1000 and the presiding judge, Col. Gregory Gross, threatened to have him forcibly shaven, which is against Army regulations. As a result there is no reschedule for the trial now.
This was all due to a military court of appeals action, which failed to take into consideration that this was an issue back in June when Hasan entered the court with a beard and has not complied with shaving it.
Hasan is accused of killing 13 soldiers and wounding 32 others in November of 2009 in a terrorist attack, though the White House says it was more like a workplace violence incident. Yeah, a Muslim shouting “Allahu Akbar” while gunning down his American comrades in cold blood is workplace violence. Right. It’s terrorism and more importantly it’s just plain murder.
Here’s the thing I don’t get. What is fining a man $1000 that you are putting on trial for his life, with multiple witnesses to the shooting, going to do? I get that he is technically still considered to be in the Army, but seriously, what does that have to do with the beard? (Just so you know, I’m aware that you are to be clean shaven if you are in the service.) Just begin the trial already. If it’s against the Army rules to shave him by force, fine. It was against Army rules for him to be shooting up soldiers too.
But more than likely this has some bit of political correctness involved. Remember Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the mastermind behind 9-11? His hearing was suspended in order “to a avoid with the Muslim holy period of Ramadan.” Interestingly enough Ramadan began July 19 and ends on Sunday or today in some countries.
Get on with it. This nonsense of Ramadan and beards just seems silly in light of what the issue is. Let the court martial go forward. The man has already been warned once. He will not comply willingly and soldiers will just be put through the process of shaving him daily, when more than likely the man is headed for the death penalty. To let it continue is just to cater to his rebelliousness. I say give the man a trial and find him guilty. Then carry out his sentence swiftly. There are plenty of witnesses to testify to the fact that he did it. It isn’t like it happened in private with no one around and the longer he lives the more he costs taxpayers.
Deal with the man appropriately or all these Muslims that commit crimes like this will be sticking their fingers up at the system and mockingly declare, “Not by the hair of my chinny chin chin.”
