Fort Hood suspect prevented from praying

Misleading headline. It has not been stopped from praying. It has been stopped from communicating to its family via Arabic. I am Allah understands English just fine, so if this scumbucket wants to pray to him over the phone with family, English will do just fine. Arabic is okay alone and in its cell though, not that I think Allah will have any mercy on it no matter how much it prays.

Moderator: The word "he" would be better than "it." Otherwise, you are just lowering the level of discussion.

numbskull: You been watching Silence of the Lambs? Strange, Buffalo Bill-style phrasing you have there...

This lawyer is grasping at straws. No prison guard in his right mind would let a prisoner chat away with someone from outside the jail in a language he does not understand (let alone over the phone!). What if they were not praying but discussing how to spring said prisoner out of jail?

A solution could be, to get a prison guard that speaks Arabic to supervise conversations.

Who cares? He gave up his rights the day he decided to act out violently. He should be shoved down a well to rot alone.

You can't prevent someone from praying. He was stopped from speaking English with his family. Their restrictions are perfectly reasonable.

Just an attempt by his lawyers to try and gather sympathy for him. Also probably part of the Pentagon's plan to act like it is "being tough" on him to soothe those who think that they have gone too soft on the whole PC issue.

I fully expect that this guy will not get a hard sentence. He will not get the death penalty, and if he does, he will not be put away fast, but will be held as an appeasement tool for one day when needed whenever the US does something else wrong (by the muslim world standards) in the Middle East.

tough s**t pal, you're a mass murderer

Its just too horrible and too cruel for words.

I fully expect that this guy will not get a hard sentence. He will not get the death penalty, and if he does, he will not be put away fast, but will be held as an appeasement tool for one day when needed whenever the US does something else wrong (by the muslim world standards) in the Middle East.

Oh, you are so wrong. This guy will get the death penalty and will be executed.

It has not been stopped from praying. It has been stopped from communicating to its family via Arabic.

Curious linguistic tic its got there, or just a case of its brain's numb today?

Isn’t this the guy that stopped 13 other people from being able to pray with their families, by phone or any other way? My heart bleeds for him……

I think the requirement to speak in English unless an interpreter is present is reasonable in a high-security case like this. I think the guy is bilingual, he could adapt.

I'd prefer the headline to read 'Fort Hood suspect prevented from breathing' myself.

The ban is on the language, not the prayer. You could just as easily have a headline reading, "Fort Hood suspect prevented from talking about bananas."

This lawyer is clever, playing all the weaknesses of the Western system against itself. You will hear no end to his fairy tales of twisting this story about the poor oppressed muslim who driven crazy by our oppression of his religion of peace.

Al Quaeda training manuals teach precisely this sort of action -- use the Western system against itself. And it is working splendidly.

He gave up his rights when he joined the Army. There is no right to free speech in the Army and the 2nd ammendment doesn't apply either. You don't stop a battle for call to prayers. So some attorney whining that the guy has to carry on conversations in English now that he's both in the Army and in prison is just a sad attempt to garner sympathy. And maybe some free advertising for the attorney. This is the kind of whining that convinced this guy he had a right to kill people. Grow up and face the consequences of your actions!

Looks to me that he can pray any way he wants as long as it is in English...wonder if they will ever impose this same rule in Japan???

The lawyer is playing the race/faith card. Get the Muslim community to rise up in indignation against the unfair, discriminatory system.

Definitely inflammatory title.

The prison should be recording his calls as a matter of course, though.

"You will hear no end to his fairy tales of twisting this story about the poor oppressed muslim who driven crazy by our oppression of his religion of peace."

Only on your paranoid conspiracy blogs dripping with rabid Islamaphobia.

The rest of us here in Reality look on thinking "how in the hell didn't they manage to shoot this nut-case dead at Fort Hoood....."

"Hasan's religious rights"

What about the rights of those he murdered?

In fact charges should be brought against the two cops for not shooting this idiot dead.

Not only is the tax-payer going to foot the bill for the trial (let alone his medical bill) but we're going to have to put up with all the anti-islamic rants from people who really believe that the muslims are taking over the world.....

Oh, you are so wrong. This guy will get the death penalty and will be executed.

perspective, I hope that you are right and I am wrong. But just look at it this way, the Army has gone out of it's way to say that this was nothing to do with his religion, but that he was jsut crazy. They have tried to distance themselves from the fact that he may have been radicalized.

I imagine this trial will last a long time, or as some said of how things went when "W" was in office, this will be Obama's trump card to pull out if by the next November the Dems are looking bad in the polls. Need to show that he/Dems are strong on the terror front just like "W" did.

I am not trying to start any conspiracies, but just by knowing how the US gov't works, and the games the professional politicans play, this is probably how it will go down.

I hope I am wrong on that guess, it truly is a shame. We have this guy, we should give him a speedy trial and then follow up on whatever the sentence results are.

Cops have a right to understand what he is saying. Recording should be done, but instant translation is safest.

"hey have tried to distance themselves from the fact that he may have been radicalized."

Personally I am of the opinion to think you'd hve to be high on crack to believe this was an act of jihad...

The carnage would have been un-imaginable had this been an al-Qaida style act of terrorism. It woumd probably resulted in yet another third-world country being invaded in retaliation...

Madverts:

" Personally I am of the opinion to think you'd hve to be high on crack to believe this was an act of jihad... "

Personally, I wonder what you have to be high on to think that this was not an act of jihad. The guy had been prosyletizing left, right and center, had lambasted the stinking infidels in speeches to collegues, even had "soldier of Allah" printed on his private business cards. Then he proceed to go on suicide murder mission to shouts of "Allah Akbar"....

To blank out the jihad from that really needs a disconnect from reality.

In the mind of the monster it was an act of jihad, no doubt. But Muslims would not agree with the monster and find nothing holy about this. Its just a question of if who you chose to follow, nuts or sensible people. It looks like an "each to their own" situation if you ask me, and yes, brothers fight the most bitterly.

numbskull,

"In the mind of the monster it was an act of jihad, no doubt"

That's my point - in the mind of a nutter it was perhaps "jihad" to the rest of us not subscribing to bed-wetting fantasies about Islam taking over the world that is.

Imagine this guy really being a prepared terrorist out to lucidly kill as many GI's as possible. The consequences would have been horrific, the numbers of dead ten-fold.

Keep in mind Madverts, a military training base does take precautions against particular weapons being brought on base (like unregistered explosives), where as personal handguns may have looser restrictions. I find it odd you don't see it from the perspective that what Hasan has done works more against peaceful Islamic believers than for their cause peaceful representation. Its the same as a recent crime spree with black gang-members commiting racially motivated crimes (robbery and assault of non black around the states (most people are now instinctually paranoid thanks to this) and are much more wary of a gathering of groups. This has not been the only time an islamic extremist/group of extremists have done something to upset the local society they live in, so as much as you'd like to hang out in the uber PC group, its not going to work against islamophobia as long as there is in your face proof that there are just too many islamic extremist nutters out there.

This man has lost certain rights once he did something to end up behind prison bars. Once that happens he has to step where they tell him to, walk how they tell him too because these are the consequences for his criminal actions. If they want him to speak in english unless they have interpreter present then he'd better do what they tell him to. Agreed with most posters here, the lawyer is just doing what most defense lawyers do, make the most trivial matters seem like its a violation of Hasan's rights (which he literally tossed out the window).

Honest,

"I find it odd you don't see it from the perspective that what Hasan has done works more against peaceful Islamic believers than for their cause peaceful representation."

Au contraire, I agree that Major Hasan's actions, much akin to the attrociries vomitted up by real jihadists in fact works totally against their attempts to portray their sect as a peaceful one. I'll go further and say that it is even worse when they are in the streets ramapging because a Koran has been flushed down the toilet, but not when 156 are slaughtered in the next Baghdad truck bomb. Heh, if you had me chalked up as a member of the PC crowd then grab the board rubber....;)

To me, the only thing that sent this idiot on the rampage was his own dementia. Indeed, I'll reitarate being thankful for the people at Fort Hood that he was just a spree-killer nut-case that happened to be a muslim.

Let's face it, how many of these murdering cranks have said the "God" told them to get up one morning and execute a load of people for no other reason than their proximity to the nutter?

Sorry, that doesn't read right;

"Indeed, I'll reitarate being thankful for the people at Fort Hood that he was just a spree-killer nut-case that happened to be a muslim - rather than an organized suiced bomber.

Being non-military and European, I have to admit I have no clue on base security, but I do have the impression it was kinda lax before this incident.

Am shocked and angry to read these posts. I thought America was suppose to be better that the rest of the world, at least according to Americans. I read a lot of truly hateful remarks. Do you forget your own constitution? He has NOT been CONVICTED of these crimes yet and it is possible he never will. So you are saying that because he is accused and military he loses all of his rights? I wonder if he is allowed religious pastoral care? Maybe the only way he can pray is with his family on the phone. What happened to "freedom of religion" or American rights only to certain groups? Will American Constitution be for all people except Muslims. Then other groups will be added soon even you! Once America starts watering down the rights and protections acknowledged by your forefathers were will it end? America would soon be just another dictatorship in the world nothing special.

Well dick he had a point.

DickMorris, you are so WRONG. Americans need to uphold their constitution which as been weakened by so many of the Supreme Court decisions, executive decisions, DOD policy, etc to become a shell of what it should be. America is on the road abandoning its founders principles. What would be so bad about letting him pray with his family after all they tape his calls? It can be heard later by a translator. So if I understand this man should have none of the right, privileges, and protections of the US Constitution just because of the act he committed? This is NOT bashing Americans just a call to live up to their responsibilities of their United Stated Constitution.

This is an Army medical center = he has little rights, just like G-Mo detainees.

So if I understand this man should have none of the right, privileges, and protections of the US Constitution just because of the act he committed

The act he committed was heinous, inhumane, unjustifiable murder, no matter what circumstance he was at the time of an incident.

. . .their responsibilities of their United Stated Constitution

It makes little sense to preach people the Japanese notion of responsibility, because the Congress have every right to constitute the meaning of "We the People" depending on a political climate. The text of US Constitutions have been interpreted in many ways, varying from George Washington to Bush II. You might want to look into how the text has changed its meanings throughout its entire history by trace its historical events -- including Slavery, Panama Canal, the League of the Nations, WWI/II, the Cold War, Civil Rights Movement, Vietnam, Affirmative Actions, ERA, the Gulf War, Iraq War/War in Afghanistan, etc.

And I will emphasize that Americans(in the US and abroad) are NOT blind to their problems as you imagine. They have been dealing with so many problems of national/international politics regarding race, economy, and war.

YuriOtani- The problem is NOT his prayer. It is his speaking in a language that the officers in charge of him don't understand. He simply refuses to pray in English. The officers have a duty to make sure he isn't attempting to co-ordinate anything else with outside folk, thus the requirement he speak English. Yes, they should have a translator available to be certain. Though, my experience has been that certified translators of Arabic are few in the States and there are dozens of dialects and finding an available translator of the right dialect at the time he wishes to pray may be impossible. As to finding the translator later to listen to the tapes, it might be too late later. You have to admit, they really shouldn't trust him at his word that it's just harmless prayer. They trusted him before and he betrayed that trust. They can't be sure he won't try something else given the chance.

No violation here. This is a national security issue. For example, casinos in the US ban gamblers at one table from speaking to one another in a non-English different language. They might be plotting to cheat the casino and the staff would never know it. The same principle applies here.

Perhaps, Yuri, you should read said Constitution before talking about it. This guy can pray anytime he wants, just can't do it in another language on the phone with his family, that's not a violation of the Constitution just Army policy.

Alphaape - oh, he'll go down for this. Instead of trying to portray it as an act of "jihad" it should be portrayed for what it is, a cowardly disgruntled soldier that chose to shoot unarmed people. This person had the choice of getting out of the Army if he didn't want to go to Afghanistan - given his views they probably would have let him out. At any given point in the time leading up to the crime he could have said that he couldn't live up to the oath he swore because of his "beliefs" - perhaps he would have received a less than honorable discharge or worse but no one would have had to die. Muhammad Ali went to prison because he refused to be drafted for Vietnam - to me that's showing the courage of your convictions, not shooting unarmed people.

Disgruntled because of his religion. His own personal jihad. Some here refuse to recognize the connection. Once again the muslim religion proves to be the problem. I do care if he prays. He's praying for his own ass not his victims. Wanker deserves no special treatment and has 0 sympathy from me.

Technically, Maj. Hassan hasnt prayed since the killings, when he was screaming "Allahu ! akbar !", or whatver it is they like to shout when the kill and decapitate people.

oh, he'll go down for this. Instead of trying to portray it as an act of "jihad" it should be portrayed for what it is, a cowardly disgruntled soldier that chose to shoot unarmed people" No, he should be portrayed as traitor and hardly anyone is portraying him as a jihadi/terrorist. What news source do you watch? Certainly not American.

Anyway, why can't he be put in solitary confinement with access to his lawyer while he awaits trial? Or is that too harsh?

Ahotsumgami:

" Though, my experience has been that certified translators of Arabic are few in the States and there are dozens of dialects and finding an available translator of the right dialect at the time he wishes to pray "

But as a good muslim he has to pray 5 times every day... in Arabic, of course. That means, the nice and politically correct American infidels will have to provide an Arabic translator for the good major basically around the clock. Paid for, of course, by the infidel taxpayers.

Using the West´s liberal system against itself works indeed splendidly.

skipthesong:

" Instead of trying to portray it as an act of "jihad" it should be portrayed for what it is, a cowardly disgruntled soldier that chose to shoot unarmed people" "

Well, by the same token you can portray the 9/11 hijackers as "cowardly disgruntled students that chose to fly planes into buildings". In fact, you can play that word game for every jihadist terrorist attack. How nice, there is no jihad anymore. Brilliant!

I think people are missing my point, which is why classify this as anything other than mass murder? The guy shot and killed people, there are eyewitnesses and plenty of forensic evidence. Pretty much a slam dunk case, he'll have his trial, be convicted and executed. Why turn it into a circus?

perspective:

The scandal is that the mass murder need not to have taken place. It only because of the stupid Western political correctness that this jihadist nut was allowed to stay in the armee and carry a weapon in the first place.

But they rather accept loss of life than give up on political correctness.

Am really disappointed with these postings and with the United States. It started with the posters. Once certain classes are denied their constitution right by what ever means, soon their will be no rights for anyone. I only see excuses and worse to deny this man his rights and due process. I still wonder a little bit if they got the wrong person. Tricks like this have been used by other governments to justly curtaining civil rights. I am not sure what is the "truth" in this case. One think I know is how could he possibly shoot so many people? A few brave soldiers should of been able to take away the pistol from him. Like when reloading. Something STINKS and people are ready to judge him from what they have seen on TV!

The military has imposed restrictions requiring Hasan to speak only in English on the phone or with visitors unless an interpreter is present.

I think it's a good rule. Now if he's praying, he doesn't need to be talking to visitors or on the phone. It's between him and Allah. If he's praying with his brother, then they'll have to pray in English. He lost some of his personal rights when he killed human beings.

When they find him guilty of murder, then he can go to his cell deep in solitary and pray in any language he likes. < :-)

Yuri, they got the right guy, he hasn't been denied any rights or due process according to the law, and people did fight back which is how the jerk was wounded.

suspect? Just pop him and get it over with.

30061015, What about "due process"? Sounds like you would like America to be like any dictatorship. perspective, he was shot in the fighting. I would have to see the evidence against him to make a determination. He could of been shot by mistake and the police were shot by someone else. Not very likely but it is possible. At this point he is accused not found guilty.

YuriOtani:

Something STINKS and people are ready to judge him from what they have seen on TV!

You know what? People are free to judge this man in whatever way they want. You're simply mixing the things up-- the excessive media report and their judgment are as different as night and day.

Sounds like you would like America to be like any dictatorship. perspective, he was shot in the fighting

It's NOT "fighting." He was shot, because he was carrying the gun and shooting any person in his sight. Go check the news at the CNN website(www.cnn.com).

Perhaps, Yuri, it would be best to get your facts straight before commenting.

Tragic Story . Maj Hassan's spiritual advisor has been killed in Yemen. This is a reuters report:

"A Yemeni air raid may have killed the top two leaders of al Qaeda’s regional branch on Thursday, and an American Muslim preacher linked to the man who shot dead 13 people at a U.S. army base may also have died, a Yemeni security official said."

Looks like it will be even harder for him to pray, and find his faith.

Nonsense. He has his faith, and is acting according to it.

Deceiving the kuffars, lying to them, using the Western system to obfuscate and confuse and causing them as much economic trouble as possible is entirely in line with it.

I say he lost all rights the moment he took those same rights from the people he killed.

I agree with palisadez...I say too that taking a life in commission of a crime means you forfeit yours and your rights as well. I just wonder why some people are more concerned about the rights of this murderer and not the rights of the victims.

This guy spent ages trying to get out of the US military, but the idiots were too stupid to let him. They forced him to listen to racist, anti-Islamist vitriol from people who had good reason to feel that way but would probably calm down after being back home for a few months and admit freely that not all Muslims are crazed killers. How would a Christian feel if forced to listen to such vitriol about his own kind? And add a personal mental problem and years of confusion and depression and you really don't need Al Quaeda to inspire you to lose control and do something like this.

Frankly, the biggest mistake this man made was to join up in the first place. If he hadn't done that, or if they'd let him out when he asked, there would have been no gunfire that day.

Yes, prosecute him, execute him if necessary, but accept that some of the blame lies with the US military idiots who were more concerned with keeping what they saw as a foreigner in the ranks than in humanity.

Hi dammit,

can you give some examples of your "racist, anti-Islamist vitriol" that poor little Hasan was forced to endure?

I have read plenty of antisemitic, anti-Western islamist vitriol that the collegues and patients of Hasan had to endure (and as far as I know nobody responded by going on a shooting spree), but I have heard that he was ever forced to listen to a counterpoint.

Examples, please!

Dammit is talking about Hassan's role as a shrink listening to ranting soldiers coming back from tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, I guess, many of them probably spouting off their ignorance of Islam and Muslims.

Besides, he was also on the end of it at times. His car was keyed and the sticker (what was written on it? God/Allah is Love? Islam means Peace?) was torn off it by some clever dick.

Enough to create resentment and alienation, perhaps, but enough to set off a killing spree? No, there had to be other factors. Medication, mental instability, naivety leading to exposure to brainwashing, etc.

nandakamanda:

you have no idea what any soldiers said to him (besides, he hardly took any interviews), so you are only making up things.

But yes, you are right: There had to be other factors. Can you spell radical islam? Because that is it all takes.

WilliB, yes, what nandakandamanda said. He was a shrink to people who had valid reason to say unreasonable things about Muslims. That's what shrinks are for, to spout all your vitriol to so you can walk out the door with a little less weight on your shoulders. It wasn't the troops fault that the idiots in charge put a Muslim in such an unfortunate job. It wasn't his fault either, and he tried very hard to get out of the situation.

As I said before, try him, execute him if need be. But those in charge MUST accept that their stupid behavior helped to cause this tragedy, because if they don't accept it they'll just do it AGAIN. Do you read me? Again. What a stupid, senseless, waste of lives that would be. I'm sure you'll agree with me there. Putting Islamists in a position where their religion, culture, and everything they stand for will be insulted in such a way is asking for trouble. I'd call it PTSD, but then I'm not a shrink. Not just Islamists either, no normal mortal can take that sort of abuse long-term, and anyone with underlying mental health disorders won't hold out very long.

Agree with Palisadez54 -- he gave up his freedom when he pulled the trigger...