U.S. Soldier, Citing His Muslim Religion, Seeks Conscientious Objector Status

A Muslim soldier from Texas who joined the U.S. Army last year now wants to leave the military, claiming he is a conscientious objector whose devotion to Islam has suffered since he took an oath to defend the United States against all enemies

OK. This guy only joined one year ago. Did he not know who we were fighting back then and still today??

Makes me wonder... I could understand his objection if he had joined the service prior to our engagement in the middle east.

Why now?

Pfc. Abdo had this to say

"I was more faithful to God before I joined the military and that's what kind of stirred me," he said. Military duties have really consumed every part of my day and did not allow me time to involve myself with the Islamic community to maintain what duties I felt that I owed God. This is really what made me come to the conclusion that I'm not ready to die....

Did he think serving in the 101st Airborne would be a 9-5 job?

His deployment has been deferred.

I suppose people can change their minds but this is quite a radical turn around.

J.E. McNeill, an attorney and executive director of the Center on Conscience and War, a Washington-based group that defends the rights of conscientious objectors, said it's difficult to predict the chances that Abdo's application will be approved. But on the surface, she said, it appears Abdo's case meets the standard for conscientious objector status.

"What he has to show is that he's opposed to war in any form," she said. "So the question is, is he opposed to any war or is he opposed to [Iraq and Afghanistan]?"

Applications for conscientious objectors -- defined by Army Regulation 600-43 as a person who is "sincerely opposed, because of religious or deeply held moral or ethical (not political, philosophical, or sociological) beliefs, to participating in war in any form" -- can take up to six months to process. Approval rates in the Army over the last seven years have averaged 58 percent. Across all U.S. military branches, 53 percent of conscientious objector status applications were approved from 2002 through 2006.

Of the 1.4 million enlisted U.S. military personnel as of Sept. 30, 2009, less than half of 1 percent identified themselves as Muslim, according to military statistics, and roughly the same rate of U.S. Army soldiers identified themselves as Muslim. Religious affiliation for military personnel currently serving in Iraq or Afghanistan was not available since servicemembers are not required to disclose that information.

www.foxnews.com...

I know it takes guts to stand up for what you believe in but, where has this guy been for the past 8 years?

IMO this is just his angle to get out of service. He wants to quit a job that you can't quit through traditional means, so he's sought out a different method.

Take away all of the hyperbole about religion that is filling the news these days and that's what I'm left seeing. Just a kid who got into more than he bargained for and is trying to manipulate the system to get out of his contract.

reply to post by Hefficide


He is going to have a tough case to prove and he is going to have to convince a psychologist and a chaplain and the investigating officer.

I don't think his case will fly.

Perhaps his recruiter told him that he would be stationed on a beach in Hawaii

reply to post by jibeho


This suit is nonsense. He should not be allowed to leave the service and should he choose not to perform his duties, he should be placed in prison for a period and then dishonorably discharged. Were he to aid and abet the enemy on the field of battle or in another capacity he should be tried for treason.

The military has no obligation to consider the religion of a soldier when making deployment decisions.

How about Christians refusing to fight in Germany during WWII?

What will be interesting is if the Justice Department weighs in here.

reply to post by Hefficide


Well, he's saying that he couldn't fulfil his prayers because military orders often prevented him from doing so, also that the more he considered war (and unjust war in particular) that he came to the conclusion that service in the US Army and being a Muslim were incompatible.

There's no doubt he should have bettered considered that before he joined up. He's been a bit naive.

Think the Army would do well just to let him go, tbh, he doesn't want to be there & I doubt his comrades would now rely on him anyway.

reply to post by jibeho


If we assume that the soldier in question was feeble minded enough to completely miss the point of being a soldier, yes, would should accept his plea. However, the available evidence suggests nothing more than a political turnover that now finds sanctuary in a faith.

War is ugly and actual combat is a bitch. You are out there dirty, nasty, hungry and thirsty while facing off against people who actually want to kill you any way they can. Every crack of a rifle is a bullet that missed you... but how long before your silhouette is filling someone else's sights?

The concept is noble but the actual experience is quite frightening. So some guys pray for rescue and eventually arrive at the conclusion that God does not like war and that for them to follow the path of a good person, they can no longer fight.

Curiously, Islam does not deal well with passivity. Muslim soldiers who decide to opt out are routinely killed for the good of the cause and to please Allah. They will not be well received in there hereafter either, as cowards and traitors are cast to the depths of hell where they must spend a thousand years reproving their worthiness.

The old saying that their are no atheists in a foxhole, is entirely true. Well, that is to say, I never met one that was dodging bullets.

...
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On the one hand, this guy should have thought of the ramifications of joining the army. Was he truly unaware of the two ongoing wars in Muslim countries?

On the other hand, if I were soldier alongside this guy, I would want him booted out. How can you trust a guy to watch your back, when he is only thinking of ways to get out?

[edit on 2-9-2010 by InvisibleAlbatross]

Wasn't "conscientious objector" status only implemented when the draft was in effect?

Does that apply now that they are all volunteers?

Even when being a conscientious objector, atl east during Vietnam by my understanding, you still served by being a medic, mechanic, etc. as long as it wasn't a combat role. Why shouldn't he fufill his contractual obligation in a non-combat role?

I agree with others that have posted he doesnt like the Army so hes trying to find a way out. Unless he was extremely ignorant of the fact he would be deployed to a mostly muslim country, to fight mostly muslims. I think him saying his service is infringing on his time to be a muslim is a cop out. All the bases have christian, islamic, and jewish relegious services. When I was in Iraq our interperters would tell us about there islamic faith. They all said the daily prayer did not have to be done exactly on time when in military service. There is more to this story. This private is using his faith as an excuse.

From the source:

"I realized through further reflection that God did not give legitimacy to the war in Afghanistan, Iraq or any war the U.S. Army would conceivably participate in," he wrote.

Well, I spoke to God about this, and He told me the dude is flat out wrong.

Actually, he doesn't seem to have a problem with going to war, just a problem going to war for the US.

Now, this turdstain joined the Army and selected a Combat Arms MOS. Unless he's been living under a rock, he should have known the US has been at war since 2001.

Give him a Dishonorable Discharge and kick his lame ass out. I get a chuckle picturing him kicked out the gate and all his trash piled up on the curb of Ft Campbell Blvd!

Or, assign him to a Catholic church that has a "relocated" Bishop. That'll keep him hopping!

Originally posted by jibeho
I know it takes guts to stand up for what you believe in but, where has this guy been for the past 8 years?

Well with his belief system it couldn't have been in combat. The military should throw his ass out, before they do that they should investigate whether or not he was in combat and if he was shirking his duty, then give him a medical discharge.

reply to post by Boomer1941


Why a medical discharge? Then he would probably get benefits he doesn't deserve.

Originally posted by rakkasansct
Why a medical discharge? Then he would probably get benefits he doesn't deserve.

Maybe he'll need one after he gets his squad leaders foot out of his ass?

Originally posted by rakkasansct
reply to post by Boomer1941

 

Why a medical discharge? Then he would probably get benefits he doesn't deserve.

Ya you're right, I was looking at the mental aspect of it although that wouldn't work. I'd like to say a BCD but ain't gonna go either, either way just kick his ass out with no veterans benefits.

Sounds to me he joined solely to become a conscientious objector and get his name in the news. Dishonorable discharge. Have a nice life.

/Q

On top of kicking him out with a BCD, make him pay back every dime spent on him while in service......and I mean every dime. This scumbag doesn't have the intestinal fortitude for the job and is using his quasi religious beliefs as an attempt at going free........free him, but like I said with a bcd and make him pay back every dime.

There is absolutely no way that he will receive a Big Chicken Dinner for this. If they decide to release him from his contract, it will more than likely Other Than Honorable and will be upgraded after six months.

That said...

At this point he is a liability in the eyes of the US Army. Add to that...that no one wants to be in combat with someone that they feel is compromised...well...you get the picture.


and please...keep your "one-sided" comments to yourself if you have never served...
Thank you for your tolerance...

Wow what a biased article. Completely left off that the reason he is leaving is that he was constantly mocked for his beliefs.

reply to post by Scopeless


Oh cry me a river.......he could have used his chain of command, jag, a chaplain.....this is an excuse. As an aside, if, and that's a big if, with the pc of the military these days, this was the reason, why not just say so.....the media and the ACLU, Cair and other professional extortion groups would have jumped all over this. He's just using this as an excuse.......or else he would have enlisted their aid and sought money as well.

Caught a quick bit of the news this morning. Some islamic group, islamic center for democracy maybe, is calling this guy out as a traitor. I think his plan backfired on him.