Middleman
Defender of the month
Yay or Nay? Is Islam a religion of peace, and thus grounds for conscientious objector status? Or, is this young man attempting to use that because a change of heart?
And, is there a problem, generally, for (devout)Muslims in the military? Do they suffer too much social ostracization to be an effective part of the U.S. Military? And, can they truly be loyal to our nation, even to the point of fighting against fellow Muslims?
FOXNews.com - U.S. Soldier, Citing His Muslim Religion, Seeks Conscientious Objector Status
And, is there a problem, generally, for (devout)Muslims in the military? Do they suffer too much social ostracization to be an effective part of the U.S. Military? And, can they truly be loyal to our nation, even to the point of fighting against fellow Muslims?
FOXNews.com - 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.
Pfc. Naser Abdo, a 20-year-old infantryman assigned to the 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell, Ky., filed for conscientious objector status in June because his faith and the military simply don't mix, he told FoxNews.com. The Army has deferred his scheduled deployment to Afghanistan.
"Islam is a peaceful religion, it's not a religion of warfare," Abdo said. "And it's not a religion of terror. As a Muslim, we stand against injustice, we stand against discrimination, and I feel it's my duty as an individual to do this."
Abdo, the Texas-born son of a Muslim father and a Christian mother, said his relatives and wife stand by his decision and that he will likely refuse to deploy if his application for CO status is denied.