[Slate] Christopher Hitchens - Hasan had been in direct correspondence with a notorious preacher of violence, Anwar al-Awlaki, whose enthusiasm for the teachings and actions of al-Qaeda has long been known. Hasan bought weapons well in advance of a murderous assault on unarmed soldiers. As he unleashed his volleys, he yelled the universal cry of jihad, "Allahu akbar!" or "God is great!" He had, in spoken and written communications, demonstrated a fascination with the concept of suicide martyrdom. He seems to have been especially obsessed with the Quranic injunction that forbids devout Muslims to make alliances with Christians and Jews. I do not say that all Muslims are terrorists, but I have noticed that an alarmingly high proportion of terrorists are Muslim. No doubt he came in for a taunt or two, but if you want to avoid that, then don't express contempt for your fellow soldiers while in uniform. Black Americans used to be segregated. Jewish recruits were mercilessly hazed, as were men or women who looked as if they might be gay. Did any of them ever come up with an act of mass murder as a response?
2009-11-18 06:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive