Not Learning the Lessons from Ft. Hood

After the terrorist attack at Ft. Hood, the official reaction from General Casey to the West-Clark Report were disappointing in the extreme for their lack of clear and direct understanding of the problem, but in a way are understandable given the political climate.

One clear message to all from Ft. Hood though was that we need to be very careful to make clear distinctions when it comes to affiliations with known radical elements within Islam by either individual service members or organizations connected with the military. Just as we would expect the Department of Defense to be able to tell the difference between Christian Scientists and Christian Identity and act accordingly – we should hope that they could do the same in the spectrum of Islam that runs from Sufism to Wahhabism.

Well, based on an email I received – maybe not.

From: [REDACTED] CAPT CNSF, [mailto:[REDACTED] @navy.mil]

Sent: Friday, July 02, 2010 10:00 AM

To: Subject: Hajj Training Nominations – Widest Dissemination

Commanders and Chaplains,

Over the last two years, the Navy has accepted invitations from the Saudi Ministry of Defense and Aviation to sponsor Muslim members of the U.S. Armed Forces to participate in religious training at the annual Hajj pilgrimage. In each instance, the Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) determined there to be an agency interest in accepting the offer from the Saudi Arabian government to fund travel and attend religious training events associated with the Hajj.

We have received a formal invitation from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and a request from the U.S. Navy Directorate for International Engagement (OPNAV N52) to solicit nominations for five service members from the Department of the Navy (3 Sailors and 2 Marines) to attend this year’s Hajj. This is a wonderful opportunity to enrich the spiritual life and training of our service members while simultaneously strengthening the religious resources available to the Department of the Navy.

This is the second push in looking for interested parties. If so please forward recommendations through us so we can get interested sailors to participate in this unique opportunity. Please review attached documents for more information and guidelines.

r/

Chaplain [REDACTED]

CAPTAIN [REDACTED] CHC, USN

Force Chaplain, Naval Surface Forces

[REDACTED]

San Diego [REDACTED]

Office: (619) 437-[REDACTED]

Cell: (619) 301-[REDACTED]

[REDACTED] @navy.mil

There are more interesting comments and instructions – coming from the military of a free nation – that go along with the email enclosures. In the Hajj Nomination Criteria,

9. If female, must be accompanied by Sailor spouse.

…

14. Participants will be expected to brief their commanding officer, conduct a training presentation for their command, and forward a copy of their presentation to N0973 via their Command Chaplain.

Sample Command Nomination,

2. RANK/RATE, LAST NAME’s devotion to Islam is unquestioned ….

… and the Hajj Visa Requirements,

e. If the nominee has converted to Islam, an Islamic certificate must be presented; this needs to be notarized by an Islamic Center.

Comments about these efforts also being made for Jews, Hindus, Buddhists, and Mormons really don’t need to be made – do they? Would the DOD take up an offer to let the Vatican send a half dozen Sailor and Marines to go with the Order of Malta on the Lourdes Pilgrimage? Don’t be silly … but let our military be trained by the this century’s most hate-filled and retrograde sect of a major religion – sure!

Facts: the home of Wahhabism is Saudi Arabia; the most radical mosques in the world are financed with Saudi money; the Madrassas of Pakistan that churn out terrorists are financed with Saudi money; 15 of the 19 11SEP01 hijackers were Saudi. Enough?

Does anyone here think that religious training approved and conducted in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is anywhere close to instilling the ideas that are conductive to good order and discipline in the armed services of the USA? That encourages pluralism and respect for other religions or no religion? Really?

Islam, like the other the Abrahamic religions – Christianity and Judiasm – is not monolithic. There are choices we can make – there are distinctions that can be made. Not to make them is not only a sign of intellectually dishonesty, but of cowardice.

This Hajj training is not outreach or engagement; it is mindless cowardice and self-destructive dhimmitude.