Former Army psychiatrist Nidal Hasan — who was guilty in the eyes of the Department of Defense of workplace violence for the 2009 shooting massacre at Fort Hood, despite his claim to be a “Soldier of Allah” — has now penned a letter to the pope, expressing his embrace of jihad.
Hasan told his attorney, John Galligan, to send the six-page letter to Pope Francis, which was titled, “A Warning To Pope Francis, Members Of The Vatican, And Other Religious Leaders Around the World,” Fox News reported.
In it, he references what seems to be the Koran while listing guidelines for “believers,” Fox News said.
In a section titled “Jihad,” Hasan lists as necessary attributes “the willingness to fight for All-Mighty Allah,” and calling it the test that separates the “mujahadeen [who] are encouraged to inspire the believers,” Fox News reported. He also writes that “fighters … have a greater rank in the eyes of Allah than believers who don’t fight,” the media outlet said.
Hasan doesn’t refer to the Fort Hood shooting that led to his conviction of 13 counts of premeditated murder and 32 counts of attempted murder — but no terrorism charges. On Aug. 28, he was sentenced to death by a jury panel of military officers.
In a previous letter, Hasan had stated his vow to support the Islamic State and its leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, Fox News said.
Hasan’s attorney said of the latest letter to the pope that it “underscores how much of his life, actions and mental thought process are driven by religious zeal. And it also reinforces my belief that the military judge committed reversible error by prohibiting Major Hasan from both testifying and arguing how his religious beliefs” motivated his Fort Hood shooting, Fox News said.
The Department of Defense has classified the Fort Hood shootings as acts of workplace violence and of criminal actions, shying from the terrorism label.
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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