There’s growing public discussion about the best way to describe Dr. Nidal Hasan – the U.S. Army major and psychiatrist who killed 13 Soldiers and wounded 30 others in a rampage at Ft. Hood, TX. Many seem interested in labeling him a terrorist. I propose a different name – murderer. 
Terrorists aim to further their ideology by committing a variety of crimes that trigger public fear. Sadly, murder is part of their heinous repertoire. But when they kill, they are guilty as murderers. Isn’t the term “murderer” bad enough?
Every major religion defines its code of conduct by identifying actions that are considered “good” and “evil.” Universally, among those religions, murder is considered evil. When killing is intentional, preventable and unjustified, it is murder.
McVEIGH – MURDER IN OKLAHOMA
Several years before the infamous September 11 attack on the World Trade Center in NYC, Tim McVeigh, a former U.S. Army Soldier, bombed the Federal Building in Oklahoma City – killing hundreds of innocent civilians, including women and children.
His acts were senseless, inhuman and horrific. He was tracked down, captured, tried, and executed. We didn’t examine his ideological motivation, or focus on whether or not he deserved to be called a “terrorist.” We all understood. McVeigh was a murderer.
Similarly, Dr. Hasan is a murderer.
DEFYING EVERY OATH
So, rather than arguing over whether Dr. Hasan deserves additional labels – I’m more interested in discussing the depth of his murderous crime.
For example – consider the many oaths he broke on that fateful day at Ft. Hood. It’s positively breathtaking.
Dr. Hasan is not only a Soldier – he’s an Army officer, who swore an oath to protect and defend the Constitution against all enemies, both foreign and domestic. Furthermore, he’s not just an officer. He’s a Major – a senior field grade officer, responsible for the conduct of other officers and Soldiers below his rank. And for that matter, he’s a medical doctor – sworn not only to preserve life, but actually “not to use the knife” against anyone. He has taken numerous oaths in his professional life – oaths to defend our Constitution, oaths to follow Army standards of conduct, and oaths to protect human life as a medical doctor. He turned his back on every one of them.
To honor an oath is to uphold good over evil. It demonstrates integrity, wholeness of spirit and good faith. To do the opposite (to lie or break one’s oath) is considered evil by most religions, including Islam. This makes Dr. Hasan’s murderous acts all the more reprehensible.
MEDIA MADNESS
In their search to understand the reasons why this man would kill fellow Soldiers in cold blood, some reporters have theorized that the stress of his job made something “snap” inside of him. Perhaps something inside did snap. Perhaps the reality of deploying to either Iraq or Afghanistan presented such mental and emotional strain that he became irrational. But that’s no excuse for murder.
We’ve all seen the “temporary insanity” defense applied to murder cases – when an enraged spouse kills an unfaithful partner, or when someone in a fist-fight goes berserk and kills his opponent. This defense presupposes that the murderer had no intention of killing the victim. However, the facts reveal that this is not the case with Dr. Hasan.
Instead, he went home to retrieve two pistols he had already purchased through legal channels. Then he returned to the Army post, and calmly entered a series of rooms – apparently shooting anyone in uniform that was in his path. He didn’t stop at the first victim – he proceeded to shoot another three dozen men and women. Periodically, he took time to reload. He faced no resistance – his victims were unarmed and caught by surprise.
His killing spree was intentional. And his actions were premeditated. He even stopped briefly over some of his victims to fire more bullets and ensure they were dead.
STRESSED SOLDIERS HAVE OPTIONS
Those who would excuse this behavior as “insanity” don’t understand the enormity of this crime. Nor do they understand our military. If Dr. Hasan was deeply distressed about his impending deployment, he could have requested help. Every member of our Army is regularly counseled about their rights as both citizens and Soldiers – including the right to request legal counsel and to communicate with their Congressional representative about any problem they deem worthy. Soldiers often exercise these rights – Dr. Hasan had no reason to fear reprisal. In fact, in his role as a counselor, he likely has recommended this course of action to others. It’s impossible to believe he was unaware of this option.
Alternatively, he could have simply quit. Resigned his commission. If there were consequences, he could have accepted those consequences – even if it meant going to jail for a brief time. Perhaps he would’ve made a more powerful point as a jailed conscientious objector than he did by killing fellow Soldiers.
Some might even argue that, had he felt that his situation was truly unbearable, he could’ve simply killed himself. Suicide is never a “good” option. But at least it would’ve spared the lives of those who did nothing to harm him.
Unfortunately, Dr. Hasan chose none of these options. His actions were cowardly and absolutely inexcusable.
THE MUSLIM CONNECTION
I have some empathy for Muslims in this country who may feel they struggle for acceptance as Americans. To be honest, lack of insight and strong feelings seem to exist on both sides of the religious divide in our country. Unfortunately, those factors lead to fear and mistrust. It appears that Dr. Hasan felt some of this.
However, that is by no means any excuse for his actions. He wasn’t being attacked. He wasn’t in danger for his life. Even if he was being ostracized for his beliefs, there’s no evidence that his victims were threatening him. Instead, he hunted them down and killed them without provocation.
Any Muslims who praise him for his actions have no understanding of the enormity of his crimes. Dr. Hasan’s actions are not even remotely similar to an attack on U.S. Soldiers by Taliban fighters. He purposefully murdered unarmed humans – a deed that runs counter to everything his faith and his profession demands. Furthermore, he had sworn oaths, with God as his witness. Therefore, for murder and for forsaking sacred oaths, God will hold Dr. Hasan accountable.
Jeff
(To learn more about my experience in helping to fight terrorism on the front lines, check out my book, “Afghan Journal: A Soldier’s Year in Afghanistan.” Read an excerpt and reviews at www.Afghanistan-Journal.com. Or order the book at Amazon.com.)
