Updates on Nidal Malik Hasan

There were two items of note in the weekend papers. The first is an exchange between Hasan and an acquaintance that clarifies why this case belongs on this site:

"Jihad means an inner struggle, fighting against corruption and injustice."

The young doctor responded. "That's not a correct interpretation. Jihad means holy war. When your religion isn't safe, you have to fight for it. If someone attacks you, you must fight them. That is jihad. You can kill someone who is harming you."

The second item comes from The Telegraph. It's a bit sensational and no one else has reported this, so take it with a grain of salt for now, but:

Hasan, the sole suspect in the massacre of 13 fellow US soldiers in Texas, attended the controversial Dar al-Hijrah mosque in Great Falls, Virginia, in 2001 at the same time as two of the September 11 terrorists, The Sunday Telegraph has learnt. His mother's funeral was held there in May that year.

The preacher at the time was Anwar al-Awlaki, an American-born Yemeni scholar who was banned from addressing a meeting in London by video link in August because he is accused of supporting attacks on British troops and backing terrorist organisations.

Anwar Awlaki is a figure of high-interest to the violent jihad movement. I'll be discussing him in some detail in my book.

Labels: American-Jihadists, Nidal-Malik-Hasan

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