Muslim G.I. says he won't go

New York Daily News ^ | 2/16/03 | MAGGIE HABERMAN

[kattracks]

Ghanim Khalil doesn't want to break the law, but says he may be forced to.

The 26-year-old Army National Guard reservist said yesterday that if he's called up to help fight Iraq in the coming weeks, he'll refuse to go.

"If I'm asked to go to the Middle East, I will not," Khalil, of Staten Island, said at a news conference yesterday before he headed over to the anti-war rally near the United Nations.

"I believe if this war occurs, it is a violation of human rights," added Khalil, a Muslim with Pakistani roots.

Khalil, a supply specialist, said he has been given no date for when his unit at the Marcy Ave. Armory in Brooklyn might be called up.

"I've been told that it's only a matter of time," he said.

Khalil sat with members of the advocacy group Citizen Soldier, some of whom are veterans of past wars who are opposed to another Iraqi conflict.

Khalil, who spent four years on active duty with the Marines, said some of his opposition stems from his religious beliefs.

"As a Muslim, I have objections" to the war, he said.

But he called his protests universal, saying people of all faiths have spoken out against Persian Gulf War II.

Khalil said he realized he could go to jail if he refuses to follow orders ? but that he's within his legal rights to speak out against the war.

National Guard spokesman Col. Dan Stoneking wouldn't comment on Khalil specifically, saying, "All Americans have First Amendment rights," but that reservists who won't serve would be sanctioned.

[Arpege92]

Oh I see! He wouldn't have a problem fighting another country, say like Germany but he puts his foot down because the country is Iraq. If he is opposed to all wars, then why in the hell did he even join the military?

[mathurine]

We need to find a better class of immigrants than these mohammadens.

[Amelia]

This is the scumbag you saw on Fox News last night?

[Amelia]

Hey, Cut, did you see this POS?

[proudofthesouth]

Better yet. Fly him over Mecca and push him out of the airplane - - - without a parachute.

[Long Cut]

Yep. Although I must say, in my ten-year career in the Navy, I have yet to meet a single Muslim Sailor. Not that they don't exist, but I don't think that a career in the U.S. Armed forces attracts too many of them. Imagine that.

Hope he likes the Brig. And the oh-so-understanding guards who work there.

[Gamecock]

I thought the scumbag last night was a "marine." Could he be a liberal plant???

[Amelia]

I think there actually are some Muslims in the Army.

Some of my students claimed to be Muslim before 9/11, but either it was a fad that went away, or they're keeping it quieter now. I'm not sure which.

I think the brig is too good for this one, but it will have to do.

[ladyinred]

Courtmartial that bastard.

That won't happen, although it should, along with deportation IMHO. That would be insensitive however you know, so he will probably get an honorable discharge with full benefits instead of what should happen.

[Jael]

Deport him.

[Amelia]

This one says he spent 4 years on active duty with the Marines....but how he got from there to the Army Reserves I don't know...my impression has been that most Marines would consider that a huge step down.

DISCLAIMER: I mean no disrespect to any person in the United States Army or any other branch of the service; I am merely commenting on USMC culture and attitudes as I have perceived them.

[Amelia]

Sorry, NG, not reserves....

[montag813]

This is no suprise. Add this to the story about the top-level Muslim FBI agent who refused to wiretap terror suspects because "Muslims do not spy on other Muslims"!!!

Then he had the balls to actually sue the FBI for discrimination and was promoted by a cowardly Bureau to FBI chief in Saudi Arabia (where he presumably passes over classified FBI info)

Muslims cannot be trusted.

[CyberAnt]

Hmmmm? And the purpose for him joining the military was because ....????

Or, was he just there to find out how we train and fight ...??

[Jay D. Dyson]

He will plead C.O. status and get a less than honorable discharge.

Unless I'm sorely in error, one can only declare Conscientious Objector status upon initial enlistment or induction into the armed services. Eleventh-hour C.O. claims are regarded as illegitimate. This keeps people from placing other alliances ahead of their sworn duty.

For example, if I -- an American of Irish descent -- didn't like the idea of participating in military action against Irish people (if, say, the U.S. participated in operations to take out the IRA), I couldn't just go off half-cocked and say I wouldn't serve and claim C.O. status. I -- just like this Muslim -- would be correctly courtmartialed and tossed a dishonorable discharge.

-Jay

[Jay D. Dyson]

Dishonorable Discharge simply seems to light of a punishment to me in this case.

Perhaps so, but consider that a dishonorable discharge puts the person discharged in roughly the same status as an ex-felon. They are prohibited from legally exercising their Second Amendment rights; they must state that they have been dishonorably discharged on any job application they fill out; and they literally become Persona Non Grata to all but the Lunatic Left.

Seems like a fitting penalty to me.

-Jay

[Pan_Yans Wife]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/844985/posts

This sailor is going.

[capitan_refugio]

You are not sorely in error, but the Adminisration will not want to make a public example out of a Muslim soldier. He will be quietly mustered out.

[southland]

Remove him from the ranks then punish him for treason. Set an example for the member of the organization that killed nearly 3,000 people in New York 9/11/01.
We are too soft on these religion of peace idiots who commit treason.

[Mr_Magoo]

It's a "beam and mote" thing.

In that case, Please get your beam outta my mote. I am not that kind of guy . . .