THE HASAN POWERPOINT: POINTING TO A RADICAL ISLAMIC THREAT WITHIN THE MILITARY, OR POINTING TO HIMSELF?

THE HASAN POWERPOINT: POINTING TO A RADICAL ISLAMIC THREAT WITHIN THE MILITARY, OR POINTING TO HIMSELF?

The Hasan PowerPoint makes for interesting reading. It is 50 slides long and was apparently to be used, as with most PowerPoint presentations, in conjunction with an oral presentation.

Given the current ‘Islamaphobic’ environment and the use, as well as misuse, of information about Hasan’s background, actions and movements, an analysis may be useful to some, other than Fox News. Fox News has demonstrably misused, misquoted and misrepresented both the contents and the intent of the Hasan PowerPoint. Although they are not the only guilty ones, notably ABC, which, along with Fox News, precipitously jumped on the ’terrorist act’ bandwagon. The PowerPoint is the best to date indicator of Hasan’s mental state, as well as providing a very good peek into his motives. Indeed, if Hasan had not lived, this PowerPoint presentation would likely be the best evidence of such motive. If you are Fox News, or intent on finding a terrorist motive in the PowerPoint, look away.

Anyone familiar with such presentations, either as a creator or as a recipient, would probably give the written presentation a three on a ten point scale measuring competency. The oral presentation would have to be good to keep one awake more than half an hour. Although going through the slides, especially without the intended accompanying oral presentation, makes for heavy sledding, I will try to provide an “executive summary“.

What you need to know right away is that the title to the PowerPoint is Slide 1: “The Koranic World View As It Relates to Muslims in the Military”. The last Slide 50 is: “(title) Recommendation – The Department of Defense should allow Muslims (sic) Soldiers the option of being released as “Consientious objectors” to increase troop morale and decrease adverse events”. The dreadful spelling and punctuation is endemic to the PowerPoint.

A little context first. The PowerPoint was prepared for and presented at a conference of psychiatrists, some military, some not. It is not clear what the overall theme of the conference was. The media is reporting that it was on “medical topics”. I would assume medical topics, for psychiatrists, would include topics of mental health. The Hasan PowerPoint would qualify, although attempting via the PowerPoint to influence general military policy was probably what raised the most eyebrows. As well as explaining why only eyebrows were raised, as opposed to pants being set on fire.

Executive Summary

*General intent of PowerPoint was to find support for the recommendation above noted

*The PowerPoint is broken down generally to three parts. The first part is educational, outlining the general tenets of Islam, statistics on Islam, Islam in the American military and a very basic historical lesson on Islam. The second part, using verses from the Koran in support, with references, explains the development of Islam as recorded in the Koran, from the foundation to the present. Concluding with the principal of ‘abrogation’ that is debated concept in Islam. The third part is argumentative in warning that those of Islamic faith who adhere to ‘abrogation’ are particularly dangerous.

*The principal of ‘abrogation’ is a little difficult to grasp from the PowerPoint alone without the oral presentation. This summary is therefore subject to error. The best analysis at this time is that the argument being advanced is that the Koran speaks very peacefully in its beginning text. The Koran was an evolving, living document that was added to as history developed. As history developed, it was written into the Koran increasingly violent rhetoric that adhered to the requirements of that time in history. Some Islamic scholars adhere to the principal that the violent rhetoric, verses of which are quoted at many points in the PowerPoint, should be the guiding present day principals, as the latter writings supersede or ‘abrogate’ the prior teachings.

*It is important to note that there is no evidence from the PowerPoint that Hasan agreed with any of the violent rhetoric that is in the Koran and that was quoted. Many peaceful quotes were in the presentation as well, in furtherance of the second stage of the presentation to show the historical progression of the Koran as it was written as a living document through history. Some of the more questionable quotes that have had play in the media were clearly quotes from other sources, or were statements being made for debate, in furtherance of finding support for the slide 50 recommendation.

Hasan’s PowerPoint presentation is indicative of the author attempting to further the stated recommendation, and is not indicative of an intention to inflict harm.

Hasan was clearly pointing to a radical Islamic threat in the American military. He was attempting to explain the existence of this threat to an audience he would have considered almost completely unfamiliar with Islam, in the same way a Christian would expect an Muslim audience to be almost completely unfamiliarly with the details of Christianity.

In doing so, he was, in hindsight, also pointing at himself.

It can be found here:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/gallery/2009/11/10/GA2009111000920.html?sid=ST2009110903704