Fort Hood Shooter Nidal Hasan Sends Letter To Pope Praising Jihad

Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan wrote a letter to Pope Francis, voicing support for jihad connected with his views to radical Islam. Even though the Defense Department deemed the 2009 mass shooting at Fort Hood as “workplace violence,” Hasan stated multiple times in the letter to the pope that he was a soldier of Allah.

Nidal Hasan reportedly had his lawyer, John Galligan, mail the handwritten, six-page letter to Pope Francis. A copy of the letter penned by the Fort Hood shooter was given to Fox News by Galligan. Hasan’s missive was entitled, “A Warning To Pope Francis, Members Of The Vatican, And Other Religious Leaders Around the World.”

In the letter to Pope Francis, Hasan reportedly made multiple references to the Koran, and included a list of “guidelines” for “believers.” A subsection of Nidal Hasan’s letter was titled simply, Jihad. “The willingness to fight for All-Might Allah,” precedes a section of the document which details a test that “elevates the mujahedeen.” According to the Fort Hood shooter’s letter to Pope Francis, the mujahedeen are encouraged to “inspire the believers.” Hasan also says that the fighters achieve a “greater rank” in Allah’s eyes than believers who do not fight.

Nidal Hasan’s letter does not reportedly make a single reference to the Fort Hood shooting. Hasan was convicted on 13 counts of premeditated murder and 31 counts of attempted murder for massacre at the United States military base. No terrorism charges were filed against Hasan since the shooting was labeled workplace violence. Hasan is currently in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, sitting on death row.

Two months ago, Fox News broadcast a report on homegrown terrorism, “Fox Files: The Enemy Within.” The special investigation report included a previous letter reportedly authored by Nidal Hasan. In the letter, which was validated via his attorney, the Fort Hood shooter “pledged his allegiance” to the Islamic State, ISIS, and its leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

When asked for a comment about the earlier letter, attorney John Galligan said, “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 actions during the shooting.”

Hasan is “thoroughly dedicated to jihad,” according to Neal Sher, an attorney for Fort Hood families impacted by the shooting massacre. Sher filed a lawsuit against both the Justice Department and the Defense Department over the handling of the shooting.

“His jihadist leanings and willingness to commit jihad were known for years before the 2000 atrocity. And ever since then, he has made it abundantly clear he believes in jihad and has attempted to justify the slaughter that took place at Fort Hood,” Sher said.

What do you think about Fort Hood Shooter Nidal Hasan’s letter to Pope Francis?

[Image via: ABC News]