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The primary purpose of the fatwa, released at a news conference yesterday in Washington, is to reassure Muslim soldiers in the American armed forces that they are permitted to fight other Muslims and Muslim countries to combat terrorism.

The fatwa was issued in response to a request by Capt. Abdul-Rasheed Muhammad, a Muslim chaplain in the United States Army, who sought guidance for Muslim military personnel uneasy about being deployed in the operation against Afghanistan.

I thought the miltary took an oath to preserve, protect and defend this country. I thought that the orders of the commander in chief, as represented by their immediate superiors was the only orders they are to obey.

I would summarily discharge any Muslim military man who is taking his orders from a Muslim leader. I guess I'm naive. We are in deep trouble if this goes unnoticed and uncontradicted.

I thought that the orders of the commander in chief, as represented by their immediate superiors was the only orders they are to obey.

I would summarily discharge any Muslim military man who is taking his orders from a Muslim leader. I guess I'm naive. We are in deep trouble if this goes unnoticed and uncontradicted.

Well, it's more complicated than that. Sometimes immoral orders are given and it could conceivably be a religious duty to conscientiously object. In all such cases that I can imagine in the United States Armed Forces, however, an order sufficiently immoral that it would be sinful to obey it is also sufficiently unlawful that there would be no duty to obey it. If the regulations and military code are such that you can imagine being given a lawful order that contradicts your religious moral imperatives, then you shouldn't go into the armed forces in the first place. In particular, a Muslim who believes that it is against Islam to ally with non-Muslims against other Muslims should not join the army of a non-Muslim country!

Still, a Muslim who did NOT believe this when he joined up but is now being told it by all sorts of mullahs and imams can indeed benefit from this fatwa, so I don't have a problem with it.

"The fatwa was issued in response to a request by Capt. Abdul-Rasheed Muhammad, a Muslim chaplain in the United States Army, who sought guidance for Muslim military personnel uneasy about being deployed in the operation against Afghanistan."

You took the words right out of my mouth, Browardchad. And here I started reading this article thinking "Finally, an unequivocal condemnation by Moslem clerics."

I can see it now. Army regs supplemented by "fattwas." Come to think of it, the Pope hasn't exactly been gung ho about this, and, well, what will Jewish soldiers think about Sharon's pronouncements? Protestants might agree with Jerry Falwell that this is God's judgment and we better not interfere. We may yet have reason to be grateful for the professed pagans in uniform.

When I was in service (and with these words I guess I officially become an old crank) I seem to remember we were expected to follow orders and be ready to defeat the enemies of our country wherever and whoever they happened to be.

I think a sense of humor is going to be as important in the coming months as any other quality.

Right On! Kick'em out if they can't obey orders!