Written by Don Byrd
The judge in the murder trial of Nidal Hasan has officially ordered him to be clean shaven for his trial, even if it requires him to be forcibly shaved, in violation of his religious beliefs. As a Muslim, Hasan argues his faith prohibits him from shaving, in conflict with Army regulations barring beards. The judge was not persuaded, however, that religious accommodation laws extended to this case. The AP reports:
Hasan told the judge last week that he grew a beard because his Muslim faith requires it, not as a show of disrespect. Gross ruled Thursday that the defense didn’t prove Hasan is growing a beard for sincere religious reasons.
Attorneys for Hasan – who is charged with killing 13 in a shooting rampage at Fort Hood – say they will appeal the Judge’s order. The Army Court of Criminal Appeals previously ruled premature an appeal of the judge’s original instruction to shave. Now that the order is official, presumably they will take up the matter.
