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A Muslim soldier from Fort Campbell has been approved as a conscientious objector to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, but that status is on hold now that he's been charged with possession of child pornography.
Pfc. Naser Abdo, a 21-year-old infantry soldier, applied for the status last year after he decided Islamic standards would prohibit his service in the U.S. Army in any war. The Deputy Assistant Secretary, Army Review Boards Agency, recommended he be separated from the Army as a conscientious objector. But the discharge is delayed until the criminal charge is resolved.
He faces an Article 32 hearing, similar to a civilian grand jury, today at the installation on the Tennessee-Kentucky state line. The hearing will determine whether he will face a court-martial. Abdo said he intends to fight the charge, which he believes is part of ongoing discrimination against him within the Army.