Some of the Italians were true fascisti, including a very prominent media personality in Montreal, who didn’t bother hiding it. Italian and German claims for reparations like those made to the Japanese have fallen on unsympathetic ears, mostly because they were reasonably treated officially during the war.

I have family who were required to report in weekly because they were on a social club list whose head was a fascist supporter. Their descendants are ashamed to this day, even knowing they were innocent of wrongdoing.

There was a documentary on the Italian Canadians in WWII done about 10 years ago, a professor who has written a history, and an MP who wants her father’s reputation restored and reparations made. To which my older relatives say, “The ones who were taken were guilty and they didn’t round up all the ones they should have”. The rest of the Canadian Italian community seems to feel the same way, hence little chance of blowing up any perceived slight into a massive ethnic grievance.

The Japanese did deserve reparations, but the Chinese who came voluntarily and paid the head tax don’t fall into the same category, although they are agitating too, or were until the economy took a nose dive.

Towns with names like Berlin changed them, probably during WWI. German Canadians also anglicized their names–as did the “Windsors” for that matter.

Alas, Canada also dispossessed the Japanese Canadians and put them in prison camps. At the end of the war they were generally displaced throughout the country and began again from 0.

However, Quakers are well known conscientious objectors, as were the Doukhobors who are known for their public nude parading as a form of passive resistance, including to conscription.

I am surprised that Major Hasan was not allowed to invoke conscientious objector status, at least to stay in service in the US. In hindsight it seems a much more useful solution all round.

A German newspaper mentions that Hasan wrote about 10 to 20 mails to the radical Imam in Yemen: Anwar al Awlaki.
They mention that the mails were examined, and were considered quite innocent so Maj. Hasan was not considered a danger.
They also mention Aulaqi’s comment on his own website.
And then some speculations as why the major was so unhappy and what drove him to the killingspree.

On the whole the German newspapers are more in-depth as the Dutch ones. As usual.

The experience of German-Americans was less salubrious during WWI. Then, many German-Americans found it useful to Anglicize their names to avoid problems.

Did German and Italian Americans fight in the European theatre in WWII? Aoparently not. However, if you have more info than I do on that, I would be happy to learn more. My Italian Canadian older uncles served but in Canada, eg. RCAF patrolling the Canadian Atlantic for U-boats.

Re: Conscientious Objector Status in the US currently (form wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conscientious_objector

“In the United States, there are two main criteria for classification as a conscientious objector. First, the objector must be opposed to war in any form, Gillette v. United States, 401 U.S. 437. Second, the objection must be sincere, Witmer v. United States, 348 U.S. 375. That he must show that this opposition is based upon religious training and belief was no longer a criterion after cases broadened it to include non-religious moral belief, United States v. Seeger, 380 U.S. 163 and Welsh v. United States, 398 U.S. 333. COs willing to perform non-combatant military functions are classed 1-A-O by the U.S.; those unwilling to serve at all are 1-O.”

So there is precedence, and also in the UN Human Rights Code and in Nuremberg Principle IV.

This also explains some of the emphasis on religion in Major Hasan’s presentation.

NB the Recommendation that concludes the presentation: “Department of Defense should allow Muslim Soldiers the option of being released as “Conscientious objectors” to increase troop morale and decrease adverse incidents”.

Amen/Ameen