Moussaoui's Conversion

With Judgment, Moussaoui Is Silenced at Last | Chicago Tribune

I've been fascinated with the Moussaoui trial, which ended with a bang when he was sentenced last week, even if Moussaoui himself will not end with "a great big bang of glory," as Judge Brinkema noted, but with a whimper. The exchange between Moussaoui and Brinkema was interesting, even as Moussaoui himself remained enigmatic.

For a while I assumed Moussaoui, who was surprised to get a sentence for life, not for death, was seeking martyrdom. He clearly tried to project an image of a defendant in control, defying his defense attorneys and mocking the court. He even exclaimed, "This was my choice!" suggesting he somehow outwitted our justice system by evading a death sentence. Martyrdom, according to what I took to be his ideology, is a more attractive alternative to imprisonment, and he could easily spin that as a success. Yet he claims that he won, America lost, because he will not be executed. I take this to be a loss for him, since he fought so hard against himself and his own due process, yet he failed. Moussaoui continues to pretend he is in control, but this is more and more clearly a delusion; no hypothesis is good unless it can be disproved, but Moussaoui could justify himself no matter the verdict. If he were honest with himself, he would see that a life sentence proves him wrong. Instead, he lets his ideology defy the world, not in fact, but in his own estimation.

In his parting toast, Moussaoui called the trial a wasted opportunity for America to understand how people like him think, and to critically assess our own faults. Insofar as there is a major cultural gap between us and radical Islam, this is true. Yet Moussaoui's actions since his sentencing show that this gap is reciprocal. This leads us to what I can only call Moussaoui's (insincere) conversion.

A true judge, Brinkema astutely argued that not Moussaoui, but America emerged victorious:

This trial and this verdict are clear evidence of the enduring strength of this nation and its core values, which do not focus on hatred, bigotry and irrationality.

Rather, we believe that all persons are created equal and that when they appear in one of our courts of law, they will be treated as equals, regardless of their background or their political beliefs.

Only days after the sentencing, Moussaoui is converted to the judge's view. He now claims that he lied in court and wishes to retract his guilty plea. He did not believe he could get a fair trial in America; people would be ruled by emotions and calling for his blood. Now he understands that he can get a fair trial, "even with American jurors," and he repents of his former ignorance.

Apparently, he did not understand the regard America has for fairness and the rule of law. Although I agree that Moussaoui probably didn't appreciate American institutions, I doubt his new-found respect for them. My counter-proposal to his hypothesis is that he lost, and he wants a better consolation prize. At least his fate has finally led Moussaoui to, embarassingly, admit he was wrong. One can only hope that his contradictions don't dissolve in ideology, but precipitate a sincere conversion.