US Army Muslims Torn
LGF
Trapped between duty and devotion - the US army’s Muslims.
BAGHDAD (AFP) - Abdel Rachid Muhammad, the US army’s first ever imam, shared the first day of Ramadan with a handful of soldiers torn between their religion, which forbids most killing, and duty to their country.
“It is very difficult for a Muslim to be here with a weapon. There’s no pride in killing,” said the 51-year-old religious leader, dressed in the army uniform.
But in a mark of his singularity, Sheikh Muhammad has his name in Arabic sewn onto his shirt pocket — even though this son of American Baptists who converted at the age of 15 knows only the Arabic of the Muslim holy book, the Koran.
In Iraq for the past eight months, the imam said he had really wanted to meet religious Iraqis and “go to Friday prayers in a local mosque”, an impossible dream given the problems of security.
“It is very hard to be Muslim and American here,” said the father of seven children.
“Forbids most killing.” Interesting way of putting it. If you’ve seen any of the atrocious beheading videos, you know that the mujahideen not only take pride in their slaughter, they’re ecstatic about it.
And even though AFP once again tells us that Islam is a religion of peace, Iraqis are expecting a surge in violence during the “holy” month of Ramadan: Iraqis Fear More Violence in Muslim Fasting Month.
Relentless suicide bombings, shootings and kidnappings have left Iraqis fearful that the holy month, which starts on Friday, will be bloody.
National Security Adviser Kassem Daoud warned Iraqis in an eve of Ramadan news conference of a possible increase in terrorist activity, and said the government was taking extra precautions.
Muslim families usually flock to mosques during Ramadan, especially at night.But Iraqis know that moving about at night is risky — kidnappers and suicide bombers are getting bolder, and police and U.S. troops are nervous.
Iraqis also face the challenge of observing the dawn to dusk Ramadan fast — one of the five pillars of Islam — in a highly stressful environment. |
