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Fear of bias keeps U.S. Muslims out of military
Desperately short of soldiers who speak Arabic and understand Islam, the U.S. military is quietly courting American Muslims. But they show little enthusiasm for an institution many say is prejudiced against them. Pentagon statistics show there are more Jews and Buddhists than Muslims serving in the 1.4 million strong, overwhelmingly Christian armed forces. In the Marine Corps, there are only slightly more Muslims than Wiccans, who practice witchcraft. And in the Air Force, Wiccans outnumber Muslims by more than two to one. The Pentagon lists 3,386 Muslims in active service, compared with 1.22 million Christians.While there is no specific recruitment drive aimed at Arab and Muslim communities in the United States, the Pentagon has made well publicized moves to show that the military does not equate Islam with terrorism and is making efforts to accommodate Muslim Americans who want to serve both God and their country. Last July, the Marine Corps dedicated a new Muslim prayer center at its base in Quantico, Virginia. A month later, the Air Force Academy commissioned its first Muslim chaplain. And in September, the U.S. military academy at West Point inaugurated its first Muslim prayer room. However, concerns about fifth columnists, which have grown since September 9/11, gathered momentum after an Army sergeant who converted to Islam, Hasan Akbar, rolled grenades into the tents of sleeping soldiers at a base in Kuwait and opened fire on those who ran out. Two officers died and 14 soldiers were wounded in the attack, shortly before the United States invaded Iraq in 2003. The military lawyers who defended Akbar argued he had snapped after fellow soldiers relentlessly ridiculed his faith. Akbar was sentenced to death and is awaiting execution. Public opinion polls show that negative views of Muslims are not restricted to a fringe minority. In a Gallup poll taken around the time the West Point prayer room opened, a third of those surveyed thought Muslims living in the United States sympathized with al Qaeda. "This is a big problem," said Hossam Ahmed, a retired Air Force Reserve colonel who leads prayer meetings for the small Muslim congregation that meets at the Pentagon prayer room every Friday afternoon. "I never had anyone question my loyalty until September 11. After that, yes, it has happened." Ahmed, who was born in the United States of Egyptian parents, said that while he had at times encountered prejudice and hostility, his faith had not been an obstacle in his career, a frequent observation by Muslims in the military. "I've run into lack of understanding and ignorance but I don't have problems practicing my faith," said Lt. Col. Tim Oldenburg, a flight test engineer attached to the Pentagon. "What I get constantly is reactions of surprise when people hear I'm a Muslim." Unlike most Muslims in the military, Oldenburg is white and grew up on an Illinois farm. Black Americans make up for the majority of Muslims serving in the U.S. armed forces. Posted by: trailing wife 2007-02-07 |
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