'We love America' , say Muslims in US Armed forces

by Susan Marie Kovalinsky | November 16, 2009 at 05:45 am

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After Major Nidal Hasan went on a rampage at Fort Hood which killed 14 people, some Americans began viewing Muslims in the US armed forces with a jaundiced eye.

But many Muslims are serving America and claiming they love this nation:

In the Army and National Guard there are US military programs which specifically reach out to recruit Arab and Muslim Americans. There has been a tremendous and robust reaching out to this community, and one Marine reservist who is a Muslim, Sgt. Baadani, age 45, says he is thankful for it, and loves his country.

Of the 1.4 million who serve in the US Military, about 3,500 are Arab/Muslim Americans.

Says the Detroit Free Press , "Their views and language skills are needed more than ever.".

When Nader Alsafari of Dearborn was sent to Fallujah, Iraq, in 2006 to fight with the U.S. Marines, some of his fellow Muslims at a local mosque weren't pleased because they felt it was an unjust war.

Most of them didn't like it," Alsafari, 23, recalled last week. "They'd be like, 'You should try to get out.' ... They were thinking, we were just going to go and kill innocent people."

But Alsafari -- like other Muslims -- saw himself performing his duty as an American. There are some 3,500 declared Muslims in the U.S. military. And they're in the spotlight after the Nov. 5 shootings at a military base in Ft. Hood, Texas. The suspect, Army Maj. Nidal Hasan, is an Arab-American Muslim.

Caught between two worlds, they're trying to carve out their own identity during a time of war when some are questioning their loyalty.

A director with a conservative Christian group says Muslims should be banned from serving. And amid the many Muslim leaders who denounced the Ft. Hood shootings were a few who praised Hasan, saying his actions were Islamic.

But Muslim veterans strongly reject the extremists on both sides.

"We love this country," said Shelton Hasan, 54, of Detroit, an Army veteran, "and want to protect it like anyone else."

Muslim Troops Aim To Build Trust In U.S. Military

When Jamal Baadani, a native of Dearborn and U.S. Marine, was visiting his nephew a few years ago, he noticed the 5-year-old boy didn't want to play with him as usual.

"What's the matter?" Baadani said he remembers asking him.

"You kill Arabs," replied the boy, apparently repeating what he heard adults around him utter.

It was a cold reminder to Baadani that some in Arab-American and Muslim communities are reluctant to have their children serve in the U.S. armed forces, partly because they would have to fight fellow Muslims.

But that attitude pushed Baadani to continue his effort to bridge the gap between the military and his community. He founded the Association of Patriotic Arab Americans in Military, APAAM, in the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. His mission was to help educate people about the importance of serving your country.

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Karl Gotthardt - albertacowpoke

at 06:14 on November 16th, 2009

Yes I agree Major Hasan's actions should not mark all Muslims. There are many of all religions that are members of the military.

What needs to be done is to find out what caused Major Hasan to slip through the cracks.

MBenson82

at 08:24 on November 16th, 2009

The part that saddens me most, ACP, is that in all the heated arguments I've seen about terrorists, Muslims, etc, no one seems to realize that Christianity, Catholicism, Judaism, and Islam all share the same God. (Allah is the Arabic word for God...the same ONE true God found in all 4 of the major religions).

The only difference between Christianity and Islam is that Christians prefer to listen to Jesus, Muslims to Mohammed.

People need to wake up to this fact before attacking these "heathens" and their "false God".

Barbara McPherson

at 10:56 on November 16th, 2009

It must be terribly hard to be a practising Muslim in America these days. Major Hasan's actions were reprehenible. The people charged with screening the suitability of that psychiatrist for stability failed their task.

MBenson82

at 11:00 on November 16th, 2009

You hit the nail on the head, Barbara. It is Major Hasan and the people over him and his peers who are to blame for this tragedy, not the Muslim faith. This is very VERY important to keep aware of.

Hugh Askew

at 11:14 on November 16th, 2009

Agree in part, MB82.

The other part - the part of the muslim community that implicitly allows the hatred fomented by the radical imams - are to blame. They fund, and harbor, and further the hatred.

That said, i salute the young man in the article for his efforts.

MBenson82

at 12:07 on November 16th, 2009

I sincerely hope, Hugh, that you aren't implying ALL Muslims are radicals? Yes, I agree, that the jihadist, extremist imams play a huge role in recruiting, brainwashing, and supporting these acts of terrorism, but I don't blame the Muslim faith for that.

I should hope (tho I know it isn't the case) that NO one blames the Muslim faith for that.

Hugh Askew

at 12:34 on November 16th, 2009

So when you meet (in fight... Jihad in Allah's Cause) those who disbelieve smite at their necks till when you have killed and wounded many of them, then bind a bond firmly (on them, i.e. take them as captives). Thereafter (is the time) either for generosity (i.e. free them without ransom) or ransom (according to what benefits Islam), until the war lays down its burden. Thus [you are ordered by Allah to continue in carrying out Jihad against the disbelievers till they embrace Islam (i.e. are saved from the punishment in the Hellfire) or at least come under your protection] but if it had been Allah's Will, He Himself could certainly have punished them (without you). But (He lets you fight) in order to test you, some with others. But those who are killed in the Way of Allah, He will never let their deeds be lost.
He will guide them and set right their state.
And admit them to Paradise which He has made known to them (i.e. they will know their places in Paradise more than they used to know their houses in this world). (V.47:4, 5,6).

That is from the religion of peace...there is much more, but that should give you an idea.

Sputnic

at 14:16 on November 16th, 2009

Have you forgotten in one day that those verses are in reference to the pagan Meccan's of 1400 years ago ! People that used brutal methods themselves and got paid back in kind ?

Hugh Askew

at 14:24 on November 16th, 2009

And those friendly fellows that blew up the innocents on the London underground, who were they making payment for?

Or those kindly sorts that went to all that time and expense to learn how to fly jet airliners, just to visit the World Trade Center - that was repayment for ?

Sputnic

at 14:31 on November 16th, 2009

You are living 1400 years in the past !

Hugh Askew

at 16:05 on November 16th, 2009

The World Trade Center got destroyed 1400 years ago?

Dang, i gotta start reading a better newspaper.

Babel-Fish

at 12:38 on November 16th, 2009

Hugh is not saying ALL he is saying that there is a problem in Muslim society and then

I should hope (tho I know it isn't the case) that NO one blames the Muslim faith for that.

Looking at the media and at debates on the internet I can safely say your misinformed people do and are blaming the Muslim faith for that.

Perhaps you should reword saying you don't blame the Muslim faith for that?

There are two types of Muslims those that follow the religion in complete observance and then the more moderate Muslims found mainly in Asia of whom are the majority of the followers of Islam. Most of those that join the forces are what I deem as being moderate, as with those from the Christian faith.

Within moderate Islamic society there are also the completely observant and these are susceptible to fundamentalism and these are those that cause the worry.

MBenson82

at 12:44 on November 16th, 2009

Babel, if you re-read the post you quoted from, you'll notice I DID say I don't blame the muslim faith for that.

I also implicitely stated that I know people DO in fact blame Islam for the terrorist radicals.

It's sad, but true. I don't consider every German in 1942 a Nazi, and I sure as heck don't consider every Muslim a terrorist, but unfortunately a lot of people would argue me on both those points.

Babel-Fish

at 13:06 on November 16th, 2009

Sorry I made a mistake

MBenson82

at 12:39 on November 16th, 2009

Jihad (pronounced /dʒɪˈhɑːd/; Arabic: جهاد‎ [dʒiˈhæːd]), an Islamic term, is a religious duty of Muslims. In Arabic, the word jihād is a noun meaning "struggle." Jihad appears frequently in the Qur'an and common usage as the idiomatic expression "striving in the way of Allah (al-jihad fi sabil Allah)".[1][2] A person engaged in jihad is called a mujahid, the plural is mujahideen.

A minority among the Sunni scholars sometimes refer to this duty as the sixth pillar of Islam, though it occupies no such official status.[3] In Twelver Shi'a Islam, however, Jihad is one of the 10 Practices of the Religion.

According to scholar John Esposito, Jihad requires Muslims to "struggle in the way of God" or "to struggle to improve one's self and/or society."[3][4] Jihad is directed against Satan's inducements, aspects of one's own self, or against a visible enemy.[1][5] The four major categories of jihad that are recognized are Jihad against one's self (Jihad al-Nafs), Jihad of the tongue (Jihad al-lisan), Jihad of the hand (Jihad al-yad), and Jihad of the sword (Jihad as-sayf).[5] Islamic military jurisprudence focuses on regulating the conditions and practice of Jihad as-sayf, the only form of warfare permissible under Islamic law, and thus the term Jihad is usually used in fiqh manuals in reference to military combat.[5][6]

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Notice the word "minority" above.

Babel-Fish

at 13:07 on November 16th, 2009

What does the total paragraph say? minority is only referenced to Sunni Scholars, please read the paragraph in its correct concept we all are prone to making mistakes, lol

MBenson82

at 13:12 on November 16th, 2009

Right Babel, I should've have been clearer :) The word minority refers to the Sunni side of the house. The Shi'a side believes more firmly in it.

However, when you look at Islam as a whole, Sunni Muslims make up approximately 90% of the Muslim world. So you have the majority of 10% and the minority of 90%....Still makes for a damn small minority that believes in jihad, yeah?

http://hnn.us/articles/934.html (the article I got the 90% from)

Babel-Fish

at 13:26 on November 16th, 2009

1.6 billion/100 x 10 = 160,000 that's a lot of people that believe in Jihad.

MBenson82

at 13:30 on November 16th, 2009

Right, Babel....160,000 IS a lot of people, if you take that number by itself. But compare it to the 1.6 billion. How could ANY one reasonably say that all (or even most) Muslims are terrorists? It's such a small minority. 6 billion people in the world, 160,000 are jihadists. Of those 160,000 how many do you think are active (ie, willing to blow up buildings, themselves, etc)? The number gets even smaller now, yes?

Obviously not all 160,000 jihadists are suicide bombers, or there wouldn't be any jihadists left lol.

Babel-Fish

at 13:44 on November 16th, 2009

I made a big error, lol should be 160,000,000 believe in Jihad.

Possibly 0.5% = 800,000 or so yes the figure gets smaller but still looks worrying

MBenson82

at 13:54 on November 16th, 2009

LOL I thought that number looked funny.....

So we're 2 mistakes each now, I believe? :) or am I winning with 1?

Possibly 0.5% = 800,000 or so yes the figure gets smaller but still looks worrying

Worrying? Yes, but not nearly as all-encompassing as some would have you believe.

bettermaker (not verified)

at 14:03 on November 16th, 2009

It's 7% of the Muslims worldwide, on average: www.cnsnews.com/news/article/53865 Which is about 91 Million total.

bettermaker (not verified)

at 14:01 on November 16th, 2009

There are 91 million Muslims in the world who openly support suicide bombings as part of Islamic Jihad: www.cnsnews.com/news/article/53865 And to those who ask, "How did he slip through the cracks?" It's because he IS Muslim, and everyone was afraid to point a finger at him for fear of being called a Muslim-hater. . . . I'm not saying Muslims are the only terrorists. . . BUT, I will say that Radical-Religion is a mental disorder, and Muslims suffer more often.