There are Christians and Jews who call themselves such, but who also take the teachings of their faith more or less seriously. Hence we see divisions within those two world religions. For some, the fundamental teachings are bedrock issues in their lives, taking the holy writings literally. For others, they don’t even know what their faith teaches. The same is true with Islam.
Not only are their some serious differences in belief and practice within sects of Islam, but the faith also includes a legal code for governing the people. Taken literally, that legal code conflicts directly with the laws and Constitution of the US.
So how does someone who is a Muslim serve in the US Military? They do so only if they set aside some of the injunctions of Islamic law, or lie about their loyalty to the US. Not only are there the obvious dietary issues, but being called to fight Muslims in other nations can create a loyalty issue. And then they are asked to swear to defend the Constitution which conflicts with their own religious beliefs and laws. Hence, there are those who say it cannot be done.
As a result of these real and potential conflicts, a Muslim serving as a chaplain presents serious challenges. And when that Muslim chaplain is placed in charge of the chaplains in an Army division, the problems are more obvious.
In January, Lt. Col. Khallid Shabazz received the call every Army chaplain dreams of, the call that validates years of intense study and hard work toward keeping the U.S. military in good spiritual health.
He was offered the job of chaplain for an entire division, an honor for anyone in his field but a milestone in his case. After a ceremony this summer, Shabazz will become the first Muslim division-level chaplain in the history of the U.S. military – a Muslim spiritual leader for more than 14,000 mostly Christian soldiers.
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To get a sense of what a long shot this might’ve seemed like to Shabazz, consider the numbers: He’s one of only 10 Muslim chaplains in the entire U.S. military; of the Army’s 1,400 or so chaplains, just five are Muslim.
Shabazz was originally a Lutheran who was raised as such who then converted to Islam after joining the Army. While this did not go over with his family, that’s not the only problem he experienced.
Shabazz’s switch in faiths didn’t exactly go smoothly with the military, either. He had to write memos for even the smallest religious accommodation, such as time to perform the traditional Friday prayers. He’d fast during the holy month of Ramadan, though his schedule called for grueling work in the field. Ravenous by the end of the day, he’d come to the mess hall only to find pork chops. He’d raise concerns with his superiors from time to time, but made little ground.
This is probably the key quote for understanding Shabazz:
“Because I have the language from my days as a Christian, I can give them Scriptures from the Bible, and that doesn’t violate my religion,” Shabazz said. “My job is not to convert anybody to Islam. God guides people. My only goal is to have people leave my office stronger than when they came in.”
If that statement represents his true beliefs, he just alienated a whole lot of people who call themselves Muslims. A fundamentalist follower of Islam would never truthfully say the things Shabazz did in that quote.
Those who claim to be true followers of Islam do believe that it is imperative for Muslims to convert others to the faith. They would never use the Bible in counseling someone. In contrast, Shabazz talks like a secular Muslim, a person for whom the fundamental teachings of his faith are considered more as helpful ideas than rigid doctrinal teachings. If true, his religious faith is syncretistic, taking teachings from various conflicting sources and attempting to put them together.
If this man believes he can just as easily counsel someone who is a Christian as he can a Muslim, then he really is a chaplain in name only. He’s more of a secular counselor who happens to be a Muslim, drawing from whatever sources he believes are most helpful for a particular soldier and his or her situation.
Of course, that is assuming that Lt. Col. Shabazz is being upfront about his beliefs and practices. If he truly is, he might find himself having more problems with fellow Muslims than with Christians who will just seek out a chaplain of their own faith.
Source: McClatchy DC
