PENTAGON CELEBRATES FIRST-EVER IFTAR MEAL
USIA
USIS Washington File
23 January 1998
PENTAGON CELEBRATES FIRST-EVER IFTAR MEAL
(A good believer is a great soldier, deputy defense secretary says)
(560)
By Rick Marshall
USIA Staff Writer
Washington -- In honor of the holy month of Ramadan and the thousands
of American servicemen who are Muslim, on January 22 the Pentagon
hosted its first-ever "iftar," a meal marking the end to a daily
dawn-to-dusk fast observed by Muslims everywhere.
The ceremonies began with the "adan," or call to prayer, at sunset.
The muadan, or man who leads the call, was Abdellah Hulwe, a young
serviceman of Syrian origin whose home is Topeka, Kansas. A six-year
veteran of the Air Force, Hulwe is studying to become a chaplain at
the School of Islamic and Social Sciences in nearby Leesburg,
Virginia, where he is one of about 15 chaplain candidates.
The prayers that followed for several dozen men and women in uniform
were led by Mohammed Khan, a captain in the Army. Born in India, Khan
now calls Chicago his home. He is one of two Muslim chaplains now
serving in the Army.
Following prayers, Deputy Secretary of Defense John Hamre spoke
briefly to the Muslims, Christians, and Jews assembled in the
Executive Dining Room.
"This is an enormously important evening," he told them. "Observing
the month of Ramadan is one of the most important rules of Islam."
"Man lives under the ethical authority of God ... That is what we
share with you."
"We are brothers and sisters," he added. "A good believer is a great
soldier."
Lieutenant M. Malak Abd Al Muta'ali ibn Noel, from Salem, New Jersey,
and the Navy's sole Muslim chaplain for the moment, was also present
at the ceremonies. After 17 years in the service, he became a chaplain
two years ago following four years of study in a program run jointly
by the American Islamic College, the Lutheran School of Theology and
the University of Chicago.
"I've had tremendous support throughout my tenure as a navy chaplain,"
he said in an impromptu interview after the "iftar." "We are building
through the cooperation of both military and civilian communities a
stronger and more pluralistic society."
"I see my mission as bridge-building," he said. He travels frequently
from his base at Norfolk, Virginia, and speaks regularly to Muslim and
Christian audiences alike. "We look at common ground," he said, noting
that he has been well received wherever he has spoken.
Also present was Qaseem Ali Uqdah, a former U.S. Marine, director of
the American Muslim Council's Armed Forces and Veterans Affairs
branch, a sponsor of the dinner. One of the original servicemen who
petitioned for an Islamic chaplain service, Uqdah saw his efforts pay
off with the appointment of the first Muslim chaplain in 1990.
"We did our homework and it paid off."
But like the others present at the dinner, he was quick to praise the
help he got from others in the chaplain service. "Christians and Jews
helped us," he remarked.
Then he smiled, looking back at his evolution from gunnery sergeant to
a man who now works on a "day-to-day basis" with the chaplain service
and the estimated 10,000 American servicemen who follow Islam.
"Only in America," he said. "Because of the U.S. Government's
commitment, Muslims were able to have this event."