Page 4 The Islamic Bulletin Issue 19 By Caryle Murphy Military Chaplain M. Malak Abd al Muta’ali Ibn Noel, a lieutenant in the Navy, zips around Norfolk Naval Station in a 1995 Nissan Altima whose license plate reads, “IWRK4GD.” He wears Islam’s universal symbol - a crescent moon - on his shirt collar. And as a new moon cued the onset of Ramadan last night, the first Muslim chaplain commissioned by the Navy led prayers in the first mosque built on a U.S. naval base. He joins at least 4,000 Muslims on active duty in the U.S. armed forces in observing Islam’s annual holy month of fasting and spiritual reflection. “It’s a month of reconnecting spiritually with ourselves and Allah,” said Noel, 37, who has been in the Navy for 19 years. “In the Qur’an we are taught that this month is for God, period.” The nation’s estimated 3.5 million to 6 million Muslims are becoming more visible in every layer of American society, and the military is no exception. Since the 1991 Persian Gulf War, when a massive deployment of U.S. troops to the Middle East increased American awareness of Islam, U.S statistics show an ever increasing number of Americans embracing Islam. A recent graduation ceremony on a Leesburg campus featured an eye-opening statistic: It tripled the number of Muslim chaplains available to the U.S. military. The Graduate School of Islamic and Social Sciences is the first school in the country approved by the U.S. military to train Muslim chaplains. The school was established three years ago in a Leesburg office park by a group of prominent Islamic scholars. A first-of-its-kind group of seven military chaplaincy students graduated Aug. 28, with five slated to be commissioned in the Army and two in the Navy, according to a school spokeswoman. More are on the way. As of now, only three Muslim chaplains serve in the U.S. military, according to Pentagon officials. The military is trying to catch up to the growing numbers. “The American military is a reflection of American society,” said Lt. Col. Tom Begines, a Pentagon spokesman. “We strive mightily to accommodate all the needs.” U.S. Congress to Issue Resolution on Ramadan Stamp On November 4, 1999, Congressman Tom Davis (R-VA-11th) introduced a congressional resolution expressing the “Sense of Congress” that a postage stamp should be issued recognizing the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. “Welcoming Ramadan” in Congress is undoubtedly one of the clearest signs to date that Islam and the Muslim community have “come of age” alongside other faiths within the great cultural melange that constitutes America. Unity of Purpose Just as Christianity and Judaism have their holidays recognized nationally, it is important for Muslims to have our holidays recognized as well. One day, Insha ‘Allah, schools, universities and workplaces across the country will honor these Muslim holy days as holidays for all, as with Christmas, Easter, and Hanukkah. This requires that the entire Muslim community demonstrate its unity and commitment towards this goal. No one can deny the significance of this resolution; however, we must act now, in unity, to make this a reality for the ummah. It is now extremely important that we Muslims do our part to see it through. Congressman Davis’s office has declared that this resolution remains one of their top priorities; however, they need our help. At present, there are four Congresspersons who have signed in support of the resolution, but as you know, over half of Congress must support it in order for it to be passed. What can you do? Write and/or call your elected representative asking them to support the House Congressional Resolution 220, recognizing the holy month of Ramadan. Let them know why it is important to you as a community leader, and how it is significant for the entire American public to recognize and learn about one of the fastest growing religions in America. Marriages Lead Women to Islam in Japan By Lynne Y. Nakano “Aysha” Abid Choudry - her given name is Harumi - adopted her Muslim name and faith four years ago, at the age of 26, to marry a Pakistani. Two years later, like many Japanese women married to Muslim men in Japan, she remained reluctant to abide by Islamic laws. Then one day about two years ago, she decided to act on her own intuition that Islam meant having a personal relationship with Allah. She got on her knees to pray for the first time. Her husband - a devout Muslim who had never asked her to adopt Islam, but had prayed silently on her behalf for years - cried openly at the sight. Once distant and unknown in Japan, Islam has found converts among Japanese women. Many are married to men who come to Japan to find work from countries such as Iran, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Malaysia. A hub of Islamic activity in Tokyo, the Islamic center in Setagay-ku registered over 80 new members this year, the majority were Japanese women, according to R. Siddiqi, Director of the Islamic Center in Japan. Islam Is Becoming More Visible in Armed Forces
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