HILLIARD, Ohio – An unconventional type of military training undertaken by soldiers at a local mosque on Sunday could help troops cope with deployment to countries like Afghanistan.
The Noor Islamic Cultural Center welcomed about 40 members of the U.S. Army 412th Civil Affairs Battalion for a visit aimed to help bridge the cultural divide between American soldiers and civilians in Muslim-majority nations.
Some soldiers immersed themselves in the experience, 10TV’s Jessa Goddard reported.
Army Specialist Tara Campbell wore a headscarf in addition to her uniform to help her learn what it symbolizes to Muslim women.
“The headscarf is just respect. Respect for the center here, the women that are here and just respect to the people. We come into their place being respectful,” Campbell said.
Army Reservists sat down with Muslim Americans to learn more about their religion and different cultures in Muslim-majority countries.
Members of the Islamic center told 10TV News that they saw it as an opportunity to dispel myths about their religion and to serve their country.
“It’s our civic duty to assist the armed forces who are going abroad – who are going to be entering countries where a lot of our (members) here are natives from,” Asim Haque said.
Sergeant First Class Jason Hoyt, who served two tours of duty in Iraq, said that nations in the Middle East are diverse with varying faiths and values.
“I’ve learned a lot from them, but that’s one country’s and one sect’s side of what they do,” Hoyt said. “And the opportunity here is nice, because we’ll get different individuals from different countries and a kind of a mix of how they perceive things.” Read the rest on: Creeping Sharia
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