US Personnel In Bahrain Prepare For Ramadan -- Stars and Stripes
MANAMA, Bahrain — U.S. personnel accustomed to drinking their coffee on the drive to work will have to put that habit on hold for about a month. It’s one of a few lifestyle changes Americans will have to make during the holy month of Ramadan.
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. Officials expect Ramadan to begin at sunrise on Saturday, depending on when the new moon is sighted. The holy month lasts for approximately 30 days — until about July 28. For Muslims around the world, Ramadan is a month of fasting and devotion to God. Most Muslims fast from dawn to sunset, when families gather for Iftar — the meal that breaks the fast.
For the 8,200 U.S. personnel living here, and those serving throughout the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility — including servicemembers, civilian personnel, contractors and family members — the month may require changing some daily routines.
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My Comment: This story is so revealing on where the U.S. military is going on religious matters ....
.... While not required to fast during Ramadan, in Bahrain, Americans can be fined or detained by local authorities for eating, drinking or smoking in public when off-base during daylight hours.
So .... Christianity is not permitted on U.S. bases because it "violates the separation of church and state rule" .... but one must respect Islamic rules during Ramadan. Am I the only one who sees a double standard here?
To be fair, that policy has been in place for decades. And it's treated more like a cultural issue than a religious one.
ReplyDeleteYou're comparing on-base rules to off-base rules. Soldiers off-base and mixing with locals are expected to respect local rules.
ReplyDeleteAlso, your "Christianity banned on base" links to an editorial, not a real article. And even the part of it that contains factual claims only says that Air Force officials aren't allowed to endorse a religious group coming in to evangelize, which is quite explicitly a government arm endorsing a religion, and much different from regulating soldiers' personal religious choices (which they do not and should not do). A double standard would be if they forbade Christian missionary groups from coming in to hand out Bibles but invited local Bahrain sheikhs to come to the base, give out Qurans, and talk to soldiers about Islam.
Thank you Dan And Philip for your comments. I am sympathetic with U.S. soldiers being told that they must respect local customs. The story of the "Ugly American" has been around for a very long time .... and it had to change.
ReplyDeleteBut what I tried to say in this post (and failed) .... is the perception that the Pentagon treats religions differently .... and that Christians are specifically targeted. It is this perception problem that I trying to raise .... and news reports like Bahrain unfortunately muddies the conversation.
Christianity isn't banned on US bases, if that were so, there would be no Chaplain's corps in the armed forces. The Status of Forces Agreements in these countries allow US military personnel to be detained if they break certain lawes. It's called being a good guest, being respectful.
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