UK's Muslim soldiers ‘fighting extremists not Muslims'

[Maggy J]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-12504162

With more than 600 Muslims in the British Armed Forces, do those that are deployed on the front line in Afghanistan have to reconcile their beliefs in order to fight hardline Islamic Taliban militants?
"My home is the UK. As a Muslim, that's the place I'd happily die for and kill for. That's the same way it's going to remain until my dying day.
"My entire soul belongs to the UK and I'm more than proud to fight for this country."

Dr Joel Hayward is dean of the RAF College, Cranwell and a Muslim himself.
He said there was no conflict for a practising Muslim to serve in the British armed forces in Afghanistan.
"There's a direct correlation at least in my mind, as a scholar and as a Muslim, between those first persecutors of the Muslim community, and for example the terrorists and the insurgents that try and destabilise our world, or try and prevent Afghanistan from finding a proper place as a free nation in the community of nations.
"And so I have no worries in that sense about telling brother Muslims, or sisters, who are going out fight in Afghanistan that this is not incompatible with Islam.

So some British Muslims ARE doing something about the Taliban and Muslim extremists..

[Gary L]

Give them a medal.

[Maggy J]

Originally Posted by Gary L

Give them a medal.

[Gary L]

Originally Posted by Maggy J

Seriously. give him a medal. it's the last thing we expect of him as a serving soldier to fight his own men. we can at least show our appreciation as well as shock for him doing it.

[TheNorm]

WWII was mostly Christians killing Christians.

[TheDaddy]

Originally Posted by TheNorm

WWII was mostly Christians killing Christians.

Yep those Christian Japanese killed tens of millions Christian Chinese and the Soviets killed plenty more without the need for being Christian...

[Maggy J]

Trying to work out the relevancy in the last two posts..

[Taf]

Muslims are very good at killing other muslims, just as christians are very good at killing christians.

Or anybody else for that matter.

[Hugh]

Originally Posted by Gary L

Seriously. give him a medal. it's the last thing we expect of him as a serving soldier to fight his own men. we can at least show our appreciation as well as shock for him doing it.

His "own men" are British soldiers - your comment is like expecting British Catholic soldiers in WW2 not to fight Italian soldiers, or British Protestant soldiers not to fight German soldiers.

Why "shock"? The main areas of combat today are Iraq and Afghanistan, which I am sure he knew - that would like stating it's a shock that Catholic or Protestant soldiers would serve in Northern Ireland, as they would be fighting their "own men".

[Gary L]

Originally Posted by Hugh

His "own men" are British soldiers - your comment is like expecting British Catholic soldiers in WW2 not to fight Italian soldiers, or British Protestant soldiers not to fight German soldiers.

I think that's why there's a story. he's a Muslim and he's fighting other Muslims. we are probably shocked and surprised enough for it to be a story.

[Chris]

Is that a royal 'we', Gary?

[Gary L]

I think that's why there's a story. he's a Muslim and he's fighting other Muslims. some of us are probably shocked and surprised enough for it to be a story.

[Ignitionnet]

Originally Posted by Gary L

I think that's why there's a story. he's a Muslim and he's fighting other Muslims. we are probably shocked and surprised enough for it to be a story.

It isn't a story, it's just Muslims are the current minority of the day getting attention so people on one side feel the need to point out anything positive and on the other to point out anything negative.

Different group, usual poop.

[Gary L]

Originally Posted by Ignitionnet

It isn't a story, it's just Muslims are the current minority of the day getting attention so people on one side feel the need to point out anything positive and on the other to point out anything negative.

Different group, usual poop.

I know.
UK's Muslim soldiers ‘fighting extremists not Muslims'

Hello.. isn't that what the non Muslim British army have been doing too?!

[TheDaddy]

Originally Posted by Ignitionnet

It isn't a story, it's just Muslims are the current minority of the day getting attention so people on one side feel the need to point out anything positive and on the other to point out anything negative.

Different group, usual poop.

I think there's a little more to it than that. One of the "reasons" given for the 7/7 attacks was our conduct in Iraq and Afghanistan, stories like this can be used against those that try and influence others, trouble is on it's own it is unlikely to achieve much other than have those soldiers branded as "bad Muslims".