DOD allows Hijab for cadets

  • Thread starter Thread starter Yerusalyim
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
Y

Yerusalyim

Guest
As a JROTC Instructor I find this article interesting. No fan of CAIR but this seems right to me to allow. Comments?
Defense department agrees to allow Muslim cadets to wear hijabs
Muslims — posted by jeff kunerth on December, 22 2011 1:45 PM
Discuss This: Comments(894) | Add to del.icio.us | Digg it
Click to expand...
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) announced today that the Department of Defense will begin allowing Muslim and Sikh students who wear an Islamic head scarf (hijab) or a turban to participate in the Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (JROTC).

“We welcome the fact that Muslim and Sikh students nationwide will now be able to participate fully in JROTC leadership activities while maintaining their religious beliefs and practices,” said CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad.

In October, the Washington-based Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization wrote to Defense Secretary Leon Panetta after a 14-year-old Muslim student at Ravenwood High School in Brentwood, Tenn., was forced to transfer out of a JROTC class when her commanding officers told her she could not wear hijab while marching in the September homecoming parade.

CAIR requested constitutionally-protected religious accommodations for the girl and for future Muslim JROTC participants.

In a Dec. 19 letter sent to CAIR, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army Larry Stubblefield wrote:

”I have been asked to respond on behalf of the Secretary of Defense Leon E. Panetta to your October 13, 2011 letter concerning Miss Demin Zawity’s request to wear a religious head covering (hijab) while participating in an Army Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC) event at Ravenwood High School.

“Based on your concerns, the Army has reviewed its JROTC uniform policy and will develop appropriate procedures to provide Cadets the opportunity to request the wear of religious head dress, such as the turban and hijab. This change will allow Miss Zawity and other students the chance to fully participate in the JROTC program. Additionally, a representative from the U.S. Army Cadet Command will contact Miss Zawity and provide her the opportunity to rejoin the Ravenwood High School JROTC unit.

“The Army prides itself in being a diverse organization, comprised of individuals from many faiths and religions. We appreciate you bringing this matter to our attention.”
Click to expand...
 
This is such incredibly wonderful news for everyone in America, I’m sure. But will they be willing to fight against other Muslims if the situation arises in defense of America?

Oh, and on a side note:

Omar Ahmad - Co-Founder of CAIR (Council of American-Islamic Relations)
“If you choose to live here, you have a responsibility to deliver the message of Islam … Islam isn’t in America to be equal to any other faiths, but to become dominant. The Koran, the Muslim book of scripture, should be the highest authority in America, and Islam the only accepted religion on Earth.”

Ibrahim Hooper - CAIR Spokesman
“I wouldn’t want to create the impression that I wouldn’t like the government of the United States to be Islamic sometime in the future…But I’m not going to do anything violent to promote that. I’m going to do it through education.”

These quotes are real, by the way. And there are many more from various other members of CAIR.
 
Uggh…This country has just gone to the dogs. :rolleyes:

Okay to wear a hijab but a Big No Noes to have a Bible at Walter Reed. Have to wear latex gloves to read the Koran if non-muslim and that’s only on rare occasing can’t touch the sacred koran, but it’s perfectly okay to burn hundreds of Holy Bibles cause it might upset the muslims. 😦

Being a Christian stinks in today’s modernist, secularist, -]ultra, hyper/-], psychotically–]Liberal/-], Politically -]Correct/-] Incorrect world. :bighanky:
 
austenbosten said:
Uggh…This country has just gone to the dogs. :rolleyes:

Being a Christian stinks in today’s modernist, secularist, -]ultra, hyper/-], psychotically–]Liberal/-], Politically -]Correct/-] Incorrect world. :bighanky:
Click to expand...
I pride myself on being politically* incorrect.*

Political correctness is ruining this country thanks to our current government.
 
Sikhs for years have been allowed to wear their turban and decorative knife as part of their uniform. There is no reason not to extend this same right of religious expression to those who wear the hajib.
 
Caldera said:
This is such incredibly wonderful news for everyone in America, I’m sure. But will they be willing to fight against other Muslims if the situation arises in defense of America?

.
Click to expand...
What you have to remember is that these are not soldiers nor are they soldiers in training. These are high school students involved in a civics program that teaches leadership, organizational skills and promotes citizenship and patriotism not to mention diversity and tolerance. JROTC does NOT make them members of the military, nor does it entail a military obligation. As a JROTC Instructor I try to encourage my cadets to go to college. And it works…JROTC cadets are only slightly more likely to join the military as oppossed to their peers not in the program…and have a higher gpa, lower indicsipline rate, and higher rate of college attendance than their peers not in the program.

This ruling does NOT affect the military force in any way. The hujab is forbidden for wear with the uniform of the military forces…for safety reasons.

Yes, the wars in Iraq and afghanistan show that muslim soldiers will fight other muslim soldiers. I’m no fan of CAIR…but I think this was the right decision.
 
Yerusalyim said:
What you have to remember is that these are not soldiers nor are they soldiers in training. These are high school students involved in a civics program that teaches leadership, organizational skills and promotes citizenship and patriotism not to mention diversity and tolerance. JROTC does NOT make them members of the military, nor does it entail a military obligation. As a JROTC Instructor I try to encourage my cadets to go to college. And it works…JROTC cadets are only slightly more likely to join the military as oppossed to their peers not in the program…and have a higher gpa, lower indicsipline rate, and higher rate of college attendance than their peers not in the program.

This ruling does NOT affect the military force in any way. The hujab is forbidden for wear with the uniform of the military forces…for safety reasons.

Yes, the wars in Iraq and afghanistan show that muslim soldiers will fight other muslim soldiers. I’m no fan of CAIR…but I think this was the right decision.
Click to expand...
This is an important clarification of the ruling.
If a time comes when allowing the hajib is extended to regular military personnel, I have no doubts that regulations governing its wear, to include style (especially in light of safety concerns) and color, will also be implemented.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top