Muslim Military Chaplains Discuss Their Special Roles

Reuters Faith World yesterday carried an interesting account of a conference held Sunday in Paris at which two Muslim chaplains, one from the U.S. Navy and one from the French National Gendarmerie (which is governed by the Defense Ministry), discussed the special problems dealt with by Muslim imams in military chaplaincy roles. The conference, "Religious Diversity in Everyday Life in France," was sponsored by the U.S.-based Council on International Educational Exchange and the Institute for the Study of Islam and the Societies of the Muslim World in Paris. Among the trickier issues the chaplains face are advice on Ramadan observance while in the military and conscientious objections by Muslim personnel to fighting in Afghanistan. [Thanks to Joel Katz (Relig. & State In Israel) for the lead.]