A group of US military Chaplains recently visited east Africa to “strengthen relationships between the American people and Muslim communities.”

The Chaplains were Navy Capt Rob Young, Air Force Capt Walid Habash, Air Force LtCol Gary Snyder, and Army Col David Colwell.  Habash is an Islamic Chaplain, making him particularly interesting to the local communities.

The article highlighted the potential role of Chaplains beyond service to American servicemembers: 

The interfaith delegation quickly found that they demonstrated a first for many in their audience – how people, of more than one religion, can live and work together peacefully anywhere.

“Everywhere we went, I was told that it was the first time they had seen a Christian and Muslim sitting together peacefully during a meal, religious discussion or any event,” said Habash, who is an Islamic chaplain for the 86th Airlift Wing, Ramstein Air Base, Germany. “That alone started discussions about the possibilities for diverse people living together peacefully.”