The International Security Assistance Force, led by US Army Gen. John R. Allen and Ambassador Simon Gass, hosted an Islamic iftar in Afghanistan, the meal that breaks the daily fast of Ramadan.  Afghan leaders were thankful:

Defense Minister of Afghanistan Gen. Abdul Rahim Wardak [said] “This is actually a demonstration of the upmost respect for our beliefs, our faith, our traditions and our culture…”

As noted in a US Army article, Islamic US Army Soldiers at Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan, are observing Ramadan with others of their faith.

As Soldiers engaged in war, the Islamic faith technically exempts them from fasting during Ramadan, but at least one Soldier has chosen to do so anyway.

[1st Lt Shuja] Kazmi and other Islamic soldiers are celebrating the holy month through fasting and prayers while deployed to Afghanistan.

The Ramadan fast is observed from sunrise to sunset — which is nearly a 15 hour day in Afghanistan in August.  Kazmi is able to break his fast with others of like faith, including local nationals and civilians.  The meal that breaks the fast is the iftar, which the US military has participated in with local religious and political leaders in Afghanistan.

When the sunsets into the mountains west of Bagram, Kazmi said he communes with others to break the fast. The various mix of local nationals, contractors, interpreters and other soldiers, gather at the mosques here to share meals and fellowship.

“We use that time to create brotherhood, sisterhood, camaraderie,” he said.

While some have claimed the US military environment might be hostile to Islam, Kazmi indicates the support he gets from his fellow (non-Muslim) Soldiers is probably even better than he would see in the civilian world.

“Everyone’s really supportive,” he said. “The brigade commander goes out of his way to make sure I don’t see him eating. It’s an internal brotherhood, the soldiers are very considerate.”

With the smorgasbord of cultures in the Army, soldiers are exposed to people of different backgrounds on a daily basis. This leads to better understanding amongst the ranks.

“I think it’s exclusive to the military,” Kazmi said, “that’s something you wouldn’t see in the civilian world.”

Religious freedom is valued, and protected, in the US military, regardless of faith.