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Noted last year when she began training<\/a>, 1Lt Saleha Jabeen has now graduated the chaplain’s course<\/a> and has become the first female Muslim chaplain in the entire US military:<\/p>\n The graduation ceremony for BCC Class 21A was a historic event as the Air Force aims to foster a more diverse and inclusive service\u2026<\/p>\n \u201cI did not have to compromise on any of my religious beliefs or convictions,\u201d Jabeen said. \u201cI am surrounded with people who respect me and are willing to receive what I bring to the table as a woman, a faith leader, and an immigrant.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Jabeen\u2019s entrance into the military as a chaplain is an interesting, if unusual, situation. On one hand, it speaks to the US military\u2019s promotion of religious exercise that it would commission a chaplain with religious beliefs held by only a few people in the entire military. On the other hand, Jabeen\u2019s ability to perform one of her primary chaplain roles \u2013 act as a faith leader \u2013 is essentially non-existent, making the practicality of her appointment somewhat confusing.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, there are shortages<\/em> of chaplains in other faiths who need faith leaders in the military.<\/p>\n Tellingly, atheists have been unusually quiet about the newly minted military female Imam. While they frequently claim Christians are over-represented in the US military chaplaincy (and atheists are under-represented), they don\u2019t seem bothered by the fact that the military has installed a chaplain who has essentially no adherents in the military to serve.<\/p>\n All that said, Jabeen\u2019s role in the military can be celebrated \u2013 so long as the US military continues to advocate for the religious exercise of all of its troops, even those who hold beliefs that some may dislike.<\/p>\n ADVERTISEMENT<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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