Tag Archives: Islam

The Citadel Denies Uniform Exception for Hijab

Update: New articles identify the student as Sana Hamze.

Update: Norwich University in Vermont has reportedly granted the same unnamed applicant the right to wear a hijab in her uniform. CAIR implies the student may yet take legal action against the Citadel.  Alumni from Norwich reacted similarly to those at the Citadel, with at least one noting Norwich has a civilian program for those who do not wish to adhere to the rules of the military corps of cadets.

citadelThe Citadel, “The Military College of South Carolina,” has denied a request for a waiver from an incoming cadet to wear a hijab with her cadet uniform, among other exceptions. From the President of The Citadel, retired LtGen John Rosa:

The Citadel has relied upon a highly effective educational model requiring all cadets to adopt a common uniform. Uniformity is the cornerstone of this four-year leader development model. The standardization of cadets in apparel, overall appearance, actions and privileges is essential to the learning goals and objectives of the college. This process reflects an initial relinquishing of self during which cadets learn the value of teamwork to function as a single unit…

The Citadel recognizes the importance of a cadet’s spiritual and religious beliefs, providing services for specific needs whenever possible…

The prospective cadet, who had already Read more

US Military Celebrates National Day of Prayer

praydeployDespite one ill-fated and ill-willed attempt to keep some US troops from joining together in prayer, the US military celebrated the National Day of Prayer around the world.

Renowned Christian apologist Ravi Zacharias spoke at a National Prayer Breakfast gathering at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, to more than 300 US troops, their families, and civilians.  There and at a simultaneous symposium he talked on ‘Where is God in Suffering?’ and  Read more

Article: Stop Calling Ted Cruz a Dominionist

Robert Gagnon and Edith Humphrey at Christianity Today wrote an interesting article entitled “Stop Calling Ted Cruz a Dominionist.” In essence, it takes critics of Ted Cruz to task for using a label that clearly doesn’t make sense.

They summarize some of those accusing Cruz of being a “dominionist,” including John Fea, professor of American history at Messiah College, and Warren Throckmorton, professor of psychology at Grove City College (think Chris Rodda with credibility).

They then explain where the term and accusations are coming from:

The term has become elastic, encompassing Christians who believe the United States was once a predominantly Christian nation as well as those who hold “right-wing” views. But as many writers have noted, this elastic sense has become a bogeyman.

Jewish journalist Stanley Kurtz called it “conspiratorial nonsense,” while Washington Post columnist Michael Gerson declared: “Thin charges of dominionism are just another attempt to discredit opponents rather than answer them.”

Even the liberal journalist Lisa Miller called the loose accusation of dominionism “the paranoid mot du jour.”

The two authors then give examples from Ted Cruz’s life that seem to Read more

Mikey Weinstein’s MRFF Tells Christians to Get Help Elsewhere

weinsteinserWhile Michael “Mikey” Weinstein has claimed his Military Religious Freedom Foundation is advocating for religious freedom, claims by his critics that his group is actually “anti-Christian” have apparently stung — and stuck.

Unfortunately for him, his own staff is making his critics’ case.

A self-described former Assembly of God pastor, Joan Slish, is a member of Weinstein’s advisory board and has previously provided great insight into how the sausage is made at the MRFF. She is a go-to MRFF advocate for replying to their “hate mail,” apparently because she has stellar “copy/paste” skills. Each of her identical replies, dutifully posted by the MRFF, is a robotic, 1,000-word diatribe that generally has nothing to do with what their detractor wrote.

Recently, however, Slish got into a back-and-forth with a detractor that revealed more than she Read more

The Citadel Considers a Hijab in Uniform

citadelFor the first time in its history, The Citadel is considering a request for a uniform exception that would allow a cadet to keep a religious accoutrement. Interestingly, the request came from a female (and females were only allowed in The Citadel at all starting in 1995).

The Citadel is considering a request from an admitted student that she be allowed to wear a hijab in keeping with her Muslim faith, a move that would be an unprecedented exception to the school’s longstanding uniform requirements.

The Citadel is not the US military, nor is it a state actor — but it does receive state money. That Read more

Mikey Weinstein Calls for Decapitation, Persecution of Christians

In an appropriately timed interview just prior to Easter, Michael “Mikey” Weinstein of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation was asked what would constitute “success” in his war against Christians in the US military. This was his response:

The Romans had it right. When you cut off somebody’s head and you stick it on a pole and show it to the masses, it changes behavior.

The interview was laced with a repugnant oblivious irony.  It was entitled “Do Christian Fanatics in the Military Endanger National Security?“, ignoring the fact no Christian “fanatic” has ever been identified in the US military, much less one who “endangers national security.”  By contrast, “fanatics” of other religions most certainly have been identified, repeatedly, yet Islamic extremism in the US military never once enters Mikey Weinstein’s lexicon of prejudice against Christians.

Further, Weinstein’s implications about cutting the heads off Read more

Former Muslim US Airman Convicted on Terrorism Charges

A former US Air Force Airman — and apparently a member of the Honor Guard — flew to Turkey in an attempt to join ISIS in 2015.  Tairod Nathan Webster Pugh was arrested upon his return to the United States and was convicted last week on terrorism-related charges.

Pugh joins a long list of Americans who have either attempted to or successfully attacked US troops while motivated by their Islamic faith — five of whom were members of the US military:

Besides Pugh, at least eleven other incidents have been recorded in which Read more

We are Not all Muslims: Military Veterans Hold Rally

The Smedley D. Butler Brigade of Veterans for Peace, an anti-war veterans group, recently held a rally outside a mosque in response to “bigotry” in the US presidential race:

Supporters of Veterans for Peace carried white and black flags featuring the group’s logo, a white dove set against a combat helmet, and displayed signs reading “Muslims are not our enemy.”

Boston Police Commissioner William Evans also spoke and made the somewhat unusual statement that

“We’re all Muslims deep down. We all yearn for peace.”

That seems to recall Read more

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