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US Military Trains Afghan Army To Show Its Muslim Face To Locals

By Howard M. Friedman

The Wall Street Journal yesterday reported on efforts by the U.S. military in Afghanistan to train the Afghan National Army to use religion to counter propaganda of the Taliban. Taliban fighters ride motorcycles through small villages telling locals that the Afghan army is led by godless Communists who are trying to rid the country of Islam. U.S. Army Capt. James Hill is training Afghan army mullah Lt. Col. Abdul Haq to counter this. He supplies Haq with prayer rugs to hand out in villages, installs loudspeakers so local residents can hear the call to prayer to soldiers on Afghan army bases, and encourages Afghan army personnel to mix with villagers to display their religious beliefs. Haq says: "The only way we can keep people from becoming Taliban is by promoting the Muslim nature of the Afghan National Army." [Thanks to ChristianFighterPilot.com for the lead.]

Full post as published by Religion Clause on July 17, 2009 (boomark / email).