Allah and Uncle Sam: The Experience of Muslims in the U.S. Armed Forces
Abstract
Muslims make up a large segment of American society yet remain underrepresented in social science research. This article presents the results of qualitative interviews with six Muslims serving on active military duty in the U.S. armed forces. Interviews focused on the participants description of their faith, challenges to integrating Islam with the military culture, and additional difficulties arising since the attacks on September 11th, 2001. Respondents report a variety of barriers in the military, most of which are manageable by the individual. Despite these issues, respondents feel the military culture is more supportive of their religious beliefs than the civilian society. Limitations of this study include the small sample size and absence of Muslims who may have left the military due to conflicts between their religious faith and military culture. Future research may need to examine how individuals respond to ethical dilemmas when military duties conflict with religious identity.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Oct 07, 2002
- Accession Number
- ADA410723
Entities
People
- Sharon Gober
- Victor A. Baumgarten
Organizations
- Air Force Institute of Technology