GI in Afghanistan Converts to Islam

GI in Afghanistan Converts to Islam

www.military.com

A US soldier in Afghanistan said he converted to Islam Monday at a ceremony in a remote area near the rugged border with Pakistan.
Sergeant Wallace Nelson, 31, told AFP his interaction with his interpreters and other Afghans had persuaded him that Islam "is pretty much the only religion that makes sense to me."

They had explained that the extreme Taliban religious movement "takes things way out of proportion," Nelson told AFP by telephone from his base in the eastern province of Kunar.

"I really wish everything would stop and we would be able to live together and be happy," he said after the ceremony attended by district officials, including the area's Afghan army commander, and tribal elders.

The US military base at Bagram, about 60 kilometres (40 miles) north of Kabul, said it did not know of the conversion but did not monitor such matters since religion was a personal choice.

Afghan media reported in July last year that two US soldiers had converted to Islam, which is rare among the tens of thousands of international troops in Afghanistan to fight the Taliban.

Afghanistan is deeply devout and foreigners converting receive extensive media coverage.

(visit the link for the full news article)

What is the theory? The theory is simple. All the revealed religions contain a universal paradigm of thought. Muslims call this Islam. It is based on an affirmation that there is an ultimate reality of which man and the entire universe are merely an expression, that therefore every person is created with an innate awareness of absolute truth and love, and that persons in community can and should develop from the various sources of divine revelation, including natural law, a framework of moral law to secure peace and prosperity.

www.military.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

What does Islam say about war?

Like Christianity, Islam permits fighting in self-defense, in defense of religion, or on the part of those who have been expelled forcibly from their homes. It lays down strict rules of combat which include prohibitions against harming civilians and against destroying crops, trees and livestock. As Muslims see it, injustice would be triumphant in the world if good men were not prepared to risk their lives in a righteous cause. The Quran says:
Fight in the cause of God against those who fight you, but do not transgress limits. God does not love transgressors. (2:190)
If they seek peace, then seek you peace. And trust in God for He is the One that heareth and knoweth all things. (8:61)
War, therefore, is the last resort, and is subject to the rigorous conditions laid down by the sacred law. The term jihad literally means 'struggle', and Muslims believe that there are two kinds of jihad. The other 'jihad' is the inner struggle which everyone wages against egotistic desires, for the sake of attaining inner peace.

Just wondering what exactly makes this news?

I read this: "Afghanistan is deeply devout and foreigners converting receive extensive media coverage." But other than that... ???

Originally posted by MrDead
Just wondering what exactly makes this news?

I read this: "Afghanistan is deeply devout and foreigners converting receive extensive media coverage." But other than that... ???

.................

You don't believe it's newsworthy ?

Would it be newsworthy if a member of the Taliban converted to Christianity, there in Afghanistan ?

Reasonably confident that if the latter occured, the US and UK mainstream news would feature it fairly prominently.

My reading of the OP is that the GI had reason to question his presence in Afghanistan .. had reason to question his nation's leader and military and thus questioned the religious beliefs of his nation and leader .. and found them wanting. And at the same time found he was in agreement with his nation's enemies.

Conversion to the religion of the enemy is a profound decision. Brave guy. Undoubtedly, his decision will provide food for thought for others fighting for the US in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Originally posted by Dock6


.................

You don't believe it's newsworthy ?

Would it be newsworthy if a member of the Taliban converted to Christianity, there in Afghanistan ?

Reasonably confident that if the latter occured, the US and UK mainstream news would feature it fairly prominently.

I tell you what chum, you can reasonably confident that your example will not happen, because converts to Christianity in Afghanistan would be murdered by fellow Muslims (can't think off too many lapsed Christians getting executed in America), but sure, go off on an urealistic rant

[edit on 12-2-2008 by blueorder]

reply to post by Dock6


To answer your question. If a member of the Taliban converted would I deem it newsworthy...hmmm...nope, couldn't care less. This soldier wants to convert to Islam? More power to him. Honestly, it's ones actions that define one's character for good or ill, not ones religious book.

Neither the actual event, the soldiers conversion, or the hypothetical Taliban members conversion are, or would be, important. Their actions are.

reply to post by Dock6


"religion of the enemy"?

um...no

see, we have american soldiers that are already muslims, and a few million muslims stateside, so it's not really the religion of the enemy.