Hundreds attend funeral of Indian-born U.S. soldier killed in Iraq

AHMEDABAD, India (Reuters) - Hundreds of grieving Muslims on Sunday attended the funeral of an Indian-born U.S. soldier killed in a rocket attack in Iraq last month.

The body of 23-year-old Hatim Kathiria was flown to Dahod in Gujarat on Sunday, accompanied by U.S. officials and his wife, Lissy Jean-Pierre.

"He was my only son. His ambitions took him to the U.S. and then to Iraq. We lost him, but he died a martyr's death," said a grief-stricken Shirin, Kathiria's mother.

More than 2,000 people thronged the streets of the Muslim-dominated town, south of the state capital, Gandhinagar, shouting "long live the Indian martyr" and showering flower petals on the wooden coffin.

Kathiria, who went to the United States in 2003, joined the U.S. Army the following year, with the hope that a stint in the armed forces would help fund a college scholarship.

"His services have been recognised by the U.S. armed forces and the family will be provided support," said Michael Owen, the U.S. Consul General in Mumbai, who attended the funeral.

Kathiria is the second Indian-born soldier killed in Iraq after Sergeant Uday Singh from Punjab died last December when his patrol was attacked by insurgents in Baghdad.

Kathiria, who had an Indian degree in computer engineering, ran a computer system that kept track of U.S. army supplies and parts in Baghdad.

Nearly 1,900 U.S. troops have died in Iraq, many of them in attacks by Islamic insurgents opposed to U.S. policies.

"He was a true Indian who fought against terrorism," said Rehman Faiz, a local Muslim priest in Dahod.

Muslims make up around 13 percent of Hindu-majority India's one-billion-plus population and protests by them against the U.S. presence in Iraq have been more muted than in Muslim countries.

India did not support the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, but there are an estimated 450 Indians in the U.S. armed forces. Their numbers are climbing as military service is seen as a short-cut to college scholarships as well as U.S. citizenship.

Indian Muslims always have their own decision for each and every thing. They are fundamental about the Religion, but absolutely against the terrorism.

14% of Indian population is Muslims. Also India is the second largest Muslim populated Nation in the world. They neither depend, nor against Hindus or Christians or any other religions. They love India and its democracy and follow its legislature and judiciary. They never support terrorism, but always..... always..... against the terrorism and love of those who fight for the terrorism. This is a good example you see about Indian Muslims.
Not only Muslims. But Hindus also fundamental about their religion, but fully against of terrorism.

Because We, either Hindu, or Muslim, or Christian, or Budhist are one in our democracy, and we love India as our Mother. Mahatma Gandhi is the Father of our Nation. He worked for the World Peace. We Indians always love to see the Peace of the World.

Only Jesus Christ can give the real Peace. That's the reason I personally ministering in the Vineyard of our Lord Jesus to win India and the third world for the redeeming love of Jesus Christ. In Jesus we have Peace and reconciliation. Not only the thrird world, but the whole world come to the love of Jesus Christ and know the real peace.

India town buries U.S. Muslim soldier slain in Iraq
Reuters ^ | 9/4/04
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1477079/posts

Braveheart kin wait to welcome bahu they’ve never seen

Praveen Menon

http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=146767

Vadodara, September 2: The grieving family of US soldier Hatim Kathiria is looking forward to Sunday: that’s the day when his widow, Sergeant Esther Perez, arrives in Dahod with the martyr’s body.

Eager to make their American daughter-in-law feel at home, the family, despite being in mourning, is leaving no stone unturned to make her visit comfortable — renovations have been carried out in the family home, a room’s been earmarked for and a ‘‘European-style’’ toilet installed for the bahu they’ve never met.

‘‘They have installed an English-type toilet for her since she may not be used to the Indian ones,’’ said a close friend of the family. Kathiria married Perez just a week before leaving for Baghdad where she serves with the US armed forces. She was in Iraq when the incident took place. Four other US Army men are expected to accompany Perez to Dahod.

The town is abuzz with reports that the close-knit Bohra community has decided to accept Perez as Kathiria’s wife. This would mean that Perez will have to stay back in the town for a couple of weeks after the cremation to complete post-death rituals. Keeping this in mind, the elders and close relatives of the family have started preparing for her stay. ‘‘We have a period of ‘iddat’, which she would have to go through,’’ said a family friend.

The town of a lakh people has a population of about 35,000 Bohra Muslims. The community has been very secretive about Hatim’s marriage and refused to speak to the media about it.

Hatim was killed in a rocket attack on August 22 during his posting in Baghdad. The 23-year-old had gone to the US to work as a software engineer. With no job in hand and a dream to get US citizenship, he joined the US Army. He was working as a warehouse personnel with the US Army and was sent to Baghdad on January 26 this year.

‘‘We have unconfirmed reports that the body will reach Mumbai on Saturday night and would then be flown down to Vadodara. It will be brought here by road on Sunday afternoon,’’ said B P Chauhan, the Residential Deputy Collector of Dahod.

All eyes are on Dahod as the US Army is planning to perform the last rites of the Muslim youth with full military honours for the first time in Gujarat. The US Army earlier cremated the body of Sergeant Uday Singh in Punjab who also lost his life during the US war in Iraq.

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