Posted on 04/19/2006 8:37:33 AM PDT by white trash redneck
The Royal Navy has appointed its first Muslim Rear Admiral, Pakistan-born Amjad Hussain, a British newspaper said Friday, April 14.
"I count myself very lucky to live in a country where the opportunities have been beyond my imagination," Hussain told The Sun.
Rear Admiral is the fourth-highest rank in the Royal Navy, equivalent to a major-general in the Army or an Air Vice-Marshal in the Royal Air Force.
Hussain, who has become the highest-ranking ethnic officer among the 200,000 personnel of the British armed forces, said in the Navy one's work is what really matters.
"Like most people I've just got on with my job. I would hate to think anybody would get promoted because of their ethnic origin," the father of three told Britain's biggest-selling daily.
A Navy spokesman said: "Rear Admiral Hussain beat off formidable competition. He has achieved this rank on his own merit."
The admiral made national headlines in 1989 when he escorted Princess Diana around his ship, the frigate HMS Cornwall.
He also showed the Queen around HMS Endurance in Portsmouth before her review of the fleet during the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar.
Pre-Conceptions
Hussain, 47, said he came across some racial slurs at the very beginning of his career, but his behavior and work spoke louder and removed pre-conceptions.
"Occasionally you used to get the odd stupid bout of name-calling but that was more in the early days.
"But it never affected me, or made any difference to my job really. When people got to know me, all pre-conceptions disappeared," he said.
He said the Navy is not the sort of place where "you are made to feel different."
"It has always been a very close team. I have never thought of myself as anything other than a normal Navy officer."
The Foreign Office honored last month a host of British Muslims for their great contributions to the country.
The award for excellence in engineering, science and technology went to Professor Saghir Akhtar, an internationally renowned academic in drug delivery of genome-based therapeutics and currently Chair of Drug Delivery and Director of the Centre for Genome Based Therapeutics at Cardiff University.
Young England cricketer Bilal Mustapha Shafayat won the award for excellence in sports.
Ahmad Al-Rawi, the president of the Leicestershire-based Federation of Islamic Organizations in Europe (FIOE), was given the ward for excellence in promoting understanding between global cultures and faiths.
A February poll showed that 91 percent of British some 1.6 million Muslims are "loyal" to Britain and 80 percent still want to live in and accept Western society.
Following the July 7 terrorist London attacks, Muslim leaders pledged an active participation in government efforts to combat the poisonous phenomenon of extremism for the welfare of British society.
The UK is toast. To think that we shed blood to save them from Hitler 60 years ago, and yet they are surrendering without a shot to a worse threat today.
Oh do shut up. Every single time there is a war, with the exception of Vietnam, we're right there beside you shedding our blood along with yours.
As I seem to recall, you have a senior general who is of Arab derivation. No one screamed it was the end of the world in the States. This is not the end of the world in the UK.
Ivan
So you're saying that the UK should ban muslims from being officers in their navy?
Yes, when we are at war with Islam.
The U.S. also had a general back in WWII whose background was German, no less! Pretty good guy too, as I've read! Even went on to serve as a two term President.
Well, I see that escorting the royals around constitutes this flag officer's only [or at least the only ones mentioned] accomplishments. Better than nothing, I suppose.
The Royal Navy saved us from Hitler, thanks. We wouldn't have beaten Hitler alone - but we wouldn't have lost to him either.
To be sure, you don't become an Admiral just for that.
Regards, Ivan
While I don't have a problem with the appointment, there is a difference.
Ike didn't choose to be of German heritage, you do choose your religion.
We have Satanists in our Navy, apparently. That doesn't worry me, so long as they have the right idea from that "religion" about the treatment of our enemies.
Regards, Ivan
But aside from the Hitler thing - I share your distaste for this Muslim Admiral.
"To be sure..." - Paint me cynical, but I am not so sure, to tell the truth. Escorting, plus PC.
In addition, last year an Arab American Senator, John Sununu (R-NH) presided over the Senate Foreign Relations Committee confirmation hearing of Arab American Dina Habib Powell to serve as Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs.
To be fair, your FBI was fairly busy during the Second World War because of concerns about the loyalty of the German community, and the Japanese community.
That said, it is inconceivable that Eisenhower would be disloyal, in spite of his origin. I don't know enough about the Admiral to say, but he certainly seems to be of the same mould.
Regards, Ivan
Many Lebanese are Christian, as I suspect Abizaid is.
yeah, what the hell is this? He admits to being a co-conspiritor in the largest criminal & terrorist organization that ever existed, and they allowed him be an Admiral. England, goodbye.
"The Royal Navy saved us from Hitler, thanks. We wouldn't have beaten Hitler alone - but we wouldn't have lost to him either."
Quite true.
And the Royal Air Force.
And ignorant fools, up yours. How many times do you have to write off Britain, and then when it comes down to it, Britain is right there with you, before you actually admit, maybe Britain isn't over yet? How many effing times?
Ivan
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