Posted on 06/28/2015 6:18:32 PM PDT by ebb tide
Do U.S. troops fast during Yom Kippur? Lent? No? Why not? “U.S. Troops Face Eating, Drinking Restrictions During Ramadan,” by Jeryl Bier, Weekly Standard, June 26, 2015 (thanks to Pamela Geller):
A top commander in southwest Asia reminded U.S military personnel stationed in Muslim countries in the Middle East of the restrictions placed on them during Ramadan. According to a report by the U.S. Air Forces Central Command Public Affairs, Brig. Gen. John Quintas, 380th Air Expeditionary Wing commander in Southwest Asia, said that the U.S. is “committed to the concepts of tolerance, freedom and diversity.” But he added that soldiers should “become more informed and appreciative of the traditions and history of the people in this region of the world… [R]emember we are guests here and that the host nation is our shoulder-to-shoulder, brothers and sisters in arms, risking their lives for our common cause to defeat terrorism.”
During the 30-day religious celebration of Ramadan, even non-Muslims are expected to obey local laws regarding eating, drinking, and using tobacco in public. Violators can be fined up to $685 or receive two months in jail. A spokesperson for United States Central Command [CENTCOM] said that “we are not aware of any specific instances of anyone being arrested” for such violations.
\For [sic] military personnel outside of U.S.-controlled areas, the only exceptions for the rules are for those “performing strenuous labor.” Such personnel are “authorized to drink and consume as much food as they need to maintain proper hydration and energy.” It is unclear what constitutes “strenuous labor” or whether additional exceptions might be made during a heatwave affecting some areas of the region that has taken hundreds of lives.
When asked if the restrictions were new or simply a continuation of past policy, a CENTCOM spokesperson replied:
There has been no change in policy… [W]hile the US does not have a Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) with the UAE, it is common practice to ensure all Soldiers, Sailors, Airman, and Marines deployed to Muslim countries are culturally aware that during the month of Ramadan, practicing Muslims do not consume anything from sunrise to sunset as a pillar of their faith. Commanders throughout the AOR create policies to ensure their subordinates respect the laws and culture of our hosts at all times….
You guys will just have to take my word for it, but this is overblown. Nobody is under any of these restrictions except in one aspect...you just don’t eat or drink in PUBLIC. If you need or want to take a drink or eat something, do in the office, your room, or the dining halls which are open normal hours. Off base, all the restaurants are closed all day, so it’s not a big deal to tell people not to eat in public. Hotels have walled off areas in their restaurants for folks who want to eat, and take out places are generally open. Only Muslims are forbidden from eating and drinking in most Midde Eastern countries, others are forbidden (or more like highly discouraged) from eating and drinking in public. Not sure about Saudi.
The crime here IMHO is the Generals politically correct language and sucking up to Islam. We should not do that because it makes us look weak. You’ll get nothing for it from muslims. They just don’t roll that way.
I normally like Robert Spencer, but this is a bit over the top and makes it look like all the troops are one step away from being forced to pray to allah 5 times a day. Not true.
If the entire force eats, then there is NOTHING they can do.
The military should RAISE HELL about this.
They cannot lock up their entire force.
I agree. This in itself is not that big a deal and is reasonable. It’s the entire context, how in so many other ways our military defers to Islam. Like when the U.S. Army burned Bibles in Afghanistan.
How do such profound ignorant people reach positions of leadership in a nation's military?
Coercion seems a piss poor way to impose illegal orders in a free society with an actual Bill of Rights.
One would hope that a mass refusal to follow unconstitutional orders would be a growing tendency among our overwhelming Christian military population.
It would be an absurdity to suggest that we would require muslims in our country to observe Christian Holy Days.
We don't have a lawful State Religion you say?
Why not? Specially if we allow foreign primitive culture to impose their religion on our citizens?
Our leaders insist that our Constitution "protects" all citizens of foreign countries of the entire world. Where in our Constitution does it create the power to do that?
Conversely, where in our constitution does it grant our elected leaders the authority to impose on American citizens the obligation to bow to foreign religious laws?
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