From an American Muslimah pilot stationed in Uzbekistan on the occasion of Memorial Day 2002:

This seemed like a good thread to comment on today, May 27th, Memorial Day 2002 in the USA. This is the day we Americans remember those who have died in our wars fighting for the United States. As a member of the United States Army myself, the wife of another soldier, the daughter of a former soldier, the grandaughter of a soldier, the sister of two soldiers, and also the sister and sister-in-law of two airforce pilots, this day has special meaning to me. So far my family has been blessed in that we have not lost anyone and the injuries have not been life threatening. Thanks be to Allah for that! But all of us know men, and a few women, who have died. Each of us has lost at least one friend, someone we've served with and knew well. And each of us, because we are or were all combat arms soldiers or airmen who actually fight, not rear area personnel, has a personal understanding of what it means to "fight for our country"...because all of us have, and some are doing it today. To put it as simply as possible, this is a country worth fighting for. My grandfather told me that when I was a little girl; he was an immigrant from Kuwait, and so very, very proud of his American citizenship, and that he had, in his opinion, really earned it in the uniform of his adopted country. We Americans don't like war at all. We'd much rather live in peace, trade, visit, communicate, and get along with others. But, we are capable of fighting, and fighting well when necessary. Our armed forces reflect our country, eclectic, mixed, multi-ethnic, multi-religious, mutli-racial, and totally American. We don't much care where our fellow soldiers or sailors, etc., came from...or what religion they follow, or not...couldn't matter less. The US Army patch that rests above the left breast pocket on our battle dress uniforms says it all for us soldiers...similar things for the other branches. Today, Memorial Day, we remembered the one million six hundred thousand of our fellow Americans who have died for this country. Those Union soldiers in blue who died in 1863 at Gettysburg are as much my heroes and forefathers as if my family had been here back then. And the tradition begun at Valley Forge, and Chippewa, and Chapaultepec, and San Juan Hill, is MY tradition and my family's. The freedoms we Americans take for granted, are not and were not free. The freedom to be a Muslim in the US (or a Hindu, or a Jew, or a Lutheran, or nothing at all) was bought for in the blood of those who went before me, and I owe them, and so will my children which, insh'Allah, Hassan and I will have. I'm an American soldier, and my country's enemies are my enemies. Those who would harm my fellow citizens are my targets. Those who would destroy my country and the freedoms it stands for are those I will destroy myself, and, insh'Allah, I will get the opportunity to do so, again! I am a free American woman, who believes as she wishes and who needs not fear or heed any fanatic or demagogue. My children will be able to say the same thing when they celebrate their Memorial Days, for my husband, and brothers, and sister, and brother-in-law, and comrades in arms will damn well make sure that they will be able to do so...so help us God...so help us Allah...so help us whatever diety we choose to pray to.

We are Muslims in the US military, and we will fight for this country as hard as our ancestors did because we owe it to them, and because we gave our word, and most of all, because it's worth it!

To those who have a problem with this, my advice is make sure you keep your dislike verbal. We believe in freedom of speech, even speech we do not agree with. Take it beyond that, and you become a target. Count on that!

Happy Memorial Day and may Allah have mercy on those who have died fighting for the United States so that people like my family and me, and our children, and future immigrants, can live in this wonderful land as free men and women.

Aisha