25 January 2008

Muslim Navy Chaplain Will Discuss U.S. Life, Bangladesh Relief

Abuhena Saifulislam was first Muslim chaplain at Guantanamo

American diversity is reflected in all aspects of society, including the armed forces, where Muslims are free to practice their faith and are served by Muslim chaplains. One of these chaplains is Lieutenant Commander Abuhena Saifulislam, who immigrated to the United States from Bangladesh, where the U.S. military has recently played an important role in delivering humanitarian aid in the wake of Cyclone Sidr.

On February 1, at 8 a.m. EST (1300 GMT/1900 Dhaka), join Saifulislam for a discussion of his role as a military chaplain, his life as a naturalized U.S. citizen, and how the United States and Bangladesh cooperate in the continued cyclone relief effort.

Lieutenant Commander Saifulislam was the second Muslim chaplain commissioned in the U.S. Navy. He immigrated to the United States in 1999, after earning a master's degree in business in Bangladesh. He enlisted in the Navy in 1992, and was the first Muslim chaplain at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, when the detention facility first opened in 2001.

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