In an effort to make the US Military more appealing to Muslims there are efforts to make accomodations for them and make them more comfortable with their religion. This is based on the theory that their religion is compatible with the values of the military and the US.
http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/1227/p03s01-usmi.html
WASHINGTON – As US troops battle Islamic extremists abroad, the Pentagon and the armed forces are reaching out to Muslims at home.
An underlying goal is to interest more Muslims in the military, which needs officers and troops who can speak Arabic and other relevant languages and understand the culture of places like Iraq and Afghanistan. The effort is also part of a larger outreach. Pentagon officials say they are striving for mutual understanding with Muslims at home and abroad and to win their support for US war aims. Among the efforts to attract and retain Muslim cadets:
• West Point and the other service academies have opened Muslim prayer rooms, as have military installations.
• Imams serve full- and part-time as chaplains at the academies and some bases.
• Top non-Muslim officers and Pentagon officials have taken to celebrating religious events with Muslims overseas and here in the US.
"There is a message here, and that is that Muslims and the Islamic religion are totally compatible with Western values," says Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England in an interview.
The Military wants to make themselves more appealing to Muslims..
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