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Muslim Chaplains: Identity, Mission and Goal

The 2nd Annual Muslim Chaplains Conference was organized by ISNA Leadership Development Center (ILDC) on August 30- September 1, 2006 at Crowne Plaza Chicago O’Hare. The purpose of the annual conference was to provide tools and skills to the Muslim chaplains and offer them an opportunity to discuss concerns and challenges, share resources, and plan for the next year conference.  The conference was attended by 55 professional imams and chaplains serving in US military, hospitals, universities, as well as federal and state prisons around the country.

Opening Remarks:

The 2nd Annual Chaplains Conference has started at 2:30pm, central time with opening remarks were given by Dr. Louay Safi, Executive Director of the ISNA Leadership Development Center (ILDC). Dr. Safi stressed the need to bring compassion to the work of Muslim chaplains. Chaplains, he asserted, must not allow Islam to be expressed as merely a set of criteria to be used for judging others, but as a message of mercy and care about the dignity and well being of others.

He welcomed the participants and pointed out that there are more participants this year than the thirty-five present last year. The number has improved from last year, however the ultimate success is, if every year, attendees try to reach out to the other Muslim Chaplains to increase participation and promote this conference, so we all can come together every year and discuss matters and issues concerned to the chaplains. He also stressed that the meeting would be fruitful if participants were able to establish good bonds with each other through communication and networking.  

Session 1: Muslim Chaplains: Who We Are, What We Do, and Why We Do It?

Speakers:

• Chaplain Abdul Rashid Muhammad (Army)
• Chaplain Ismail Aleem (Prison)
• Chaplain Abdullah T. Antepli (University)
• Chaplain Saif-ul-Islam (Navy)
• Chaplain Rifat Abu Khdeir (Hospital).

Moderator:  Ahmed Kobeisy

Dr. Ahmed Kobeisy, an educator, imam, and counselor at the Islamic Society of Central New York and Muslim Chaplain, briefly introduced the speakers and encouraged participants to discuss, consult and exchange views during the session. He commented that Muslim chaplains play a significant role by representing Islam in different America institutions and playing an important role in raising awareness of Islam with the people around them.

Abdul-Rashid Muhammad, Chaplain Major in the US Army, former prison chaplain for the state of New York and member of the ILDC Chaplaincy Council, also addressed the participants. He described Muslim Chaplain as “a difference maker” in the lives of soldiers, whether or not they are of the Muslim faith.

He explained his field of chaplaincy, in which “ministry is dictated by the overall mission,”–either a garrison operation mission or a deployed mission. In the former mission, he explained that his role is to provide religious support for soldiers and their family members. In his position Chaplain Abdul-Rashid not only ensures that daily and special prayer services are provided for Muslim soldiers, but also prayer services for other soldiers who are not Muslim. He further stated that in the deployed mission, the role of the Muslim Chaplain was described as being similar to the one aforementioned yet with additional responsibilities. The Muslim Chaplain in this case must be instrumental in helping reduce stress, addressing after-effect in soldiers, making referrals, and acting as a subject matter expert if the mission is in a Muslim land.  

Ismail Aleem, who has served as a Chaplain in the prison system, spoke next. He presented information on the background of the prison system with a powerpoint presentation.  His presentation pointed out that during World War II, draft resisters from the Nation of Islam were treated as “Criminal Gangs” and denied the right to practice their religion with no access to prayer rugs and the Qur’an. In the 1960s, after several court cases against the correction officials, Islam was acknowledged as a legitimate religion using the first amendment. Chaplain Ismail showed that it was incarcerated Muslims who fought for recognition of Islam in America. He also shared statistics that show racial disparity in U.S. prisons.

Chaplain Ismail briefly explained that his role as a Muslim Chaplain in the prison system is to work with incarcerated Muslims and connect them with Muslims on the outside.

Abdullah T. Antepli, a Muslim Chaplain who is currently working as a coordinator of Islamic Chaplaincy and Interfaith Relations at Hartford Seminary, stated that campus chaplaincy is a new phenomenon. In addition to helping Muslims decipher their own place on campus and transform their spiritual life, a Muslim university Chaplain helps to create a community of believers who support one another.

Chaplain Antepli described in detail major roles that chaplain’s play on college campuses. These includes the roles of a shepherd that “protects and guides” the “flock” that is the Muslim community. He also conducts prayer services, informs Muslims about events, and serves as an Imam, regardless of which sect of Islam they follow. He further explained that he interacts with the non-Muslim community through his Introduction Islam course as well as interfaith dialogue. The major challenges he face are the lack of community support and financial resources to hire more chaplains, as well as the fact that many Muslims simply do not know what a  chaplain is and how different his or her role is from that of an Imam.

Chaplain Saif-ul-Islam, Muslim Chaplain in the Navy and soon to be promoted to the position of Lieutenant Commander, followed Chaplain Antepli’s presentation. He began with the question “Who are we?” and stated that a Chaplain can be from any religious background, thus they should use a clear title. Chaplain Saif- ul-islam also highlighted the question that if the term ‘Chaplain’ is interchangeable with ‘Imam’, then could women be Imams? Thus, for such reaasoins he expressed a need for clearly defining who a Muslim Chaplain is.

Secondly, he asked the question “What do we do?” with the answer that a Chaplain provides the worship services of his or her own faith group and facilitates other religious groups as well. He expressed that he is highly trusted as a confidante while counseling both Muslims and non-Muslims, but cautioned that their information cannot be shared with other officers unless authorized to do so.

Chaplain Islam further stated that he is proud to be a Muslim chaplain and this is a great opportunity that was given to him by Allah (SWT) to do this kind of work that not only benefits Muslim but also people from the other faith groups. He said that role of chaplain is very important and required high level of professionalism and non- judgmental attitude.  

Rifat Abu Khdeir, the first Muslim hospital Chaplain to serve in the state of Illinois , began with a hadith of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) that demonstrated the importance of visiting the sick; he further stated that Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) taught us to remove the affliction by praying to the Ultimate Healer, who is Allah.

As a Hospital Chaplain, Chaplain Abu Khdeir expressed that he does not represent any particular faith but serves everyone as an advocate for the spiritual values held by the patients. He promotes reducing suffering through holistic healing by providing love, compassion, comfort, and counseling.  Chaplain Abu Khdeir shared that the first thing he tells patients is that “Allah loves you.”  

Some Feedback from the participants during Session 1:

Chaplain Layla Assem, who works as the Women’s Chaplain at Coffee Creek Correctional Facility in Portland, Oregon area is part of an Oregon Chaplains organization, shared her views that reading the Qur’an to non-Muslims brings them closer to Islam.

Chaplain Derek Rasheed, who is a director of Oregon Islamic Chaplains organization(O.I.C.O) in Portland, discussed his experience in the military, where he had served for fifteen years and refused to fight against Muslims due to a conflict of conscience.  

Chaplain Ismail Aleem expressed his concern that due to the lack of resources, communities don’t have means to provide services to Muslims inmates reentering the world outside a prison.

Session 2:   Future Trends in Muslim Chaplaincy

Speaker: Dr. Ahmed Kobeisy

Dr. Ahmed Kobeisy, an educator, imam and counselor at the Islamic Society of Central New York and Muslim Chaplain at Syracuse University, began this session with an affirmation that Islam calls for social action to help others, to enjoin what is right, to forbid what is wrong, and to be an advocate for the oppressed. He quoted the hadith of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), who said, “The best of humans is who is most helpful to mankind.” He explained that as Muslim Chaplains face unique ecpectations as working with the recipients who need care, as well as their families and the administration of the university.

He posed that the title of ‘Imam’ for a Chaplain is problematic for the following reasons. First of all, it conveys moral supremacy over the recipient of care causing the recipient of care to hesitate to reveal his or her vulnerable needs and desire for guidance. Also, it would possibly cause a controversy over whether a woman could be an ‘Imam’ because she is a Chaplain.

Br. Kobeisy suggested three main tools for Muslim Chaplains to succeed:

• Education
• Training
• Professional development

He further stated that to be highly specialized in one’s respective field of Chaplaincy, it is imperative to make informed decisions and give sound advice.  He also predicts that more fields in Chaplaincy will be created; for example, Europe already has Chaplains who serve sports teams.

He also stressed that Muslim Chaplains need to be equipped to deal effectively with special issues in the Muslim community.  Moreover, chaplains need to be advocates for policy change by taking the initiative to approach politicians about those receiving their care and exchange their views in vital current affairs.

Another future trend, according to Br. Kobeisy, is the required certification of Muslim Chaplains, and participation in certain training programs such as ILDC Chaplain conference and Summer Leadership Program to improve their role by enhancing their respected skill sets.

Session 3: Chaplains as Policy makers and Expert Witnesses

Speaker:   Dr. Ingrid Mattson
Moderator:   Doha Hamza

Sr. Doha Hamza introduced Dr. Ingrid Mattson, the first woman President of Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), Professor and Director of the accredited training program for Muslim Chaplains in the US at Hartford Seminary. Dr. Mattson described chaplaincy as “the cutting edge for leadership in the Muslim community–where practice meets the public sphere.”

She commented that the role of a Chaplain is one who validates a religious practice even if he or she does not believe in it. She further stated that Muslim Chaplains must embrace plurality and should acknowledge that others have an opposing view that is legitimate according to their school of law stressing that they are not Muftis trying to give recipients of their care a definitive ruling.  Rather, Muslim Chaplains are there to accommodate their beliefs and provide advice if asked for guidance. Dr. Mattson emphasized that ‘freedom of religion', which is a constitution right, must be extended to Muslims around us.

During her sessions, Dr. Mattson recalled a recent trial in which she had to testify in favor of having a Muslim Chaplain available every Friday to lead prayer at a correctional facility. She informed the participants that she had to explain to the court that Friday prayer was mandatory, and since inmates are not allowed to lead prayer services themselves, it is necessary to have a Chaplain come and lead it on a regular basis.

She shared another experience in court in which she fought for two men who were against pat-down searches.  She stated that she had to explain to the court that the Islamic principle of hayaa (physical modesty) is clearly violated in cross-gender pat-down searches, in which men and women come into intimate contact. This is used as a tactic to lower the spirit of the Muslim prisoners and to get information out of them. This court case was decided in favor of the two men seeking redress for the mistreatment they received while incarcerated.

Dr. Mattson encouraged Muslim chaplains to develop protocols to deal with such type of cases and learn from her as they, as Muslim Chaplains, may be called on to testify as expert witnesses in future situations.

Questions and Feedback of Session 3

Chaplain Hussain Abdullah Aziz serves as a Muslim Chaplain in the Cook County Jail Chicago;. he recalled a court experience in which a female expert tried to “call him out.” He asked Dr. Mattson what could be done to resolve this situation?  She advised him to seek help from ILDC as they should be able to provide factual information on this matter.  She further advised that it is imperative for chaplains to handle such situations with care and  without becoming emotional. If a chaplain is faced with discrimination or suspension, they should contact ILDC in order to have their case referred to a lawyer.

Dr. Kobeisy identified the need to establish a body to support Muslim Chaplains. Dr. Mattson recommended that each state should have a representative with regional councils that come together to a national organization. She further stated, “We are still building Masjids, but the need is to build bridges between these Masajids for coordination and support. A national body can’t get to individual Masjids without an mediator.”

Chaplain Layla Assem, a female chaplain at Coffee Creek Correctional Facility in Portland, asked for advice on a resolution to address the plight of prison sisters who are not allowed to cover their hair, even when it is time for prayer. Dr. Mattson suggests that she should research and collect state regulations on religious accommodations within various states and ask state representatives in government about how they came to provide these accommodation to inmates. This will lead to a solution of the issues facing the respected institution in question.

Session 4: How to Provide Effective Religious Accommodation

Speaker: James Chaplain Yee
Moderator: Chaplain Abdul Rasheed Muhammad

Chaplain Abdul Rasheed Muhammad, US Army Chaplain and member of the ILDC Chaplaincy Council, introduced Chaplain Yee. A third generation Chinese-American, born and raised in the US, Chaplain Yee graduated from the West Point Academy, the most prestigious military school of higher education in the US. Chaplain Yee served in the Gulf War and after becoming a Muslim studied Arabic in Syria. He was assigned to be the minister to prisoners at Guantanamo Bay in 2003, where he was accused and held 76 days for charges of espionage against the US. However, HHH after months of government investigations, all criminals charges were dropped. He has recently published his book entitled “For God and Country: Faith and Patriotism Under Fire”, based on his horrified Guantanmo experience and struggle.

The session was focused on how to seek religious accommodations in government and non-government organizations in a manner that ensures the individuals rights to religious freedom such that they are not neglected or trampled.

Chaplain Yee started his talk by sharing his experiences as a Muslim Chaplain. He stated that while Muslim Chaplains are fighting for religious accommodations for other Muslims, they are ultimately being scrutinized. He warned the chaplains that “everything we do can be looked at with suspicion,” regardless of the institution. He said that the main role of chaplain is to defend freedom of religion and advocate the free exercise of religion for all people. He identified the following areas of expertise to be essential for chaplains:

• Master the art of written and verbal communication
• In making a strong case, it is important to get into the habits of writing succinct and clear memorandum
• Verbally persuade officials and make them understand why certain religious norms are important to Muslims.
• Subject Matter Expert (SME)

Chaplain Yee shared some of his experience of Guantanamo prison and said that the most common complain that Muslim inmates usually had were against female officials who would perform pat-down searches on them. Upon the objection of the inmates, they were objected to greater humiliating treatment and faced more aggressive and violent reactions from the officials.  He further commented that religion was specifically used as a “secret weapon” against prisoners to break their morale. For example, during interrogation prisoners were shackled, forced to sit in a satanic circle, and make sujud (prostration) and say that Satan is their deity. Another publicized abuse against inmates was the desecration of the Quran. Guards used to rip and crack the Quran and sometimes went as far as to step on it. Such events led prisoners to make complaints, as well as have protests, hunger strikes, and some even attempted suicides.

At the end of his session, Chaplain Yee asserted that if the world sees him as a patriotic officer from West Point, but nonetheless cannot be treated justly by the U.S. government, then surely Muslims at large cannot believe that their civil liberties will be upheld. In addition, he added to his remarks that Muslim Chaplain have to do their work 100% for the sake of Allah (SWT) and has to ensure that proper values are upheld and religious accommodations are met, even if it means going to jail for seventy-six days.

Questions and Feedback, following Session 4

In answer to a question of Sr.Yasmeen Khan, a student at Northwestern University, Chaplain Yee said that he was mainly targeted at Guantanamo because of his Muslim and Chinese-American identity, as well as his patriotism. He defended American values that are Islamic, mainly the humane treatment of prisoners and religious freedom, by voicing his concerns about violations of these principles. Upholding and defending what we should be as a nation was unfortunately a reason for him to be targeted by the government.

On a question about the prisoner’s reaction towards Chaplains Yee, he replied that there were 660 male prisoners, most of whom who were very happy to see him as an open communicator with them. However, when the time came to go to Iraq, the commander banned open communication between guards and prisoners, so only he could speak to them openly and listen to their concerns. He further described his achievements as chaplain and said that he stopped the forced shaving of the prisoners’ beards, seizing the Qur’an from prisoners, taking away long pants with which prisoners would pray Salat in, and cross–gender pat-down searches. He said that he is using his experience to advocate justice, equality, religious freedom for Muslims in front of his military and civilian audience.

Thursday, August 31, 2006

Session 5: The Impact of the Media and Speaking in Public as Imams/Chaplains in a Public Forum

Speaker: Ahmed Rehab

Ahmed Rehab, Executive Director of the Council for American Islamic Relations (CAIR)-Chicago, is a firm believer in the need to reach out and build bridges with "the other" as the most effective way to battle ignorance and suspicion. His dream for the future of the Muslim community is to harness and systemize the massive yet untapped colossus that is the young, talented, and skillful Muslim volunteer-base. Br. Rehab is an avid media activist who works on a daily basis with Chicago’s media establishments – publishers, editors, producers, reporters, and broadcasters - in an effort to bring about a more fair and balanced coverage of Islam and Muslims.

The session entitled, “The Impact of the Media and Speaking in Public as Imam/ Chaplains”, was focused on how chaplains should interact with the media. Br. Rahen began by asking how many participants in this room are satisfied with the coverage of Muslims in the media. The answer from the participants was negative. He informed the participants that Muslim community lacks in media relations and are not aware of how to effectively communicate with mass media regularly as well as not aware of effectively managing crisis, conducting interviews etc.

Difference between news reporting and news commentary:

He then explained the difference between news reporting and news commentary–the former being based on facts, with the bias stemming from choice of topics to report on versus the latter, such as FOX News’ O’Reilly Factor, which conveys subjective opinions that allow for prejudice, exploitation, and bias. Br. Rehab said he will focus on news reporting in this session, as the chaplains would be more likely to be interviewed by a news reporter to get the Muslim opinion on any issue.

Br. Rehab presented a PowerPoint entitled “Media Relations Basics,” (see: Attachment) which was made by Ibrahim Hooper, National Communication Director for the Council on American –Islamic Relations (CAIR). The presentation has the following guidelines for Muslim chaplains and imams to train them how to communicate effectively with media on certain issues.

• First of all, always be truthful and accurate. Be available to the media at all times, or else they will interview someone else. He further stated that, if you are unavailable for them or reluctant in giving interview or issuing a statement, they will claim that no one in the Muslim community has any opinion on a certain issue related to their religion which could easily represent the negative image of the Muslim community.
• Use a title, like “Chaplain,” which will legitimize you to the people. Think about visuals; it is better to be interviewed outside, where it is bright, as the audience will perceive what you say depending on what they see as well as hear.
• “Piggyback” on larger stories or trends, means refer to the big stories and show its impact on Muslim in North America. He gave an example that after 9/11 he was interviewed by the Chicago Sun Times who claimed that Muslims students were suffering at the pocket due to 9/11. He made a statement that Muslim students suffered stress and civil liberties due to 9/11, and now they are suffering at the pocket, too.
• Writing in Associate Press (AP ) Style, which prevent writers from making error of fact, grammar and punctuation. Br. Rehab advised the participants to master the AP style when reporting and always have the facts ready to support the writing, such as the population of Muslims in your community, after affects of 9/11 on Muslim Americans.
• In news reporting, photos, headlines, and captions are very important and may “persuade the reader in a different direction”. The text below a picture plays an important role to represent the true side of the story. Then he referred to an example and said if a caption below a picture states “Palestinian militant” rather than “Palestinian”, it will totally change the meaning of the story.  In addition, the usage of “Israel suspends airfare” rather than “Israel bombs the heck out of Qana and kills about sixty civilians” may give readers a lighter impression of a very dark and serious incident.
• Drop the victim mentality that many Muslims have. He emphasized on this specific point and said that if you are a victim, don’t act like they are out to get you. Feel confident and conduct yourself professionally. Br. Rehab commented that a lot of our representatives tend to focus on transnational issues rather than those affecting our indigenous community back at home. He further stated that it is imperative to understand that African American Muslims and transnational Muslims are equal and deserve equal respect and representation.
  

Br. Rehab informed the presenters about some media relation blunders which occurs all the time and needs to be avoided:

• Failing to respond to media inquiries
• Becoming hostile or threatening
• Overusing rhetoric by digressing from the main point
• Providing inaccurate information
• Failing to praise balanced coverage, and most importantly
• Failing to understand how the media works

Local Media opportunities, how to stage a news conference:

Br. Rehab then gave advice regarding local media opportunities:

He said that it is important to reach out to the community newspapers, local cable access networks, and public or university radio/TV stations. He further stated that to stage a news conference the best time is to do from 10am-1pm, and the worst times are 2-6pm. After the news conference, send a news release to the media “gatekeepers,” the editors of different media, and make sure the local wire service “Daybook” editor has been notified.

Media Kit:

Prepare a media kit containing a statement, a copy of the news release, and relevant fact sheets. Appoint an articulate and knowledgeable spokesperson. Make sure that representatives from all major subgroups within the community are invited to take part, including the sisters.

Selection of suitable site for the conference:

Select a suitable site which will be visually appealing to the public. After the media is set up, give the names of the participants and their organizational affiliations. Read a brief statement and offer other participants to say a few words, for a total of one minute, and then take questions.

Interviewed techniques: How should you be interviewed?

Br. Rehab suggested that during the interview, you are in control of the interview; however, at the same time, do not refuse to answer a question or give a minimal answer. He stressed that American media functions on sound bytes and it is important to prepare a statement that you can say in required given time, which is accurate and a complete sentence with no margin of uncertainty and misunderstanding.  For example, in the MCC in Chicago, there was a controversy about the curtain separating men and women in the mosque. To represent this issue, the most accurate statement could be, “The local Muslim community has diverse opinions, and it is the democratic nature of the Muslim community that will see the issue through.”

He also recommended the participants to have a friendly, personable relationship with the media. Provide some background info before the interview. After an interview, always have small talk to establish a connection with them so they are more inclined to get you to look good.

At the end, Br. Rehab gave some valuable suggestions to the participants and said, when writing a news release, do not exceed 800 words. Start with a strong statement, and include facts (numbers, references, results of surveys, etc.). Furthermore, write letters to the editor regularly. This is a good habit as this is one of the most-read sections of any newspaper. Providing a different angle to the news or to comment on the piece of news in 150-200 words can be an effective way to get your point across to the media and the public.

Questions and Feedback, following Session 5

During the discussion different chaplains asked the difference between O’Reilly and 60 Minutes, “smashmouth” vs. informative” coverage. Br. Rehab added that there is a huge difference between pundit shows and news magazine shows. He said, “For the most part, if you are not extremely well-versed, you are just not going to win against these guys. You will just be used as a prop.”

On- air etiquettes:

He suggested that there are following on-air etiquette that one needs to remember which includes:

• Using the interviewer’s first name,
• Looking directly at the reporter
• Avoid looking at the camera or monitor and
• Do not read your responses or bring notes.

• Opposing viewpoints on religious matters
• Becoming overly emotional
• Clear selfishness
• Miscommunication and misunderstanding

• Entering the dialogue without assumptions and with clear questions and answers is crucial.
• It is important to consider alternative explanations for a person’s behavior other than what you assume.

Also, the other’s perspective should be recognized before you express your perspective. Chaplain Sohaib gave another example of marriage counseling, which is not meant to be a shouting match, but rather a real discussion. When one person is talking, the other person should not be at the edge of his/her seat, getting ready to jump up and say what is on his/her mind. Both sides should take turns listening and speaking. Many conflicts are resolved simply by understanding the other’s perspective and seeing commonalities between each other. In addition, he identified three skills that could be used to avoid conflict:

• Avoid assumptions
• Validate the other’s perspective
• Listen to the other person

Chaplain Sohaib then discussed several problem-solving skills in depth:

• The focus should be kept on the problem, not on the emotions that result.
• One problem should be solved at a time.
• Brainstorm potential solutions
• Do not hesitate to have a ‘trial period’ to test their effectiveness
• This should be followed by a group evaluation and amending the solution, if necessary.
• Compromise is another important key in problem-solving skill.

Chaplain Sohaib summarized author Kathy Bolger’s strategies for problem-solving in the following manner:

• Postpone: Delay discussion until a later time if there are heightened emotions, e.g. shouting. In that state, No one will come to a sound resolution. You can announce that there will be a small break in Order for the people to cool down and think before reconvening to have a real discussion in order to solve the problem.
• Enforce: We have certain foundations of our religion, and there are certain principles on which there can be no compromise. After a solution is implemented, the Chaplain must enforce it and allow time to see if it is an efficient solution.
• Accommodate: Chaplain Sohaib gave the example of the different perspectives on moon sightings in our communities. Since the unity of Muslims is very important, especially in the local community which should celebrate together, the Chaplain can ask them to compromise their position on this issue.
• Sit down and exchange ideas:We do not immediately tell people this will work for sure or it won’t work at all. Different options should be contemplated.

Chaplain Sohaib concluded by saying that conflicts can tear families and communities apart if they are not resolved in a healthy and productive manner. One does not have to be a complete winner or loser in a conflict when compromise and other problem-solving skills are applied.

Such scenarios included whether children under the age of twelve could come to the Masjid for prayers, even if they were too loud and distracting ?

These are the two items, I need to add and rest is done

• Survey
• Steering Committee Meeting notes