Muslim soldiers playing significant role in war

MUSLIMS make up a small but significant part of Britain’s armed forces.

Although the numbers are tiny — less than 0.2% of the total — they provide visible support for the assertion that the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are not wars against Islam.

Lance Corporal Jabron Hashmi, who died in Afghanistan on July 1 last year, made front pages as the first British Muslim soldier to be killed in the “war on terror”.

The Pakistan-born soldier’s family said he had hoped to use his Islamic background to foster greater understanding in the army.

They said: “He felt privileged to represent the army as a Muslim British Pakistani who wanted to use his background and position to contribute at a time where there exists a lack of understanding of cultures, ideologies and religious identities.”

His uncle, Mohammed Javed, said his nephew was a “hero of Islam, Pakistan, Britain and the international community who sacrificed his life for a noble cause”.

There are currently 330 Muslims in the British armed forces, 250 of them in the army.

The MoD’s website has a question-and-answer section aimed at encouraging Muslims to join the army.