May 19, 2011

The Iowa Press-Citizen recently published MPAC-Iowa Chair Shams Ghoneim’s op-ed “Praying They Come Home Safely.” Ghoneim discusses the bravery on the part of the Navy SEALs who raided Osama bin Laden’s compound, as well as all of our troops.

“The extraordinary 40-minute Navy SEAL raid on the Osama bin Laden compound in Pakistan now is for the history books.

An icon of terrorism is gone. A mass murderer is no longer able to inflict any more destruction, hate, pain and suffering on this Earth.

Islamic religious rites were conducted within 24 hours of bin Laden's death -- as required by Islamic law -- on the deck of the U.S.S. Carl Vinson in the Arabian Sea.

This gracious show of respect to Islam was not a show of respect for bin Laden but for the 1.5 billion Muslims worldwide.

As President Obama said, "This is who we are."

American Muslims and organizations were immensely relieved. Muslim leaders reaffirmed that we must stay the course, stand together and turn the page on a decade of terrorism led by bin Laden and al-Qaida.

These anonymous brave, highly skilled, and dedicated Navy SEALs and all our troops are true gifts that we should all honor. Yet we often lag behind when they return home wounded, seriously impacted or forever disabled.

Our troops still are fighting and dying in Afghanistan. In the first three months of this year, 59 American troops were killed in action in Afghanistan and many more were injured.

Iowa has 2,800 Guardsmen on active duty in Afghanistan. In just one April week, the Iowa National Guards lost three of their best and bravest with four others wounded.

The U.S. troops and their families deserve not only our gratitude but also our ongoing support and appreciation when they return home.

The U.S. government must offer more tangible support for the returning heroes on many fronts with special emphasis on physical and mental care as well as retraining and job opportunities. It is unforgivable that many returnees end up homeless or mentally/emotionally impacted without real support.

There are many ways for ordinary citizens and others to help raise much needed awareness:

• Operation American Heroes asks American businesses and citizens to provide a safety net.
• The Iowa American Legion Operation Troop Support and the Iowa Troop Pantry.
• Blue Fridays is a group effort started Aug. 21, 2010, to voice dignified support for the troops by wearing blue each Friday.
• Another vital program, the Marine Corps Suicide Prevention Program, now is a mandatory training tool for all marine immediate supervisors.

On April 16, I was deeply honored to address members of the Iowa National Guard and their families in Des Moines -- discussing Islam and Afghani culture. Many were about to either return to Afghanistan or are about to be deployed there for the first time.

Our discussion included:

• A brief background on Afghani history and its impact on current society -- with special emphasis on gender roles, tribal customs, family relations, attitude towards outsiders and how our troops can best understand the nuances of the culture.
• A discussion of gender and women's rights in Islam versus the opposing current practices/challenges in Afghani society.
• A discussion of the Islamic concept of jihad versus terrorism and how the troops can impact local attitudes and garner local community support.

What touched me deeply were the bravery, kindness, the thoughtful questions, hospitality and the gallantry of these wonderful men and women in uniform and their families. I will forever honor them in my heart and pray they all come home safe and sound.