I'm Muslim and I joined the Marines?

Question

My name is Sean and I was born in America. I'm 20 years old and I happen to be a muslim. My parents fled Iran in 79 and we live in Los Angeles. I've had a pretty good childhood and recently I wanted to join the Marines. Thing is, when I tell my friends and family that I'm joining the military they keep asking me "why do you want to fight your own people?". I live in a predominantly muslim community, and now the fact that I'm muslim and I want to be a soldier, people are acting differently around me. I dunno how to respond to them because these are the guys i grew up around, and after I went to the recruiting office they've started to treat me like an outcast. I asked this question because if anybody out there in Yahoo Answers is going through what I am going through? If so, how do I deal with it?

Answer 1

Many soldiers go through similar thoughts, but you must remember that you are fighting for an ideal of democracy and freedom against a radical and philosophically incorrect interpretation of Islam. Remind your friends that Al Qaida and similar terrorists will kill anyone regardless of their race, religion, national orgin, etc. Furthermore, regardless of an individual muslim's actual views on the US or international terrorism, Al Qaida makes all muslims look like warmongering terrorists and so they too should make every effort to distance themselves from terrorist states like Iran, whose leader has shown every intention of attacking other countries and is trying to secure nuclear weapons. If they were your friends then they should respect your decisions and life choices whether or not they agree. You should also remind them that Iran is openly hostile to the US and clearly has no problem with attacking the US is given the chance regardless of whether your friends or family support the US or Iran. I am a Catholic but the fight against terrorists and fascists is about ideas not religion so I would fight against Catholics who would try to try blow up civilian buildings because they are not representing the true ideas of the faith.
It is ok if your friends don't agree with your ideas, mine don't always agree with me, but to disrespect your feelings by refusing to talk to you or articulate their point is wrong.

Answer 2

Well technically you will not be fighting your people but rather the terrorists, so if they have something about you helping the Iraqis well there is something wrong with them. I doubt Iran will be attacked anytime soon, Bush has at least that much brains. I am a muslim too and considered the military but it wasnt for me. If left with the option of doing nothing or saving some innocent lives go with the latter, I am working on becoming a neurosurgeon for similar reasons.
Well technically I guess you can't call me a good muslim.

Answer 3

That's a rough situation, but I can tell you the Marines should value you. You are more likely to understand the people you will be confronting, the good and the bad. I can see that your decision will be filled with hardship, but I think if you carry on steadfastly the criticism will die down by your own example. You're an American now, are the Middle Easterners or the Americans your people? Perhaps with you being a Muslim, more Middle Easterners would feel comfortable with you, and you would certainly not approve of incidents like Haditha, etc...

Answer 4

Sean, you need to tell those people they don't belong in this country, they are parasites just hanging aroung until their homeland improves and that's not going to happen. In the meantime they have not adopted this country as their homeland even after 27 years. I say to them., go home, you don't belong here, go home !

You have a transition to make as a US Marine. The Marines will accept you because you are an American first. This is what happens to immigrant families, the generation who grew up here, know this is their country. Your family can't do that, so for your own sake, you may need to seperate from your family on a more permanent basis, because you're a true American and they're not. Semper Fidelis !

Answer 5

I think the people who question you should take a long look at themselves.

You should ask them three questions:

1. Are they American Muslims, or merely Muslims who happen to live in America?

2. Why have they not returned to their countries of origin if they believe that America is not worth fighting for?

3. If they believe that jihadists who hide behind women and children are "their own people", why have they not taken up arms and joined the cause?

Answer 6

OK, now I have to see some proof. I've read a lot of your posts on this board and I know there can't be two people with the same exact ID name on here. You've written many many snide comments about the US and military but yet you ask us to believe you now? I don't think so. I don't think you have joined the military. From what you've posted in the past, I have problems in believing you're even a male.

Answer 7

Sean,
If you believe what your friends are saying then you should leave the Marines, but do not stay in the US. You should go back to Iran and take your friends with you. If you don't believe them then you have a choice to make. If you truly care about this country and you are proud to be an American, then your people are American's as well as your family being Iranian.

Answer 8

You're not fighting your "people", you're fighting a culture of barbaric intolerance. Anyone who holds that banner needs to be killed without remorse. You won't like my personal opinion which is to obliterate all Muslims. My rationale is guilt by association. If the good, tolerant Muslims won't stand up to the bad, then all need to go. I'm weary of American's dieing in the Middle East trying to liberate the sheep. And then when we give the sheep a little power, they turn on the wolves with vengeance (the whole Shea-Sunni thing). Their in fighting is thousands of years old and it is perpetuated through ignorance, religious propaganda, and a low value of human life.

I don't know, Sean. Until your kind (I'd like to think you value a woman as a person, not a possession, you would never think of cutting your son's hand off for stealing bread, and so on. And we know this mindset is still rampant in the Middle East.) becomes vocal, actively cooperates with the free world to roust out the bad guys, I see you as complicit in crimes against the US and other free countries and free peoples.

The fact that your Muslim friends are giving you crap for fighting for your country tells me they are Muslim before they are American. I say to them, go to your Middle East and enjoy the life that awaits you there. In this country, we integrate and take on a new national identity as Americans and we adopt the ideals that made this arguably the best country in the world. If your friends don't align with this thought, they are misplaced and must feel alienated. There's an Al Qaeda training camp waiting for them. Good riddance to them.

Answer 9

People are stupid. Normally I'd say screw 'em, but a military unit is no place to forge that kind of attitude -- trust me! In the meantime, just be yourself, and if you find a chance, overcompensate: Be a model member of the troop; hopefully there will be some tangible return on your investment.

When it comes to civilians, I'd counter by saying that by exploring outside your Muslim community and joining secular institutions, you are ostensibly doing a greater service to your people than someone who fasts an extra day of Ramadan! Tell them to trust the moral compass they instilled in you, which I'm sure will come in handy when faced with difficult inter-Muslim situations later.

Answer 10

I'm not a Marine, But have served with 3 Soldiers who were Muslim.

2 were in My unit in Iraq with Me, both were exemplarly Soldiers.

One was KIA in March, 2005 while patrolling with a Buddhist(KIA), & Catholic(WIA) Comrades.

We never thought any differently of them for being Muslim, than Our Jewish Psg. or our Southern Baptist Machinegunner, Protestant A Gunner.

Eventually, your Nieghbors have to ask themselves; Are the Americans First?, Or Muslims First. Would they have the same problem if we were fighting radical fundamentalist Christians?

Either way, Good Luck If you choose to Serve Our Country, And Thanks.