Navy Chaplain Ministers Services for Coalition Forces During Ramadan

Editor’s Note: Navy chaplain Lt. Asif I. Balbale recently ministered services for coalition forces in Afghanistan during the holy Islamic month of Ramadan. Of the 47 chaplains serving in U.S. operations in Helmand and Nimroz provinces, Balbale was the only Muslim. Originally from Kuwait, Balbale has lived and studied in the U.S. for some 11 years, joining the Navy in 2004. The U.S. service member was flown to Afghanistan for the sole purpose of facilitating prayer services during Ramadan. It was his first deployment. Balbale shared his recent experience with Patch on the eve of the 10th anniversary of 9/11.

Patch: What is it like for the local Afghans, seeing a Muslim in a U.S. military uniform?

Lt. Asif I. Balbale: It’s a brand new experience for them. They are a little skeptical of looking at somebody in the uniform and then being an Imam. But as they get into the conversation and they get comfortable with the idea that I am a Muslim and I wear the uniform, it gets better. We are able to have a good conversation.

Patch: Where were you on 9/11?

Balbale: When 9/11 happened, I wasn’t even in the military. I was going to school in Montana. At that time I was pursuing my bachelor's in oil engineering. I do remember that day; I was in my living room watching the second tower go down. The first thought that came to my mind was, ‘What does this mean for American Muslims?’ As time progressed, I was thinking ‘How can we be a part of this nation? How can we be progressive Muslims, constructive citizens, and make the best of the circumstances that arise from the whole thing?’ It was an unfortunate event and a tragedy in the history of our nation, which affected many lives. Sometimes what we forget is that there were Muslims who died in that tragedy too, so it affected all of us equally. Any attack on our soil, as people who serve the nation, it has a personal touch to it. 

Patch: How do you think Muslims were perceived after 9/11?

Balbale: In the immediate aftermath, there was some resentment, there was some anger. There was a lack of education of what Islam is all about, what Muslims are about. Over the years it has changed and partly it is because of the engagement of the Muslim community. The Muslim community has been much more proactive than it was before in explaining what their faith is about. … That has helped a lot in changing the mindset … it has given a better understanding to the people of America about Islam.

Patch: What is the hardest thing about this deployment?

Balbale: Sometimes the frustration would be to see the lives of innocent people impacted by the war. … The acts of people who claim to have a better understanding of Islam—that is very frustrating. It’s very frustrating to see an innocent child being hurt for no fault of his own, and when you know it is done by people who have somehow indirectly affected that life in the name of Islam. That is the most frustrating part, the most challenging part, I would say.

Patch: What do you think is al-Qaida or the Taliban’s understanding of Islam?

Balbale: This country [Afghanistan] has been through many wars and they never had the opportunity to really have an education, so that is an issue. Literacy is very, very low over here. So the understanding is you’re going to be poor, but it’s not like … there are people who have a better understanding, who understand what the Quran says, what Islam is about. But then there’s a good majority of the population that can’t even read and, of course, their understanding is not going to be that great, so that is an issue over here. And every culture has its own things, and sometimes we tend to mix the culture with the religion. … And that’s not unique to Afghanistan, you can find that in India, in Pakistan and any of the other countries.