US Army Reservist Hopes To Serve As Female Muslim Chaplain
An Army major studying to become the military’s first female Muslim chaplain says she hopes to fill a void for the Muslim community and build relationships with people of other faiths.
By Karen Jowers, Army Times, December 24, 2001

Army Reserve Maj. Shareda Hosein, training officer with the 719th Transportation Battalion in Boston, began studying for the chaplaincy this fall at Hartford Seminary in Hartford, Conn., which offers a concentration in Muslim-Christian studies. She hopes to finish her degree within 2½ years.

Her aspiration is being welcomed.

“It’s long overdue,” said retired Marine Gunnery Sgt. Qaseem Uqdah, executive director of the American Muslim Armed Forces and Veterans Affairs Council. “The reality of Islam in America is that women are within our armed forces. We have to deal with women. I owe a responsibility to Muslim women as well as men, and I haven’t been able to fulfill their needs.”

Generally, to become a military chaplain, an endorsing agent for a particular faith works with an individual to prepare an application, with documentation that shows the person is qualified to represent the faith.

The application goes to the service’s personnel officials for consideration. The Army has received no application from Hosein, Army spokeswoman Martha Rudd said.

Uqdah’s organization is an endorsing agency for Muslim chaplains in the military, and he keeps in touch with military Muslims to make sure their spiritual needs are met. He will work with Hosein to submit her application, he said.

There now are 12 male military Muslim chaplains — seven in the Army, three in the Navy and two in the Air Force.

Uqdah said he understands that Muslim men, especially, may be apprehensive about the idea of a female Muslim chaplain. “But I can assure everyone that this woman will stay within the confines of the doctrine,” he said.

Muslim women are allowed to lead only other women and children in prayer, according to Islamic doctrine. Islam doesn’t allow women to lead prayers or other parts of religious services where men are involved.

“It doesn’t bother me,” said Hosein, noting that such duties are just part of a chaplain’s job.

As a chaplain, she would determine who would lead the prayers and give the sermon during Friday services. She also would counsel and provide support for soldiers and their families.

“In the last 10 years I’ve been growing and learning a lot more in my faith,” Hosein said.

She considered becoming a counselor, but preferred to pursue the chance to work with people “in a spiritual space.”

That was on April 7, while she was in Kuwait for her two weeks of annual active-duty training. While praying in the chapel, she noticed a male Muslim soldier teaching a young female soldier who recently had converted to Islam.

“When it came time for the prayer, he didn’t know how to do the ablution,” the cleansing of hands, face and mouth, Hosein said. “I realized then that there was a need in the military. I got choked up. I felt God had given me the answer that this was what I needed to do.”

There was a Baptist service in the main part of the chapel. As she moved to the back, she met an Air Force officer preparing for the Jewish Seder, the Passover feast. He asked her to join them.

The experience with the young Muslim soldiers and with the Jewish officer “was a sign to me about my future goals and career,” she said. “People don’t know that much about Islam. As a chaplain, I could share that, because in the military there’s a tolerance.”

She said she was moved by the different religions under the same roof that day.

She realizes that she is seeking to tread new and sensitive ground in the military chaplaincy. But she said, “I beg and plead for the military to allow me to do this, because I feel there’s such a need.”