Muslim Soldiers

I have mixed reactions to this piece about Spec. Zachari Klawonn, a Muslim soldier at Ft. Hood who has filed numerous complaints about harassment from his fellow soldiers. On the one hand, he seems to have some legitimate gripes and concerns about his safety. His Koran has been ripped up and threatening messages have been scrawled on his door. His commanders recommended that he be moved off base. According to Klawonn, though, he hasn't been paid his stipend. He's taking out loans to cover his expenses.

As I was reading, though, my reaction kept coming back to, "What is it with this guy? Maybe he's really annoying, and his religion is just a convenient way to attack him." Two other Muslim soldiers at Ft. Hood report that they have not had problems, even though they expected them after the Ft. Hood shootings. Klawonn broke down crying to his superiors and his mother and sister called and yelled at various people at Ft. Hood.

His mom called the base and, in broken English, berated anyone she could reach by phone. His older sister was more methodical, yelling her way up the chain of command. She could see what all the stress had done to him.

That sounds like an unpleasant person and not much of a tough-man soldier. The army seems to be trying to address the issues.

On the other hand, his roommates have been baffled by the negative treatment, and he is a model soldier--no reprimands in his file, tops in weapons qualifications, an invitation to try out for Special Forces.

As I've sat here writing this and reading the two articles, I think I've convinced myself that my initial response--looking for a non-religious explanation for his treatment--was not only incorrect, but also is a common and unpleasant reaction to civil rights issues.

Underlying my reaction was the thought, "If he'd stop being such a rabble-rouser, if he'd just put his head down and do his thing, if he'd stop complaining, then maybe people would leave him alone." That's a horrible and unfair reaction (and probably one shared by some of his commanders), particularly since I'm certain that the evangelical-type soldiers are loud and proud about their religion. Why should Klawonn be any different?

Now, having said that, there are always two sides to every story, and there may be non-religious aspects to this conflict. However, demanding equal rights and protection from fellow soldiers shouldn't be classified as out of bounds.