In a wide-ranging and exclusive interview for the Religious Reader, Hafiz was critical of those in Muslim and non-Muslim communities who see the army as a singular ‘killing machine’.

For Hafiz, the opposite is true: “[The armed forces] brings out a sense of responsibility and spirituality you might not see in the general public. They see issues like life and death far more clearly than those on the street. So I always say to people that soldiers are the best humanitarians I’ve met.

Again, people might be confused, but primarily their role is to their country, provide peace and security.”

The transition from prison to armed forces chaplaincy was not always easy, but he has no regrets: “In 2005, I was appointed as the first Muslim chaplain to the armed forces. At that time, I was a chaplain in the prison service and I saw the post advertised and thought it would be a very interesting and important role.

The war in Iraq was at its peak, Afghanistan was beginning to pick up again. The War on Terror was on everyone’s mind and I thought what better place to be engaged as a Muslim,” Hafiz said.

But the career change did not meet universal approval, as some reacted with confusion: “Not everyone patted me on the back and said ‘Yes, Asim, this is something you should do’ – there were some challenges. People did not understand what my role was going to be about. My peers were worried about me going to work for the armed forces.”

There was an ignorance about what the armed forces do and my argument to them was ‘I’m not joining the armed forces to condemn or condone war.

That’s not necessarily my job. Just because someone joins the armed forces, does not mean, they are less human. They still have families, children, they have hobbies and some are religious, and they need that support.’”

Hafiz wanted to help his fellow Muslim in the armed forces (a number that now stands at approximately 650), with pastoral care, spiritual and religious guidance. The importance of the latter proved vital, as Muslims now receive guidance within the institution, rather than say, at a mosque, with individuals unaware of the context of their job.

The advice given could of a religious and non-religious nature, as Hafiz explained: “Sometimes soldiers will come to me for a variety of reasons. It can be as simple as what time do I pray? Or something more complicated – Can I keep a beard while I’m in the army? Can I fast and be on operations at the same time? Or do I choose between the two? Or it might be family or financial problems. Or issues with the chain of command.”

Australia

With the outbreak of war, Australia sent its air force, the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) overseas to assist. Throughout the war effort, RAAF soldiers flew on missions with the Royal Air Force (RAF). Australia, with other British Dominions had adopted the Empire Air Training Scheme (EATS) to swell RAF ranks.

In spite of racist regulations that discouraged ‘non-European’ servicemen, at least 3,000 Aboriginal and 850 Torres Strait Islanders joined the Australian war effort.

Australian troops took heavy casualties in their Greek campaign; but the main focus of their war effort from 1942 was to fight Japan. Nearly 600,000 served overseas and almost 40,000 died. Twenty Australian soldiers received our highest military honour the Victoria Cross.

Canada

Canada declared war on Nazi Germany on September 10, 1939. Prime Minister William Lyon McKenzie King maintained that the overseas contribution would be voluntary.

Yet the Canadian armed forces were ill-prepared for war. The regular army had just 4,500 men; backed by over 50,000 semi-trained reservists. Its air force and naval capacity looked meek.

Three years into the war and Canada committed 250,000 soldiers overseas.

Domestically, many young Norwegians trained as fighter pilots in Canada. Canadian soldiers assisted Britain in Hong Kong and helped secure Sicily, Italy in 1943. The Canadian contribution during D-Day involved air and sea support. At the cost of hundreds of lives. Conscription only took place during the final year of the war.

In total, 6,000 First Nations soldiers in Canada’s armed forces in both world wars.

Nepal

The Gurkhas of Nepal have been a feature of British Army life for nearly 200 years. During both world wars around 200,000 Gurkhas fought beside their British counterparts. In the Second World War alone, Gurkha forces experienced 32,000 casualties.

Havildar Lachhiman Gurung VC (1917-2010) received the Victoria Cross for his bravery in impossible circumstances when facing down a larger Japanese army. When a grenade left Gurung badly injured, he continued to fire his rifle and inspire his fellow Gurkhas to hold the position in what proved an important victory.

New Zealand

Unlike Australia, New Zealand declared war on Nazi Germany on September 3, 1939. A year later and conscription intensified their war contributions. With the climax of this global war, 12,000 New Zealanders (of whom 27 per cent died) had served with the RAF and almost 10,000 served in the Royal Navy. The RAF formed its own New Zealand squadrons to complement those in ordinary RAF squadrons.

In total, 140,000 men and women contributed to New Zealand’s war effort. The country sadly boasts the highest ratio of killed per million of population in the Commonwealth (6,684).

One of the most celebrated units in New Zealand’s military during this period was the 28^th Maori Battalion. Te Moananui-a-Kiwa Ngarimu elevated the valour of the battalion in 1943 after receiving the Victoria Cross. In total, 16,000 Maori contributed to the war effort.

South Africa

The outbreak of war created a sense of divide among many Afrikaners, though South Africa remained a British territory, many held cultural ties to Germany.

The coalition government had competing ideas about moving forward. Prime Minister Herzog pressed for neutrality but resigned, allowing coalition partner J C Smuts to enter the war as British allies.

During the battle of El Alamein in North Africa, more than 1,200 soldiers (of different ethnicities) came from South Africa. An extensive ‘roll of honour’ details the names of individuals who fought in WW2. Other campaigns took South African troops to Italy. Over 700 troops died cleaning up the last pockets of German resistance in Italy as the war concluded. In total, estimates put the total number of South African fatalities at 9,000.

A cross that signifies valour is awarded to the brave few, the highest of military honours transplants the heroism of old into the present, and also celebrates the modern.

In this year alone, a small number of individuals received the Victoria Cross, including L/Cpl Joshua Leakey, of the Parachute Regiment, who ‘disregarded’ his own safety when serving in Afghanistan in 2013.

Rambahadur Limbu, a Gurkha, won his Victoria Cross during the Indonesian Confrontation in 1965, and is one of few living VC recipients. Another name on that list is the Grenada-born Lance Sergeant Johnson Beharry.

In New Zealand, the only recipient is Bill Henry “Willie” Apiata VC, who lived in the Northland, home of his father’s Ngapuhi iwi (a Maori term for social unit), until he was seven. Estrangement from his father saw Apiata move to settlement of Te Kaha, where you would find the Maori Te Whanau-a-Apanui iwi and returned there to visit after receiving his Victoria Cross.

Did you know? Victoria Crosses are cast from the bronze cascabels of two cannons captured from the Russians at the siege of Sevastopol in 1854-1855

Turning the pages of history and Britain looked towards the Empire and Commonwealth for support in times of war. During World War I, that support stretched from India, Canada, South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, and Nepal (alongside non-Commonwealth allies including the United States).

Of the 1.2m volunteers from India’s volunteer army, six from India and two from Pakistan received VC awards, their names include Risaldar Badlu Singh, Sepoy Chatta Singh, Naik Darwan Singh Negi, Rifleman Gabir Singh Negi, Lance-Daffadar Gobind Singh, Lance-Naik Lala, Sepoy Khudadad Khan, Jemandar Mir Dast, and Naik Shahamad Khan.

The number of VC awards per country in WWI: Canada (70), Australia (66), New Zealand (16), South Africa (14), and Nepal (2).

William James Gordon (1864-1922), a Lance Corporal (later Sergeant), of the First Battalion, The West India Regiment, received his Victoria Cross in 1892. Gordon is the only Jamaican recipient and the second non-white soldier bestowed with a VC.

Able-Seaman William Neilson Edward Hall (1827-1904), born in Novia Scotia, Canada, became the first black person, and third Canadian to receive the Victoria Cross in 1859. Hall served as “Captain of the Foretop” on board HMS Shannon during the Indian Mutiny of 1857-58. His bravery under fire allowed the British garrison to escape.

So what can we learn from the above? One lesson is that the British Armed Forces will recognise acts of valour beyond the frameworks of ethnicity and nationality.

During World War One, India provided over a million volunteer soldiers to swell the depleted British ranks. The colonial theory of “martial races” influenced their selection. It dictated that certain races and castes were more “loyal” and “warlike.” For example, it favoured “loyal” Sikhs, Punjabi Muslims, and Gurkas. Whilst discouraging “disloyal” Bengalis and high-caste Hindus.

Of the 1.3 million who served in India’s army during World War One, approximately 400,000 were Muslims. Whether for honour, money or loyalty to the Empire, their contributions proved vital.

For a Eurocentric war, many overlook the colonial patchwork of our forces. Over 15,000 West Indians volunteered for the British West India Regiment and donated money to help the war effort. Soldiers from Australia, Canada, and New Zealand contained First Nations and Aboriginal men. Other colonial powers drew forces from parts of Africa. Britain recruited the Chinese Labour Corps to relieve soldiers from manual labour. But they were also open to great exploitation. Some fought for the British under a religious persuasion in the Jewish Legion. Even the Central Powers had multi-ethnic and religious forces (e.g. Arab, Slav, Kurd, and Albanian). An overlooked part of German history shows that 12,000 Jewish men died in the service of their country during WW1.

Case study: Brighton

The city of Brighton holds a unique place in the hearts of many British Indians thanks to its role during World War I. Various buildings became makeshift hospitals for Indian troops under the fog of war.

Cultural sensitivities also helped foster loyalty. Bacon, pork and beef went off the menu. Muslim soldiers had separate kitchens to prepare meat within Islamic rites. Ingredients were imported from abroad and locally sourced so individuals made dal and chapattis in gas-fired ovens.

In return for the kind hospitality, a permanent ‘thank you’ from India was erected in 1921. The India Gate was presented by the Maharaja of Patiala, Bhupinder Singh. The inscription read:

“This gateway is the gift of India in commemoration of her sons who – stricken in the Great War – were tended in the Pavilion in 1914 and 1915. Dedicated to the use of the inhabitants of the Brighton, B.N. Southall, Mayor.”

Singh championed the British war effort and reminded an eager crowd that he sent 28,000 men from his own state to fight. The ceremony was immortalised in film by British Pathe and in various photographs.

World War II

By the end of the Second World War, India’s army reached 2.5 million, with Muslims making up around a third of the numbers at any one time. Many recruits came from what is now Pakistan. The academic, Jahan Mahmood, looked at 5,500 Indian army deaths in Italy. Mr Mahmood’s work helped many young British Muslims trace their roots to those who served in this period. Of the 122 deaths of soldiers under 18, 90 were Muslim. Among them were three 15-year-olds – Amir Khan, Gulab Khan, and Mian Khan. Asians also helped in other areas – on merchant ships and in factories. Others worked as Air Raid Precaution Wardens, nurses and firemen.

Join us at the Baitul Futuh Mosque in Morden around the ‘Celebration of the Cultural, Ethnic and Religious Diversity of Our Armed Forces.’ This will take place on the 12^th of June, between 3:30 pm and 5:30 pm at the mosque and also present will be the Muslim chaplain to the Armed Forces and the Adviser on Muslim Communities to the Ministry of Defence.

If you would like to attend, please e-mail Joanne on Joanne@faith-matters.org

After the murder on the streets of Woolwich of Lee Rigby in May 2013, it became clear to us that a lot of work needed to be undertaken to ensure that a wide range of communities engage with our armed forces and that communities tackle some of the perceptions that may affect their views of our armed forces.

We are aware that some people do not agree with conflict and they have strong reasons for not engaging with our armed forces. We also understand that some conflicts may have affected perceptions of our armed forces and the booklet below addresses some of these issues.In fact, our engagement with this project showed us an institution that is undertaking a process of change to be reflective of the communities it serves and protects, yet it conducts the will of Parliament and our serving men and women are led by the will and decisions of politicians. We were also pleasantly surprised to find that, for example, there are over 840 serving soldiers in our armed forces who are also Muslims and this is a fact that is not highlighted enough, nor is the fact that there are serving soldiers from a variety of different faith groups. Many of these soldiers from our armed forces served in Afghanistan, Iraq, Kosovo and Bosnia and helped in ensuring that civilians were protected and that refugees were also protected in their plight to safety, sometimes from genocide, as in Bosnia.

Whilst we understand that serving men and women in our armed forces go into conflict areas and sometimes have to do so with force, there are also a range of other functions that our armed forces undertake. The Building our Futures Together project is therefore an opportunity for interested members of communities to engage in dialogue with and be aware of the diversity of serving soldiers in our armed forces; and for our armed forces partners, it is a chance to reach out, confront some stereotypes and listen to the views of different communities.

We therefore hope that the booklet below can be a resource for you if you are looking to hold engagement sessions between serving members of our armed forces and community groups. If nothing else, we hope that inspires you to want to ask questions and to want to find out more. You will be surprised as we were, as to the willingness of our armed forces to engage and to be part of wider discussions.

Finally, the last thing we all want, is to see such brutality and murder on our streets where a young man simply walking the streets of our capital is killed just because he has served in the armed forces. Such hate should never again have a part to play in our capital and we hope that the Building Our Futures Together project, can play a small part in reducing such threats in the future.

(A full statement from the Director of Faith Matters, Fiyaz Mughal OBE, can be found in the booklet. Fiyaz Mughal can be contacted for press interviews through info@faith-matters.co.uk)

Two weeks ago at the launch of the ‘Building Our Futures Together’ project, we had the pleasure of meeting Sergeant Johnson Beharry who attended the event in Westminster in Central London. The background of Sergeant Beharry is one of courage, community engagement, commitment and a desire to do what is right for communities. It is not only his heroism that stands tall when you meet Sergeant Beharry, it is the humble attitude and the quiet voice that grab you. They possibly hold testament to a man who has had to meet death and walk away from it with his mind and body intact. 

Sergeant Beharry was born in Grenada and moved to the UK in 1999. He also joined the Princess of Wales’s Royal regiment in August 2001 and went onto serve in Kosovo and three months in Northern Ireland. It was in Iraq that Sergeant Beharry came into his own, risking his life for others in his platoon.

Having spoken to him at the event, it is strikingly obvious that Sergeant Beharry is a reflective man, someone who has a discipline and maturity that has been shaped by his experiences. Yet, talking to him, you feel that he cares for the young, the unemployed and the old and a strong sense of social justice runs through him. We talked about what he wanted to do and responses were clear; he wanted to motivate young people, he wanted young Black and Minority Ethnic (BAME) men to think about structure and a future built on hard work, yet he also understood that injustice, prejudice and xenophobia sometimes held them back, due to no fault of their own. 

Sergeant Beharry exudes more than just heroism. He is the face of a modern Britain, one where people of different backgrounds, cultures and faiths can have a future. This does not mean that we disregard the fact that as a country, we do not have our fair share of problems. It means that modern Britain is one which is home to many communities who feel that they are willing to put their energies into the defence of the realm, the reputation of our country and where they can help those in need through international aid missions. Sergeant Beharry did this in Kosovo and when he wears his Victoria Cross, he not only makes us all proud, he becomes a mentor to many looking for structure and guidance in their lives.