Head of the Army meets Helmand's religious leaders
25 Mar 10
The Head of the Army met a delegation of senior religious leaders from Helmand province last week to discuss the importance of religion and culture in military operations in Afghanistan.
General Sir David Richards, Chief of the General Staff (left), at a meeting which included a delegation of senior religious leaders from Helmand province
[Picture: Harland Quarrington, Crown Copyright/MOD 2010]
In the first meeting of its kind in the UK, General Sir David Richards, Chief of the General Staff, met the Afghan religious leaders at the Ministry of Defence's Main Building in London.
Amongst the visitors were Haji Mokhtar Ahmed Haqqani, Director for Hajj and Religious Affairs, and Haji Haiatullah Abdul Rashid, Helmand representative to the Afghan National Ulema Shura.
The meeting was also attended by representatives from the Armed Forces Muslim Association.
General Richards spoke about the various cultural initiatives that were taking place across Defence to ensure better cultural understanding of Afghanistan and its people. He said:
"We know that cultural awareness has been a weakness in the past. But there have been a number of initiatives set up in recent years to ensure that the military serving on the front line can have the best possible pre-deployment preparation and be equipped with the appropriate knowledge, understanding and appreciation of the region, its people, and its incredibly rich and diverse culture.
"Through developing an innate awareness of this unique society, of its tribal dynamics, customs and ethos, our soldiers are far better equipped to play their part fully in the delivery of security, stability and prosperity to southern Afghanistan."
One of the most recent initiatives to promote cultural awareness in the Armed Forces is the Defence Cultural Specialist Unit (DCSU).
The DCSU, which launches at the beginning of April, will provide military and civilian cultural advisors to commanders in Helmand and provide a pool of officers trained in language and regional cultural issues.
The meeting in the MOD's Main Building attended by senior religious leaders from Helmand province
[Picture: Harland Quarrington, Crown Copyright/MOD 2010]
The unit will also provide specialist cultural training to military officers who will be in regular contact with the Afghan population, including partnering activities with the Afghan National Security Forces. See Related News to read more on the DCSU.
Haji Mokhtar Ahmed Haqqani, Director for Hajj and Religious Affairs, urged the UK military to make best use of their influence amongst the population in Helmand. He said:
"In our culture, people listen to their ulema and local mullahs more than anyone else. We urge you to work with us to ensure that your messages reach the communities you are working with.
"Our communities are very conservative. The insurgency knows this and exploits it. The Taliban are very good at engaging with the population by using religion. We want you, as the military commanders, to work with us to help spread the right messages and bring stability and security to our country. The question you should be asking us is: what can ulemas do for you?"
The Muslim Chaplain to the UK's Armed Forces, Imam Asim Hafiz, who was instrumental in arranging the visit, said:
"The representatives of all faiths work together very closely to ensure that the soldiers have the necessary support to be able to carry out their duties while on operations."
The delegation expressed a very keen interest in the work of the Imam and the fact that British Muslim soldiers were playing a key role in ongoing operations in Afghanistan.
The delegation had a chance to meet Brigadier James Chiswell, Commander of 16 Air Assault Brigade, that will be deploying in the next few months to Helmand. Haji Mokhtar Ahmed Haqqani pledged to work closely with him and his team.