Beard is not a problem. Bringing extremist views to the job is. Beards have always been around in the Army and will remain. There is no bar to people practicing Islam but not mixing up external influences with their official responsibilities.
Well if i after doing the morning PT i get the men fall in and start narrating them Dos and Donts of gusal or instead of giving the man training of what they are supposed to do during war i start reading them tafseer-ul-Quran, then yes not only the Army would have a problem with me, but wherever i would have been working, my boss is not going to like it obviously.
Religion form part not only in the Army but in our every walk of life. Starting from the way we dress up in schools, sit in public trabsposrt, have our office cunicals made etc etc. But it wouldnt mean that some would force us to do something particular or for that matter stop us from doing what we want.
Coming back to the Army, Nazra Quran (religion) forms a must part in any Soldier's training. The different cadres that they do for promotion do include this aspect. Namaz, Nazra, basic pillars of Islam, kalimas, translations etc etc are taught to the men. Now many would think that something that most Pakistanis do when they aere kids is being done to grown up men in the militray (as i am sure all the Muslims here must be aware of Nazra, Namaz with translation, 6 kalimas, reading the Quran with qirat etc etc as we were taught according;y when we were kids) But the problem in the military is that the background from where our soldiers come from are usually not quite updated in this regard. (People do me a favor and ask you friends, class fellows, neighbors and see how many of them would even know the Namaz with translation and at least all the 6 kalimas, now this is a very petty thing but i am sure you would be surprised)
So the 'islamicization' in the military is to the following extent:
Officers and men like to pray together with their men in the unit mosques
We do have Millad and Qeerats on 12 Rabi-ul-Awal
We do have Quran Khowani on important occasion like 4 August, 23 March etc etc as other govt institution also do the same.
People keep beard freely and we also have clean shave smartees.
Ofcourse you doint wear a green, balck or white turban as it is not part of the uniform. Though there is nothing bad in it.
It is usual for the Officers to lead prayers, we take it as a leadership quality.
But the moral and Islamic grooming is only limited to the cadres as every Muslim is supposed to know the basics of Islam (now if someone comes up with a better idea saying that it is not necessary for a Muslim to learn Quran and Namaz, then unfortunately it is a separate story)
The following three things are not discussed in Messes:
Religion
Politics
Women
Lastly, (as an example) if we hear the Azan and if i want to leave for prayers no one would stop me, similarly, if i dont want to say the prayer no one would force me to go with him, may it be a senior.
Now if someone terms this being Secular you be happy with it or for that mater if someone consider it ISLAMICIZATION, again as he lives in a free world and he can write/say/think what ever he wants. We are the least bothered!
