Face of Defense: Soldier ‘Pays It Forward’ to Help Others

“I’ve had some ups and downs being of Islam faith, especially during 9/11, because many people tried to categorize all Muslims with the ones who carried out those attacks,” said Atlas, who is now married with three children. “I think I’ve been able to change those beliefs in many of the people I have come across by giving Islamic cultural awareness classes and letting them know what we do and what we believe, as opposed to what they have seen on TV.”

The command sergeant major of Task Force 12 here saw the opportunity presented by Atlas’ willingness to explain his faith. The soldiers who attended that class got more information about Islamic cultures and now are able tell their friends the difference between a regular person of Islamic faith and an Islamic extremist...

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