Hammond visits Islamic leaders at mosque in Killeen Posted On: Tuesday, May. 12 2009 04:35 PM By Sgt. Philip Klein
4th Infantry Division public affairs

Maj. Gen. Jeffery Hammond, commander of the 4th Infantry Division, helped open the lines of communication Thursday when he visited a mosque at the Islamic Community of Greater Killeen community center.

The visit was part of the division's effort to reach out to the sizeable Muslim community that resides in the greater Central Texas region — Killeen, Temple and Austin — to encourage dialogue, interaction and understanding.

During the division's recent 15-month deployment to Iraq, a critical aspect for its success was its ability bridge and gain an understanding and appreciation for the potential challenges brought on by cultural and religious divides.

"One of the lessons I learned was to be a good listener and to not be a prisoner to past perceptions," Hammond said. "It goes back to attitude towards religion and culture — to be willing to reach out and try to understand and come to a common ground.

"The key to our success was to understand the cultural differences, respect the differences and the people, and work through shared values, and this allowed us to make great strides."

Key to assisting Hammond and division leaders gain an appreciation and understanding of the culture in Iraq, in addition to the local Islamic community in the Central Texas area, is Al Azim, his cultural advisor.

Azim deployed with the division and spent his 15 months providing cultural expertise as he accompanied Hammond to numerous meetings with Iraqi officials, local community leader and tribal sheiks.

He said he felt the visit was important because it provides the opportunity to foster stronger relations with a segment of the community that may be somewhat overlooked at times.

Dr. Manzoor Farooqi, the president of the Islamic Community of Greater Killeen, welcomed the visit and expressed hope that it would build on the current relationship and help foster closer ties.

"Ignorance is our worst enemy; understanding has improved a lot, but it still has a ways to go — though we are making progress," Farooqi said. "We are Americans who happen to practice Islam. ... We have so much in common."

Danquah Osman, a community center leader, expressed similar sentiments during the meeting. "Islam is important to our lives, and it doesn't conflict with being an American. In fact, it helps us to be better Americans," he said.