SPOTLIGHT ON MUSLIMS IN THE US ARMY

The Shootout by Nidal Malik Hasan a Major in American Army has shone a spotlight on the small number of Muslims in the U.S. forces.

Official figures show that out of 1.4million service men and women, 3,572 are Muslims, under one per cent.

US Department of Defence numbers also show that out of that number, 1,164 are in the Army, which has more than half a million soldiers.

Minority: There are very few Muslim soldiers in the U.S. Army (file picture of American forces in action in Afghanistan this week)

Many Muslims are serving in both Iraq and Afghanistan and several have died on the battlefield. Among them was Kareem Rashad Sultan Khan who received a posthumous Purple Heart after being shot down in Iraq in August

2007. One serving Muslim, Sergeant Youseff Mandour moved to America from Morocco at 17 and joined the army five years later.

Now 25, he has just returned from 12 months in Iraq. He said: ‘I’m fighting for a better life and a belief in freedom,’ he said. ‘I appreciate everything this country has given to me.’

The average age of Muslim soldiers is 21. Most are married.

The American Muslim Armed Forces and Veterans Affairs Council, based in Washington, DC said of the attack: ‘Islam holds the human soul in high esteem, and considers the attack against innocent human beings a grave sin. This is a criminal act that is best dealt with by the law enforcement community.’