Majlis Khuddamul Ahmadiyya, USA

Amjad Qureshi joined US. Navy’s Hospital Corps in 1976, shortly after the Vietnam War had ended.  With a specialty in Preventive Medicine and Public Health, he swiftly progressed through the enlisted ranks and in 1984 was commissioned as an Allied Health Scientist and an Industrial Hygiene Officer in the Medical Service Corps.  For the following 16 years he served in Okinawa, Japan, Philippines, Scotland, Norfolk, San Diego, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Maryland, 29 Palms, Camp Pendleton, Oakland, and finally retiring at Norfolk Virginia.  He served on 2 Aircraft Carriers, 2 Tenders and several other ships, submarines and shore stations. He progressed from the most humble of junior enlisted positions to prestigious positions, such as Director of Environmental Safety and Health (Afloat) for the Headquarter Submarine Fleet Atlantic (SUBLANT).  He most enjoyed his travels to over 100 countries and all the continents, including Arctic and Antarctic.  He retired after 24 years of honorable military service in 2000, as a Lt. Commander.  

He considers himself blessed to have been asked by the Navy, in 1993, to tend to the spiritual needs of Muslim military members in Norfolk, Virginia, as he was the most senior Muslim officer in the Navy. At that point in history all branches of the US military were considering hiring Muslim Chaplains. The Navy had already selected a Muslim Chaplain trainee and had asked Commander Qureshi to fill in for the next 2 years, as the Muslim Faith (Lay) Leader, while the Chaplain trainee received his credentials.  This position allowed him to serve as a Faith Leader as well as an advisor to the Navy’s Chaplaincy Board Headquarters in addressing policy regarding Muslim faith matters in the Navy.  During the 2 years tenure he had opportunities to establish a mosque at the Naval Station Norfolk, in between a Catholic chapel and a synagogue.  In cooperation with the military chaplains’ headquarter he successfully encouraged the local commands to allow Muslim military members time to attend Friday prayers (which he led for 2 years), make special concessions for them in the month of Ramadan, provided training to Muslim Faith representatives on ships and addressed several other challenges faced by the Muslim servicemen and the Navy administration.  He was routinely invited to military events, often leading invocation or benediction services. He spoke at various events, participated in policy development, and wrote articles, pamphlets and published newsletters. During this period he faced opposition from local Muslim groups for being an Ahmadi, but by the Grace of Allah, his mission continued until he was relieved of the responsibility by a Navy appointed chaplain.

Oh say, can you see by the dawn’s early light? What so proudly we hailed at the twilight’s last gleaming Millions honor the Star Spangled Banner and believe that these colors don’t run. And, neither did Abdul Khaliq Raja, when he was called to serve in the ill-fated Vietnam War.  

Before coming to America from Pakistan in 1966 with a permanent resident visa, he was advised by the US Consul, Lahore, Pakistan, about the Draft Laws. He took an oath that he would be ready to bear arms for the United States. Born in a community, where he learned that “service to the community, and the Nation, is a privilege for which one should seek no reward”, Raja Sahib kept his oath to serve in many capacities throughout his quiet successful life.

Interestingly enough, Raja came to America by sea - like the immigrants. He arrived via the Queen Elizabeth from Southampton, England. While taking meal one day on the ship, “I was told that I was eating on the Whites only table and I had to move,” remembers Raja. That was a new one for him because never before in his life had the place of eating ever mattered.

Raja’s first few years in America were relatively uneventful. He actually enjoyed the new surroundings. On March 23, 1970, Raja was drafted into the US Army for two years of service. In July 1971, he was assigned to the 2nd Battalion of the 32nd Artillery, which was fighting in Vietnam. He took a chartered Tiger Airways flight from Seattle which stopped for re-fueling in Japan. There Raja met his father: Major A. Hamid Raja, a World War II veteran, who worked as a Muslim missionary after retirement. The father and son prayed together.

During the welcome ceremony at Tay Ninh, Raja was shown pictures of dead Viet Cong sappers killed outside the hooch he was going to live in. He shared the hooch with a GI who was soon returning to the States.

One night at 2 A.M., Raja and fellow GIs were awakened when about 600 Viet Cong soldiers attacked them. They came out with the M-16 rifles prepared for combat. But the air support took care of the enemy. There were many nights like this.

After a month of active duty, Raja qualified for a week’s R n R leave in Bangkok. In lieu of Bangkok, he wanted to see his family in Pakistan. When Raja’s request was denied he wrote to the Action Line at San Jose Mercury - his hometown newspaper. The paper took his case to Congressman Charles S. Gubser (10th District, California), who came through for Raja on September 27, 1971. On October 16, 1971, Raja was authorized by his Commanding Officer, Colonel Hoffman, to go to Pakistan at personal expense. He was on leave in Pakistan when war broke out between India and Pakistan, leading to cancellation of all flights. Since he was stranded, Raja went to the US Embassy in Islamabad. Staff members in the US Embassy telex room informed him that a message had been sent out to his unit. Raja also requested his father in Japan to send a message to his unit.

On December 31, 1971 - the earliest possible day - Raja left Karachi for Saigon via Bangkok. Before leaving, Raja requested a visa from the Thai Embassy. He was told that US Green Card holders with a Military ID didn’t need a visa. But, at the Bangkok Airport the immigration officer did not accept the Green Card. The US Army Provost Marshall was called to resolve Raja’s case. Soon after, two MPs came and arrested Raja. “What’s the charge?” inquired Raja. “You’re AWOL,” the MP shot back.

Raja told them about the India-Pakistan War and that a telex was sent from the US Embassy, Islamabad. But the MP did not believe him. Raja - a law abiding citizen and an honest man - was held in a Bangkok US Military Police detention center for three days. In handcuffs, Raja was escorted on the plane to Saigon by a Sergeant, along with a drug addict. “Look, I am not a criminal,” Raja said to the officer, who had a heart and later took off the handcuffs during the flight.

A sergeant in Raja’s company took him in custody at the Saigon Airport saying, “Oh yes! We received your dad’s telex from Japan.” Apparently, the one from the US Embassy was lost in the shuffle. The AWOL charges were dropped.

Raja served honorably in Vietnam and returned to the United States in 1972. One day in San Jose, while walking toward a bus stop on McKee Road, he was stopped by an immigration officer who questioned his background.

“Here I am, after having put my life on the line in Vietnam and after a wrongful arrest - for which there was no official apology - and I am being asked about whether I am here legally?” thought Raja. But, he went on with his life completing his undergraduate, masters degree and CPA certification. Raja joined the Department of Veterans Affairs in 1976 and served as a systems accountant until his death on December 17, 2003.

Not knowing that his dad has passed away couple of hours earlier, Omar Raja - a graduate of Virginia Tech - after successfully completing his training was cleaning up the barracks and preparing his spiffy uniform at a military base in Georgia to make his dad proud the next morning in the Washington area.

Raja Sahib leaves behind three children and his wife of 28 years. While his body rests in eternal peace under an old oak tree in the Muslim Garden section of Lake View Memorial Park, on Liberty Road, his emancipated spirit is probably singing the Vietnam War era popular song in Heaven: “I am comin’ home, I have done my time …tie a yellow ribbon ‘round the old oak tree”. Raja Sahib, we’ll tie a yellow ribbon around that old oak tree and we wont forget that you have done us proud.

Omar Sultan Raja served on active duty service in the US Army from September 2003 through December 2008. Trained as an IT systems support specialist, he provided network administrative services for his unit at a battalion level during garrison operations in Savannah, GA at Hunter Army Airfield.  

He served multiple deployments overseas in Baghdad, Iraq from Jan 2005-Jan 2006 and May 2007-July 2008 in support of theater operations, where he would work collaboratively with his IT team to efficiently manage and maintain servers, local area networks, tactical satellites, and communication security for his tactical operations and admin/logistics center.  

His awards include the Achievement Medal, Good Conduct Medal, and the Army Commendation Medals. Having honorably separated from active duty service, he now resides in Fairfax, VA.  

Lt. Mahmood Sarwar joined the US Navy while still in school studying Civil Engineering at University of Houston in 2005. He wanted to serve his country and when the opportunity arose for him to do that, he jumped on it. He finished his degree in Civil engineering in December of 2006. Since then he has spent 4 months in Iraq and 6 months in Guam. Son of Imam Zafar Sarwar, he fully understands what his faith requires of him, to be loyal to his nation and protect it. He works tirelessly to serve the country he loves. He lives the motto 'for the sake of my nation' everyday. Currently he is working in mobile construction battalion.