Strategic Religious Dialogue: A Chaplain’s Perspective on Religious Leader Liaison
LaMar Griffin Wednesday, 16 December 2009
My first experience with religious leader engagement as a military chaplain was during my assignment as the 1st Armored Division Chaplain in the U.S. Army in 2004. When I arrived, the Deputy Division Chaplain, Chaplain (MAJ) Bryan Walker, briefed me on the Division's religious support operations in Operation Iraqi Freedom. One of the aspects of religious support directed by the Division Commander was engaging local Muslim clerics to build trust, stability, and a favorable opinion of the American mission in Iraq. As the Command Chaplain for Multi-National Forces – Iraq (MNF-I) in 2007, I was tasked by the Commander to develop this concept with my Unit Ministry Teams and to emphasize the importance of working with indigenous religious personnel and groups in accomplishing the MNF-I mission.
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