The events of 11 September 2001 brought forth the possibilities of U.S. forces being deployed as peacekeepers and nationbuilders in Muslim nations. As such, the military will be a major contributor to civil law and order. Previous operations in Haiti, Somalia, and the Balkans have shown that military officers providing assistance to civil authorities should understand the legal underpinnings of civil and criminal law to operate effectively. Where this understanding is available, military and civil authorities have made considerable strides in establishing civil normalcy. Where this understanding is not available, there has been resistance from local and international civilian authorities. Most personnel that civil-military operators are likely to support would certainly come from a nation with an Islamic legal tradition. While working within an Islamic nation, civil-military operators must keep in mind the tension between secular nationalism and Islamic religious principles. Unlike many other religions familiar to American non-Muslims, Islam inserts itself into the body politic far more aggressively than other religions. To misunderstand both points of view is to risk losing credibility and alienating the very people the mission depends on to succeed. It is important to remember that among some Muslims, westernization and globalization are threats. Some secular nationalist and Islamic adherents are likely to oppose government programs that advance these ends, resulting in a rallying point for both points of view. Most Western military operators easily grasp the concepts of secular nationalism, but the Islamic facet is often completely misunderstood.
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