As Muslim chaplains, upholding the First Amendment is not just part of their job description, it is highly personal. Rafael Lantigua, Khallid Shabazz, and Saleha Jabeen swear an oath to the Constitution, vowing to protect the right of every service member to practice their faith freely. Despite decades of military service, some still view them as the enemy and unfit to serve because of their beliefs. Rather than blend in, they accept the challenges and inherent dangers of being the public face of Islam for the U.S. military. Three Chaplains goes inside the armed forces to reveal how these chaplains practice, teach, and share their faith with troops around the country. Rafael, Khallid, and Saleha each face resistance—from accusations of terror to disapproval from their own families and community—while ascending to the highest ranks of the military. Like generations of minority service members before them, they call on the Department of Defense to support equality for all.
Join us to view the film and discuss it along with film's director and producer David Washburn, producer Razi Jafri, active-duty Army Chaplain Lieutenant Colonel Christopher Wallace, and Notre Dame's director of veteran and military affairs Kenneth Heckel.
5:30 pm Film Screening
6:30 pm Panel Discussion
7:45 pm Iftar*/Interfaith Meal
*Iftar also known as futoor (the Arabic word for breakfast), is a meal held every day during Ramadan at sunset. Fasting is one of the main pillars of Ramadan, and those observing the holiday do not consume any food or drink between sunrise and sunset. After evening prayer and sunset, Muslims break their fast with Iftar. (Source: https://www.unrefugees.org/news/what-is-iftar-how-refugees-break-fast-during-ramadan/)
Panelists
David Wasburn (Director and Producer) has partnered with Muslim storytellers for over a decade. His documentary, An American Mosque, aired on public television nationwide and was acquired by Al Jazeera. He developed "Three Chaplains" from his short film series featuring Muslim veterans that ran online in the Washington Post, San Diego Union Tribune, and NBC News.
Razi Jafri (Producer) makes films about America’s changing cultural landscape. His previous film, "Hamtramck, USA" (SXSW 2020) chronicles democracy in America’s first Muslim-majority city. He is an alumnus of the Sundance Producers Fellowship. His projects have been funded by the Ford Foundation, Doris Duke Foundation, Knight Foundation, and CAAM.
Kenneth Heckel (Director, Notre Dame's Military and Veteran Affairs) provides strategic direction on behalf of the provost for the University of Notre Dame's national defense, military, and veteran-related programs. As a 23-year veteran and retired Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Army, Heckel served in operational organizations and assignments across the world. While stationed at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, Heckel served as a commander in the 82nd Airborne Division and the 82nd Sustainment Brigade, as well as a staff officer in the 3rd Special Forces Group. During his initial overseas deployments, Heckel served as a staff officer during peace-keeping operations in Bosnia-Herzegovina in 1999, and during the early phases of operations in Afghanistan in 2002 with the 3rd Special Forces Group. Heckel also served as a commander during his two deployments to Iraq in 2003 and 2010, as part of both Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation New Dawn. When not serving overseas or in operational assignments, Heckel spent the balance of his military career as an assistant professor of economics and the director of academy advancement at the United States Military Academy at West Point. Heckel received numerous awards and honors for his military service, most notably the Legion of Merit medal, multiple Bronze Star medals, and the Senior Parachutist Badge.
Heckel holds an undergraduate degree in finance from the University of Notre Dame, where he was a distinguished military graduate and scholar in the Army Reserve Officer Training Program. Heckel also holds an M.B.A. from the University of Virginia, and is currently pursuing a doctorate of higher education administration from Northeastern University.
Christopher Wallace (Chaplain, Lieutenant Colonel Army, active-duty) is an Army War College Fellow with Notre Dame’s International Security Center. His previous assignments on Active Duty and in the U.S. Army Reserve include III'd Armored Corps and Ft. Hood Deputy Command Chaplain; Division Chaplain for 3rd Infantry Division Chaplain at Fort Stewart, GA; Accessions Officer at the Office of the Chief of Chaplains in the Pentagon; Chaplain (CPT) Assignment Officer at the Office of the Chief of Chaplains in the Pentagon; Deputy Division Chaplain for 1st Infantry Division at Fort Riley, KS; 3rd Sustainment Brigade Chaplain at Fort Stewart, GA; 812th Transportation Battalion Chaplain at Fort Lee, VA; 441st Military Intelligence Battalion Chaplain at Camp Zama, Japan; and 44th Corps Support Battalion Chaplain at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, WA.
He deployed with the 3rd Sustainment Brigade to Kandahar, Afghanistan from 2012-2013; the 44th Corps Support Battalion to Al Taqaddum, Iraq in 2006; and the 812th Transportation Battalion to Navistar, Kuwait in 2003. His military education includes the Command General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, KS; the Chaplain Major Course; the Chaplain Officer Basic and Career Course at Fort Jackson, SC; and the Master Fitness Training Course. His military awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal (3 Oak Leaf Clusters), the Army Commendation Medal (5 Oak Leaf Clusters), the Army Achievement Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the Iraq Campaign Medal (2 Service Stars), the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the Overseas Ribbon (4 Service Stars), the Armed Forces Reserve Medal, and the Army Staff Identification Badge.
Wallace is a Christian minister endorsed by the Association of Gospel Churches in Greenville, SC. He ministered in Baptist churches in VA and SC before joining the U.S. Army. He received a Bachelors, Master of Arts, and Master of Divinity from Bob Jones University in Greenville, SC. He serves on the Committee for Military and Veterans Affairs at the National Cathedral in Washington D.C.
Rania Khamees is a second-year law student at Notre Dame Law School. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience and Biology from The Ohio State University with research distinction in the study of Bioinformatics and Artificial Systems. Rania also has a Master of Public Administration from Ohio State and pursued public interest work at the municipal, state, and federal level after graduation, focusing on racial and ethnic disparities in the United States.
This event is co-sponsored by the Ansari Institute for Global Engagement with Religion, Campus Ministry, the Office of Military and Veteran Affairs, the Notre Dame International Security Center, the Center for Citizenship and Constitutional Government, the Middle Eastern Law Students Association, the Law School's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
Originally published at ansari.nd.edu.