Even as politicians and pundits slander Islam, some soldiers exposed to it during their tours of duty are actually becoming converts. (I don't mean to endorse Islam, any more than I would endorse Christianity or Judaism, but it sure is interesting.)
Guantanamo Bay prison guard converts to Islam because of the living faith of Muslim detainees (al.com)
Terry Holdbrooks Jr., 29, wears the beard of a bald Amish guy, the tattoos of a punk kid, and the twitchy alertness of a military policeman. Take him to a restaurant, and he’ll choose the chair with its back against the wall. Take his photo, and he'll prefer to look away from the camera.
Part of that wariness Holdbrooks learned while guarding detainees from 2003 to 2004 at Guantanamo Bay, the U.S. holding tank for military prisoners on the southeastern point of Cuba.
And part of that wariness he developed after he converted to Islam while stationed at Guantanamo....
...
So Holdbrooks arrived at the hot, seared base expecting hulking killers in every cell. What he found were doctors, taxi drivers, professors. One scary “terrorist” was 12. Another was in his 70s and dying of tuberculosis. Holdbrooks identifies himself as antagonistic, questioning, independent person. He is naturally suspicious – and found his suspicions turning in a surprising direction.
“You start thinking, ‘Was I lied to?’” Holdbrooks said.