Muslims in the United States military

An African slave by the name of Bilali Muhammad defended Georgia's Sapelo Island from British attack during the War of 1812.

[9] Abdullah Igram, a Muslim-American World War II veteran, campaigned for Islam to be an option in servicemembers' religious identification.

[10] According to the Department of Homeland Security, a total of 6,024 Muslim-American troops served in overseas deployments in the ten years following 9/11, with 14 fatalities reported in Iraq.

[11] The involvement of Muslim Americans in the military received increased public attention following events such as the September 11 attacks, the 2009 Fort Hood shooting, and Khizr Khan's 2016 Democratic National Convention speech.

Throughout his four years of service, he rose in ranks to become an officer in the U.S. army before being killed by a car bomb on June 8, 2004, saving the lives of his fellow soldiers.

[13] President Donald Trump’s temporary immigration ban based on a list of terror-linked countries (created under the Obama administration) brought Khan's parents, Khizr and Ghazala Khan, into the public spotlight as they addressed Trump at the 2016 Democratic National Convention.

Speaking out to defend their son and others who died in the American military, they created an "unexpected and potentially pivotal flash point in the general election".

He was killed in the process of clearing a house and posthumously awarded his rank and both the Bronze Star Medal and Purple Heart.