First Muslim chaplains among Richland Sheriff’s Department additions

The Richland County Sheriff’s Department swore in its first two Muslim chaplains and first Seventh-day Adventist chaplain Thursday.

The ceremony added six new chaplains to the force, bringing the total up to 21 at the department. The department has one full-time chaplain, and the rest are volunteers, officials said.

“We have lots of religions within Richland County, and we want to make sure that all those religions are represented,” Sheriff Leon Lott said.

Deputy Mohanad Gabr, who has been with the sheriff’s department for almost 10 years, said it’s good to have chaplains available who understand his Muslim faith.

“It’s a stressful job, and sometimes we face a lot of difficulties,” Gabr said. “Sometimes you just feel like talking to someone to get a piece of advice – how to deal with issues at work or at home.”

Gabr said it’s also good for Muslim residents of Richland County to see that there are people on the force who understand their beliefs and their community.

The duties these chaplains perform are more crucial now than ever, the sheriff said. With law enforcement nationwide facing intense scrutiny on the job, civil unrest and terrorist attacks such as those in Dallas and Baton Rouge, La., deputies need someone to listen to them, he said.

“I think probably now more than ever, in a lot of their careers, this is a time they need someone to talk to,” Lott said.

This story was originally published September 1, 2016 at 2:19 PM with the headline "First Muslim chaplains among Richland Sheriff’s Department additions."