Wanderlust World Wanderlust World The Quran prohibits Muslims from eating pig flesh. That's why the American military asks the public to refrain from sending foodstuffs and other products made from pork to service members in Islamic countries. Send plenty of other tasty treats, but leave the bacon and Slim Jims at home.
Though pin-ups of scantily clad or naked women are not an unusual sight in many U.S. military barracks, depicting women in this way runs counter to traditional Islamic values. The Quran says women "should lower their gaze and guard their modesty." In the interest of winning hearts and minds, the military asks you to respect this tradition in Islamic countries.
The presence of Christian troops in Islamic countries has been controversial since the Crusades of the Middle Ages. In order to help prevent the 21st century conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan from being framed in religious terms, the U.S. military asks relatives and friends not to send anti-Islamic literature to service members in those countries. Bulk shipments of Bibles also are prohibited, but mailing a single Bible is allowed.
The U.S. doesn't want to jeopardize the political progress made in some Islamic countries through inopportune care packages of political materials. Special Kindness In Packages Inc., which ships care packages to military members, defines unauthorized political material as items "that could be used to impose our political view on the host country." This could include propaganda leaflets, campaign materials or books on foreign policy. U.S. flags are permitted, as are pictures of American flags.