EDITORIAL
Kids must come first in Muslim foster care

Someone apparently forgot to apply the common-sense rule in the case of three young Muslim children who were left homeless after their mother and grandmother were killed and their father arrested as a suspect in the case.

Their father, a Navy sailor, is in custody, but as of yesterday had not yet been charged.

There is no way to untangle this tragedy. But it should be possible to do what is best for the children until their long-term future can be determined.

And what is best in this case? Ideally, the children may be placed with other family members, and that may eventually happen.

But for now, the children are with another caring military family that is in the process of obtaining a special foster care license.

The military family was chosen, officials said, because they know the ins and outs of dealing with military dependents. That makes sense, as far as it goes.

But it doesn't explain why the state was unwilling or unable to entertain foster care offers from six Muslim couples from the Manoa mosque, including Hakim Ouansafi, president of the Muslim Association of Honolulu.

State officials pointed out that none of the Muslim couples was licensed as foster care parents. But then, neither was the military family.

State officials point out that in an ideal world, every foster child would end up in a home that best suits all of his or her needs, including spiritual. Clearly, that is not always possible.

But for devout Muslims, spiritual or religious needs go beyond getting to the mosque on Fridays. As Ouansafi pointed out, it also means following specific dietary protocols and other aspects of daily life.

If the problem is getting access to military benefits and services, surely the Navy and the state Department of Social Services should be able to work it out.

If the problem is getting a special temporary foster care license for one of the Muslim families, that shouldn't be an impossible barrier. Last year, for instance, some 963 special licenses were issued to relatives or others who had an immediate need to offer foster care. That's nearly twice as many as the 553 regular or general foster care licenses out there.

We're certain that none of the adults in this sad story wants anything but the best for these children. But rather than simply wanting it, they should make it happen.