First Muslim promoted to UK Navy's top ranks

Britain's Royal Navy has become the first of the country's three Armed Services to promote a Muslim to one of its top ranks.

Commodore Amjad Hussain was appointed Thursday to be a Rear- Admiral, the equivalent rank in the Army is major-general and in the Air Force an air vice-marshal, but no Muslim has yet reached such a level yet.

Hussain, who was born in Pakistan and emigrated with his family to Britain when he was five years old, said he was "really astonished" at the number of people who have expressed shock that we have a rear-admiral in the Royal Navy from a background like mine.

"Some of my friends in other European countries have said it wouldn't happen here. So I think that's a mark of how far Britain has progressed," he told a press conference in London.

The 48-year-old admiral has been in the Royal Navy for 30 years.