Akhtar Hussain
Senior Member
"Say what is true, although it may be bitter and displeasing to people."
Posts: 712
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Post by Akhtar Hussain on May 29, 2005 20:21:05 GMT
SO NEWSWEEK has retracted its report about the defiling of Islam’s holy book, the Quran, by interrogators at Guantanamo Bay.
It’s too late. A single paragraph in the magazine, alleging that American soldiers had flushed a Quran down a lavatory, was enough to mobilise anti-American rallies from Gaza to Java. Violent riots have taken place in Afghanistan; effigies of President Bush have been torched in Pakistan.
Serious questions do emerge from this debacle. Muslims are left asking whether the United States, a country that trumpets the virtues of faith, respects all religions. Journalists are wondering what standards allowed an incendiary charge to be published without proof. But at least one more question needs to posed: even if the Quran was mistreated, are violent riots, chants of “Death to America,” and vows of jihad a justified response?
“What do you expect?” my critics will declare. “Abusing the Quran is like abusing basic human rights. If you’re a good Muslim, your very identity and dignity are bound up in revering the Koran. It’s the literal word of God. Unsullied. Untouched. Unedited. Unlike the other holy books.”
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Jamil
Valued Member
The most powerful channel of communication.....Prayer
Posts: 1,749
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Post by Jamil on May 31, 2005 12:15:13 GMT
Inquiry finds Qur'an 'mishandling' Abuse of the Quran sparked protests in Muslim countries. The US military says it has identified five incidents in which the Quran was mishandled by American personnel at the Guantanamo Bay prison camp. But the jail commander said no credible evidence had been found that the book had been flushed down a toilet.
The denial follows similar allegations against US guards in a 2002 document made public on Wednesday, in which an FBI agent quoted an inmate. Newsweek also reported the toilet claim, but later retracted it ? (i wonder why ? ) The Newsweek report sparked protests across the Muslim world. In Afghanistan riots resulted in the deaths of at least 15 people.
The magazine withdrew its story after saying it could no longer corroborate the report. (MORE LIKE AFTER GOVERNMENT PRESSURE) The White House rounded on the magazine, saying its report had done "lasting damage" to the US image in the Muslim world.
Deliberate and accidental
The Guantanamo Bay prison commander, Brigadier General Jay Hood, said he had found that the Quran had been mishandled on five occasions since late 2001. Three of the cases appeared to involve deliberate mishandling, while the other two incidents were apparently accidental, he said. Four cases involved guards and one an interrogator.
Brig Gen Hood said those involved had not violated the rules in place at the time. The inmate who made the original allegation about the Koran being flushed down the toilet had retracted it, he said. A Pentagon spokesman characterised the incidents as mainly inadvertent handling of the Muslim holy book.
More than 500 people are being held at Guantanamo Bay, the US naval base on Cuba, suspected of links to the al-Qaeda network. Many have been detained for more than three years, but have not been charged.
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