Tag Archives: quran

US Military Condemns Koran Burning, Defends Muslim Faith

The US Department of Defense issued a release in which General David Petraeus and his NATO civilian counterpart, Mark Sedwill, condemned the burning of a Koran (alternately, Quran) by Florida Pastor Wayne Sapp (with Pastor Terry Jones, who previously planned to do so, and whose proposal General Petraeus previously condemned):

“We condemn the action of the individual in the United States who burned a copy of the holy Quran. That action was hateful; it was intolerant, and it was extremely disrespectful,” said Petraeus.

As others will likely point out, no one found it “hateful, intolerant, or disrespectful” when the US military tossed Bibles in the trash and burned them not more Read more

Military Chaplains: Have Bible, Will Travel

Or, as the case may be, Have Koran, or Vedas…

An Army news article notes the necessary travels of military Chaplains as they travel throughout the combat area in Afghanistan serving the religious and morale needs of those in their care.  There have been a variety of other articles on “fob-hopping,” but this one included an interesting summary of the US military Chaplaincy:

The Chaplain’s Corps has been around since 1775. Following the creation of the infantry as a branch of the Army, the Read more

An Officer On Being a Jewish US Marine

A lengthy but interesting article by US Marine Lt Sam Jacobson covers his experience as a Jew in the Marine Corps, from his drill instructor asking if he needed kosher meals to the US military flying “interested Jews” to special religious services while fighting in Iraq.  At points he describes a “generous mood of religious accommodation” and even the presence of a “no preference” room during a time dedicated for religious services.

Perhaps one of the most interesting parts of Jacobson’s story is the theme he reveals of how gruff military members sometimes deal with the increasingly “sensitive” subject of religion.

He gets ‘scolded’ for sleeping during the time dedicated for religious exercise, but admits sleeping was a closely controlled exercise in training:  Read more

Michael Weinstein Opposes Bible, Supports Koran in Military

Michael Weinstein has repeatedly demonstrated an animosity toward the association of the US military with the Christian Bible.  In 2009, his Military Religious Freedom Foundation opposed a Chaplain bringing Swahili Bibles to Iraq, despite the fact they were requested by third country nationals supporting the US military effort.  The “religious freedom” organization opposed support for the religious freedom of US allies.

In 2007, Weinstein highly publicized a cropped photograph of a US Army trainee posing with his M-16 and his Bible — alongside a similarly photographed Hamas suicide bomber.  (The photos can be seen here; the original article was written by Jason Leopold, currently an editor for TruthOut, for which Weinstein is a board member and fundraiser.)  Weinstein’s MRFF is quoted saying “fundamentalist Christianity” in the US military “is starting to mirror Islamic fundamentalism.”  (Tellingly, he never made similar statements about photos of Jewish Soldiers and their weapons, some of which can be seen here.)

Weinstein’s most recent complaint is Read more

Groups Use Threats of Others’ Violence to Achieve Ends?

In an interesting perspective, Eugene Volokh writes an article on the “conflict” between the Koran-burning church in Florida and Ibrahim Hooper of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR).  To the point, he quotes Hooper saying:

Can you imagine what this will do to our image around the world…And the additional danger it will add whenever there is an American presence in Iraq or Afghanistan?

After going through several explanatory examples and analogies, Volokh draws an interesting conclusion:

In those situations, the mainstream group representative seems to be consciously using the threat of [others’] extremist violence to achieve his own ideological goals. And he also seems to be trying to blame the people who are exercising their rights for the violence that would supposedly ensue. This sort of political tactic does not reflect well on the mainstream group.

Separate from Koran burning and CAIR, Volokh’s perspective has an interesting application to religious freedom in the military.  After all, Read more

Koran Burning: Copy Cats, Hypocrisy, and Replacement Texts

According to Military.com, the small, controversial Westboro Baptist Church has joined the criticism of the planned Koran burnings in Florida, but not for the reason everyone else is.  Their reason?

They did it first.  And no one noticed.

It’s that in 2008 she and her father’s Topeka flock set fire to a Quran in plain view on a Washington, D.C., street and nobody seemed to care…

Westboro has even said if Jones doesn’t burn the Koran, they will.  Elsewhere, there is an increasing chorus of “hypocrisy” accusations against US officials.  The US government previously said it burned Bibles in Afghanistan; even at that time, there was a sense that

“if it had been the Quran, this never would have happened.”

Other news agencies picked up on the “unusual” Read more

General Petraeus Condemns Proposed Koran Burning

According to press reports, General David Petraeus, commander of US forces in Afghanistan, has said the proposed burning of Korans in Florida would endanger US troops:

“Images of the burning of a Koran would undoubtedly be used by extremists in Afghanistan — and around the world — to inflame public opinion and incite violence,” Petraeus said. “Were the actual burning to take place, the safety of our soldiers and civilians would be put in jeopardy and accomplishment of the mission would be made more difficult.”

While the General is speaking within his purview — the mission and the troops — it is fairly unusual for a military officer to so pointedly address the lawful exercise of an American citizen’s protected rights.  The White House also reportedly “condemned” the plans:  Read more

NATO Denies Desecrating Koran…Yet Again

An article on the military in Afghanistan notes the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) has had to defend itself, again, against charges of desecrating the Koran (Quran).  The military conducted a three-day investigation, and noted the accusations didn’t even make sense:

The allegations in the media also state that the Quran was bayoneted. Soldiers performing patrols in that area do not carry bayonets according to the task force.

The military was quick to reassure the local populace nonetheless:

ISAF understands the significance and importance of the Quran to the Muslim religion and the people of Afghanistan and takes allegations of the desecration and disrespect of the Quran or any other religious or cultural items very seriously.

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