I have little interest personally in this story of alleged insulting treatment of the Koran at Guantanamo other than to say, if true, well, that’s pretty freakin’ stupid and needs to be corrected. Fast.
Unfortunately but not surprisingly, the story has some in a state of near-apoplexy.
Pakistan, a key Muslim ally in the U.S.-led war on terror, has voiced deep concern to Washington over a magazine report that U.S. interrogators in Guantanamo Bay desecrated the Koran.
Newsweek magazine, in its latest edition, quoted sources as saying that investigators probing abuses at the military prison had found that interrogators “had placed Korans on toilets, and in at least one case flushed a holy book down the toilet.”
The Foreign Ministry said in a statement that Pakistan conveyed its deep concern to Washington over the reported desecration of the Muslim holy book, which sparked a student protest in Afghanistan and outraged Pakistani lawmakers.
“U.S. officials have stated that the alleged perpetrators of the reported desecration would be held accountable after the matter had been appropriately investigated and responsibility is established,” the statement said.
There has been growing public outrage in Pakistan over the report. The National Assembly, parliament’s lower house, on Monday passed a resolution denouncing the reported desecration and Imran Khan, a Pakistani cricketer turned politician, last week demanded an apology from the United States.
In Jalalabad, Afghanistan, about 2,000 students chanting “Death to America” protested over the reported desecration, some of them holding up an effigy of President Bush and shouting “Death to Bush.”
[…]
State Department spokesman Tom Casey said the United States took the allegations seriously.
“Obviously, the destruction of any kind of holy book, whether it’s a Bible or a Koran or any other document like that, is something that’s reprehensible and not in keeping with U.S. policies and practices,” he said.
Quite counter-productive to our overall efforts. Such tales certainly endanger some of our successes to date if not dealt with properly. Oh yeah, did I already say stupid?
On the bright side, there is this, the wrath of a particular Pak pol.
Cricket hero-turned politician Imran Khan joined Pakistan’s parliament in denouncing the alleged desecration of Islam’s holy book, the Koran, by US soldiers at Guantanamo Bay.
Khan also condemned a US newspaper for publishing what politicians say is a humiliating cartoon about Pakistan’s hunt for Al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden, the Associated Press of Pakistan reported.
“If the United States does not apologise on these incidents, then they must be asked to wrap up and vacate our bases under their use,” Khan was quoted as saying.
Khan!!!
Man, I love any excuse to use that link.