(Image via Wikipedia)

President Obama has apologized and a joint investigation by Afghan and American military leaders concluded that mistakes were made but there was no intent to burn the copies of the Quran at Bagram Air Field in Afghanistan.

Meanwhile,  Afghani authorities are still demanding that the American personnel involved be publicly identified and appropriately punished. Maulavi Khaliq Dad, a member of the Afghan religious leaders’ Ulema Council, told NY Times reporters the following:

“There are some crimes that cannot be forgiven, but that need to be punished. This is not any book; this is the book of the whole Muslim nation, and if a few people are punished, America will not be destroyed. But if that doesn’t happen, it will create animosity and enmity between America and the Muslim world.”

Now there is at least one Western official who told the AP that at least five American military personnel could face some kind of disciplinary review over the inadvertent burning of Qurans.

According to the joint investigation, the Qurans had been written on and used by prisoners to pass messages and the damaged texts had been confiscated and boxed up. Somehow the boxes ended up in the hands of US military personnel on garbage detail. With no knowledge of what was in the boxes, they took them out to be burned with the daily trash. Afghan workers at the base subsequently recognized the material as Qurans and salvaged them before any of the texts were completely destroyed.

The inadvertent Quran burning has resulting in more than a week of rioting, and deaths to 6 members of the US military and at least 30 Afghans plus several hundred injuries.

Response: Exactly what are the 5 Us military personnel going to be disciplined for? What have they violated in the US military code of justice by doing nothing except following orders?

Here’s the real problem- President Obama. When he apologized to the Afghani President, Obama said that those involved would be ‘appropriately punished.’ The Pentagon refused to comment on that possibility which leaves one to read between the lines that the White House and the military are in disagreement over the appropriate course of action in this case.

The President and his administration obviously wants the soldiers to face some kind of discipline while the military leaders are at loss to find what those involved could possibly be charged with. Burning Qurans is not covered in the military code.

Meanwhile, the Afghan government wants those involved to be turned over to them for ‘appropriate’ Muslim sharia justice which disregards intent or knowledge but only prescribes punishment for actions. In this case, the soldiers would be subjected to prison, torture, and eventual execution. 

This is obviously not going to happen and yet President Obama does seem to be willing to make some kind of example of the soldiers. The problem with disciplining the soldiers involved, it will never be enough for the Afghanis and it will be unfair and far too much for Americans. Also, the soldiers in question do have rights under the code of military justice. They cannot be railroaded, one would think.

This is a no win situation no matter what. Obama and the military should go ahead and do what is right and exonerate those involved since there was clearly no knowledge or intent on the part of the US personnel. Unfortunately you can usually count on this President to do the wrong thing.  We will be watching to see how this situation plays out.              *Top

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        (Afghanistan  -Photo credit: The U.S. Army)

A top Iranian Commander on Saturday said that the only way the Quran burning in Afghanistan can be resolved is for the US officers responsible to be hanged.

Basij Commander Brig.-Gen. Muhammad Reza Naqdi told Iran’s Fars new agency:

"The US has committed such an ugly act and burned Korans because of the heavy slap it has been given by Islam.Their apology can be accepted only by hanging their commanders; hanging their commanders means an apology.”

The general also indicated that the White House should be burned as an example to all who offend Islam.

Response: What the General said here is not rare but represents the prevailing opinion among Muslims in Afghanistan and most of the Middle East. It is what Muslim sharia law calls for in response to the burning. It is also what the Afghani rioters are shouting for in the streets.

Meanwhile, no one there is paying a bit of attention to the fact that the Qurans were desecrated with radical messages written all over them by prisoners and that’s why they were ordered destroyed in the first place.

If Qurans are so sacred and sharia law demands that they remain undefiled, then why aren’t these folks mad at the prisoners who wrote in the books and ruined them in the first place? Why are the officers that mistakenly ordered the damaged books to be destroyed the only ones responsible?

There does seem to be a double standard there? The fact is, there a double standard built right into Islamic sharia law that treats Muslims far different than non-Muslim ‘infidels’.            *Top

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2. -Afghanistan: Violence Continues Over Quran Burning, 5 More Dead

The inadvertent burning of Qurans at a NATO Airbase has resulted in at least 30 deaths and 200+ wounded from rioting all across Afghanistan.

The favorite slogans of the rioters include:

“Death to America” and

“Death to infidels”

It has become so dangerous for Americans in Afghanistan that those helping the Afghani government have been pulled out and most American civilians have gone into hiding. Meanwhile, at least 4 American soldiers have been killed and 7 wounded. Two American officers were executed by an Afghani intelligence officer in an Afghan Interior Ministry office.

Response: This is just crazy and points out the real disconnect between the Western culture we live in and the Afghani Muslim perspective. A few damaged Qurans are burned by a stupid mistake but their culture and religion demands that those responsible must die. Meanwhile more than 30 people are killed and 200+ are wounded in the rioting that follows. How does this make any sense?

Compare this to what happened when thousands of confiscated Bibles in the two most common Afghan languages were burned at the same base in 2009. Zero dead and Zero wounded.

Now which religion, Islam or Christianity, is the real ‘religion of peace’?            *Top

Related Posts?:

1. -Afghanistan: Violence Continues Over Quran Burning, 5 More Dead
2. -UPDATE: At Least 22 Killed So Far in Quran Burning Protests

                   (Quran -Photo credit: manitoon)

Allegations that NATO troops at Bagram airbase had set fire to dozens of copies of the Quran sent thousands of Afghans into a frenzied protest against the foreign troops but particularly against America. The base guards shot rubber bullets into the crowd to control the situation as the mob shouted out out slogans:

"Death to Americans" and "Death to infidels"

Apparently there was some basis to the protest since workers at Bagram had burned old Muslim books and literature material including Qurans that had been supplied to past prisoners at the base. NATO has officially apologized for the situation saying that no disrespect was intended.

Response: It is incredible that the military leaders at Bagram base are so tone deaf when it comes to Muslims and the handling of the Quran. The officers in charge of this debacle and those responsible need to be quickly disciplined and replaced.

We have thousands of troops in Afghanistan fighting the resurgence of the Taliban and these idiots actually play into the enemies’ main strategy of turning the conservative local Muslim people against the foreign ‘infidel’ troops. Talk about shooting oneself in the foot.

It is bad enough that lies are told all the time against our troops to stir up the locals but when we actually do violate their religious sensibilities ourselves through abject ignorance one has to ask why we are still there in the first place.  Particularly if we have worn out our welcome and now are perceived as the enemy.              *Top 

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(Image via Wikipedia)

According to reports 2 more died on Sunday in Afghanistan during the continuing protests over the Quran burning in Florida. This brings the total count of deaths to at least 22 along with hundreds of injuries.

The most popular prevailing slogans for the protesters were:

“Long live the Taliban” and “Death to America”

Meanwhile the mobs continued to be out of control in some cities smashing businesses, burning autos and tires plus vandalizing schools for girls (which the Taliban opposes).

There were also widespread protests in Pakistan over the weekend but no violence or deaths have been attributed to the Muslim mobs responding to the Quran burning in that country.

Both US President Barack Obama and UN Secretary General Ban ki-Moon condemned the violence but also referred to the burning of the Quran in Florida as an act of:

“Extreme intolerance and bigotry.”

Pastor Terry Jones responded to critics of the Quran burning by saying that the whole religion of Islam should be held accountable for the violence:

“Islam is not a religion of peace. Muslim dominated countries can no longer be allowed to spread their hate against Christians and minorities.

“They must alter the laws that govern their countries to allow for individual freedoms and rights, such as the right to worship, free speech, and to move freely without fear of being attacked or killed.”

Response: We agree with the President, the unfortunate Quran burning was an act of  “extreme intolerance and bigotry.” Plus it never should have happened.  However, the act is not a valid or moral excuse for all of the violence or killing.

Pastor Jones had been warned that violence would be the results and probably many folks would die if he chose to carry through with his threat to burn a Quran. Therefore the largest weight of moral responsibility for the deaths really should be his.

Islam in the Middle East is what it is. The fact that many Muslims are intolerant of other religions and many countries in the Middle East do not allow freedom of religion for Christians and others is a problem which will only be exacerbated by the actions of pastor Jones and his ‘church’.

Meanwhile, all of the goodwill that has been fostered over the last few years by allied troops freeing the Afghani people from the extreme rule of the Taliban seems to now have been wasted with thousands now seemingly supporting the Taliban and proclaiming ‘down with America’. This turn of events can also be blamed squarely upon Pastor Jones.             *Top

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                                                (Image via Wikipedia)

AFGHANISTAN: An Afghan physiotherapist will be executed soon for converting to Christianity. A judge recently told him that he would be hanged within days unless he converted back to Islam.

Said Musa, 45, has been held in a prison in Kabul for the last 8 months where he claims that he has been tortured and abused even sexually by inmates and guards.

Nevertheless Said remains resolute and refuses to reconvert to Islam. He says that he is more than willing to die for his faith:

‘My body is theirs to do what they want with.

‘Only God can decide if my spirit goes to hell.’

Musa’s case has been legally problematic from the beginning since no defense lawyers will take his case due to on-going threats made by radical Muslims.

Mr. Musa has worked for the Red Cross for 15 years helping to treat fellow amputees. He lost his left leg in a landmine explosion in the 1990s.

Response: This really is crazy. Most Americans really do not understand how backward and radical Afghanistan really is when it comes to Islamic law. Meanwhile American and Western soldiers continue to die for a corrupt government that will never become any kind of democracy and a people who don’t really want it.

According to the Afghan constitution there is suppose to be freedom of religion in that country but also according to the same constitution Islamic Sharia Law supersedes and overrides any of the other laws in the country rendering ‘freedom of religion’ as really a very sad joke.

While we have soldiers in the country propping up this corrupt regime the least we could expect and demand is for the constitutional rights we helped them to pen to be honored in some way. At the very least Mr. Musa should be allowed to leave the country.

In the mean time we should be praying for this Christian brother and issuing complaints to our Congressional representatives.            *Top             

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(Afghan Emblem via Wikipedia)

An Afghan Christian, Said Musa, was arrested and has been in jail for months for converting to Christianity from Islam.

Afghan officials announced on Sunday that his case would be tried this week sometime. Musa could be facing a  potential death penalty for becoming a Christian.

The Afghan Constitution supposedly supports freedom of religion. However, since it doesn’t specifically mention conversion from one religion to another Afghan officials said that they will rely upon Sharia law in trying this case. According to Islamic law any Muslim converting to another religion is subject to the death penalty.

This will be the second such case to come up in Afghanistan within the last 5 years. In the last case the Christian was sentenced to death but allowed to leave the country and immigrate to Italy after the case was publicized in the Western press and protests followed from nearly every Western government.

Response: This is one of those situations that call into question why we have tens of thousands of soldiers in that country supporting a government that continues to discriminate against minority religions.

Last week the U.S. State Department in its annual International Religious Freedom Report indicated that “respect for religious freedom” had actually decreased in Afghanistan during the last year, “particularly toward Christian groups and individuals.”

You would think that we would have at least some influence in that country for the better but that doesn’t seem to be the case. It will be interesting to follow what happens to Mr. Musa. In the meantime we should remember him in our prayers. Christians are not treated all that well in Afghan jails.               *Top of the Blog

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