Worse than Abu Ghraib
taxirevolution
The desecration of the Quran is a far worse insult to Islam and Arabs
than even the indignities suffered by Iraqis at the hands of American
troops in Abu Ghraib, writes Muqtader Khan*
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The reports in the media that Americans at Guantanamo facility
allegedly desecrated the Quran to torture prisoners has unleashed an
intense wave of anti-Americanism in the Muslim world, which has already
caused 16 deaths. This is worse than Abu Ghraib; Abu Ghraib represents
the physical and psychological torture of a few Muslims, Quran
desecration represents a spiritual, emotional and psychological torture
of all Muslims. Even if it turns out that The Newsweek report was
false, most people will see it as a cover up and another American
attempt to eschew accountability.
For Muslims the Quran is the literal word of God, it is the living and
eternal miracle of Prophet Mohamed, it is their direct link to the
divine, it is the source of their faith, their values, their identity
and it is without doubt the most important symbol of their religion.
Americans, who have a rather cavalier attitude towards things
religious, may not understand this, but for Muslims things that are
sacred are indeed sacred.
The US government has allocated hundreds of millions of dollars to
improve the US image in the Muslim world, commissioning initiatives
that include radio programmes, Satellite TV, youth magazines and civil
society empowerment programmes. But all the gains from these expensive
initiatives are dramatically undermined by a periodic display of
civilisational insensitivity that reeks of acute disregard for Muslim
sentiments.
The use of the word "Crusades" by President George W Bush to describe
his war on terror, the continuous revelations about the torture and
abuse of Muslim prisoners in Abu Ghraib, Iraq and Guantanamo, Cuba, the
reluctance to punish General Boykin for his Islamophobic bigotry are
examples of how periodically the US government seeks to remind Muslims
of its callous attitudes towards their rights and their religion.
The thing that hurts the most is that while there is verbal recognition
of these problems there is no accountability. In a testimony to the
Senate and House Armed Services Committee on 7 May, 2004, Secretary of
Defense Donald Rumsfeld said that he took "full responsibility" for
what happened in Abu Ghraib. One would have thought that a resignation
letter would follow. Nothing happened. It is still a mystery as to what
he meant by "full responsibility". I have since met several leaders
from the Muslim world and media persons who have remarked that
Rumsfeld's words are just indicative of how empty and meaningless are
the current administration's respect for religion, law and human
rights.
To many Muslims the Quran desecration episode, regardless of Newsweek
's retraction which lacks much credibility in the Muslim world, is
another deeply aggravating example of how the US has made Islam and
Muslim religiosity a target in its so-called war on terror. It is now
being revealed that several prisoners, both in Iraq and in Guantanamo,
have made allegations of Quran desecration. To many Muslims the
allegations of Quran desecration is consistent with their image of the
US as an anti-Islam force. It will take more than a retraction and
another empty "Pentagon enquiry" to ameliorate the anger, the hatred
and the disgust towards the US that is now felt widely in the Muslim
world.
It is amazing that the editors at the Newsweek magazine expressed
surprise at the reactions from the Muslim world. Their ignorance about
the religiosity of a people they report on frequently is amazing. Don't
they have Muslims on their staff that they could consult? The level of
ignorance extant combined with unwillingness to develop deeper
understanding of Muslim cultures and Islam by many US officials and
those in the media who cover the Muslim world is reaching criminal
proportions. The ramifications of mistakes such as this one, even if it
is proven that ultimately the report was a false one, will take a long
time to rectify. Perhaps Newsweek should dedicate a special issue to
celebrate the Quran and the deep devotion that Muslims hold for it.
Their reckless reporting has already caused 16 deaths and may cause
more in the future.
This is a very serious issue and it is important that American
leadership, the media and the civil society react with sensitivity.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has set the right tone when she
expressed that "disrespect for the Holy Quran is something that the
United States will never tolerate." Condemnations for Quran desecration
and expressions of respect for Islam and Muslims must come from all
sections of the society. Perhaps it is time for President Bush to step
up to the plate and acknowledge that he has been soft on Islamophobes
in his military. His refusal to take stern and firm actions against
innumerable violations by the Pentagon has in a way encouraged a
culture of insensitivity and even malice towards Islam and Muslims in
some sections of the Defense Department. To blame Newsweek alone will
not remedy the damage done to US-Muslim relations and to US image in
the rest of the world.
* The writer is a non-resident fellow at the Brookings Institution and
teaches at Adrian College. He is the author of American Muslims:
Bridging Faith and Freedom (www.ijtihad.org).
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