Commander in Chief should apologize for the desecration of the Quran

Copy of the Quran from Thomas Jefferson's library collection

One of our US Army generals apologized to the people of Iraq for the action of one of the soldiers who used the Quran as a shooting target. The apology was accepted by the leaders of the Iraqi district where this incident occurred. 

Desecrating the Quran or religious symbol is nothing new in the Pentagon as the events during the last several years suggest that there have been enough incidents showing a pattern of actions against the Quran and dehumanizing Muslim prisoners. At the prison camp in Guantanamo Bay, the Quran and its pages were flushed in the toilet. In another incident some officials stomped on the Quran and tore down its pages.

The disturbing pattern clearly indicates that the US Army has many in its staff who view Islam as anti-Christ or an enemy of civilization as many Evangelical leaders propagate in their churches on a weekly basis. It is not a surprise to find many of the US Army chaplains representing known evangelical leaders such as Pat Robertson, John Hagee and Franklin Graham.

Obviously, many in the US Army see them as crusaders rather than soldiers of an army that is built on the resources of a people who include people of all faiths as well as atheists and pagans. What is being done to the Quran is against the constitution and against the values our country that it stands for.

If this administration is serious about promoting a better understanding with the Muslim world, it is important that the Commander in Chief of the US Military apologize to the American Muslims as well as Muslims around the world for this behavior on the part of some US soldiers.

As Muslim Americans, we also apologize to the Muslim world for this action on the part of our army soldiers. We should have done more to educate various branches of our government about Islam and Muslims. As Muslims we realize the nature of hurt and pain the entire Muslim world feels at these sorts of actions.

However, our apology is not enough, unless our Commander in Chief assures the world that US Army or any of its branches or recruits would not be used to promote hatred against any religion or people.

Flushing the Quran in the toilet or using it as a shooting target would not diminish the value of the Quran in the minds of billions of those who view the Quran as the words of the divine revealed through Prophet Muhammad to humanity for the last time. However, these incidents show the nature of hatred that has overtaken the hearts and minds of many of those who are entrusted with the responsibility of defending the interests of a multi-ethnic and multi-cultural, religiously plural society.

As Muslim Americans, we must ensure that our civil institutions do not get entrapped in this malice of hatred on the part of a few who represent special interest groups who have nothing but hatred against anyone and everyone that is different from them.

You can express your opinion at the White House link below.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/interactive/interact_1.html

Please remember that Islamic etiquettes teaches to always use polite and the best language in communication.

Dr. Aslam Abdullah is Editor-in-Chief of the Muslim Observer, director of the Islamic society of Nevada, Las Vegas and acting president of the Muslim Council of America, a Washington-based newly formed groups of Muslim activists.