U.S. soldier uses Quran for target practice

[Death from the Sea]

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- A soldier used the Quran -- Islam's holy book -- for target practice, forcing the chief U.S. commander in Baghdad to issue a formal apology on Saturday.
art.iraq.quran.cnn.jpg

Maj. Gen. Jeffery Hammond apologizes after a soldier admitted using the Quran for target practice.

Maj. Gen. Jeffery Hammond, commander of U.S. forces in Baghdad, apologized to leaders in Radhwaniya, in the western outskirts of Baghdad, for the staff sergeant who was a sniper section leader assigned to the headquarters of the 64th Armored Regiment. He also read a letter of apology by the shooter.

It was the first time the incident -- which tested the relationship between U.S.-backed Sunni militiamen and the military -- was made public since it was discovered May 11.

"I come before you here seeking your forgiveness," Hammond said to tribal leaders and others at the apology ceremony. "In the most humble manner I look in your eyes today and I say please forgive me and my soldiers."

Another military official kissed a Quran and presented is as "a humble gift" to the tribal leaders.

The soldier, whose name was not released, shot at a Quran on May 9, villagers said. The Quran used in the incident was discovered two days later, according to the military.

Hammond also read from the shooter's letter: "I sincerely hope that my actions have not diminished the partnership that our two nations have developed together. ... My actions were shortsighted, very reckless and irresponsible, but in my heart [the actions] were not malicious."

A tribal leader said "the criminal act by U.S. forces" took place at a shooting range at the Radhwaniya police station. After the shooters left, an Iraqi policeman found a target marked in the middle of the bullet-riddled Quran.

Copies of the pictures of the Quran obtained by CNN show multiple bullet holes and an expletive scrawled on one of its pages.

A military investigation found the shooter guilty and relieved him of duty; he will be redeployed to the United States for reassignment away from the 1st Brigade of the 4th Infantry Division, a U.S. official said.

"The actions of one soldier were nothing more than criminal behavior," Hammond said. "I've come to this land to protect you, to support you -- not to harm you -- and the behavior of this soldier was nothing short of wrong and unacceptable."

Officials said the soldier claimed he wasn't aware the book was the Quran. U.S. officials rejected the claim.

Tribal leaders, dignitaries and local security officials attended the ceremony, while residents carried banners and chanted slogans, including "Yes, yes to the Quran" and "America out, out."

Sheikh Hamadi al-Qirtani, in a speech on behalf of all tribal sheiks of Radhwaniya, called the incident "aggression against the entire Islamic world."

The Association of Muslim Scholars in Iraq also condemned the shooter's actions and the U.S. military's belated acknowledgment of the incident.

"As the Association of Muslim Scholars condemns this heinous crime against God's holy book, the Constitution of this nation, a source of pride and dignity," the groups statement said, "they condemned the silence by all those who are part of the occupation's agenda and holds the occupation and the current government fully responsible for this violation and reminds everyone that God preserves his book and he [God] is a great avenger."

Great. Some individual moron causing more problems, I am sure radical Islam will take this and run with this even more, claiming this should be responded to with more bloodshed.

[Kitsune]

Its a Frackin book.....get over it

[Ritterin Sophia]

What the fuck? I use the free Bibles I get as target practice too.

[Singular Intellect]

Jeez, guess how much people would've reacted if the book in question had been, say, a book about cooking, or how to train your dog.

If you guessed "No one would've given a shit", you guessed right.

But oh no, it's a religious book therefore it must be treated as something special!

[Singular Intellect]

Some individual moron causing more problems, I am sure radical Islam will take this and run with this even more, claiming this should be responded to with more bloodshed.

Because as everyone knows, if a group of people make threats of bloodly violence for silly things like free speech or lack of respect for their stupid believes, the best thing to do is grovel and beg forgiveness, right?

[KlavoHunter]

Some individual moron causing more problems, I am sure radical Islam will take this and run with this even more, claiming this should be responded to with more bloodshed.

Because as everyone knows, if a group of people make threats of bloodly violence for silly things like free speech or lack of respect for their stupid believes, the best thing to do is grovel and beg forgiveness, right?

Well, see, it's just not kosher any more to tell them to fuck off, and then machinegun them when they *DO* break into violence over a book.

[Lord of the Abyss]

Jeez, guess how much people would've reacted if the book in question had been, say, a book about cooking, or how to train your dog.

If you guessed "No one would've given a shit", you guessed right.

But oh no, it's a religious book therefore it must be treated as something special!

On the other hand, if the people complaining about shooting the Quran had shot an American flag, plenty of Americans would've freaked out if they heard about it, despite the flag being just a symbol. Let's not pretend that we're collectively that much more rational about the treatment of symbols.

[Kitsune]

I am probably more conservative than most on this board but I will not support any attempt to protect the American flag. I might say something personally just like I might say something to someone shooting a Bible or Quran.

But still, get over it......

[KlavoHunter]

On the other hand, if the people complaining about shooting the Quran had shot an American flag, plenty of Americans would've freaked out if they heard about it, despite the flag being just a symbol. Let's not pretend that we're collectively that much more rational about the treatment of symbols.

Why don't we hear about 'plenty of Americans' freaking out every time a bunch of Middle-Easterners protest in front of an American embassy, burning American flags, among other forms of desecration?

[Wicked Pilot]

In most circumstances I too would fall under the 'fuck it, it's a shitty book' opinion. But the fact remains that we're in their country, uninvited, and over there such action is unacceptable and should be treated as such.

[ArmorPierce]

What wicked pilot said. In addition I get the feeling that the one responsible is a bible thumping redneck idiot.

[Death from the Sea]

Some individual moron causing more problems, I am sure radical Islam will take this and run with this even more, claiming this should be responded to with more bloodshed.

Because as everyone knows, if a group of people make threats of bloodly violence for silly things like free speech or lack of respect for their stupid believes, the best thing to do is grovel and beg forgiveness, right?

yeah, that is unfortunately how things seem to work these days.

I know the UCMJ can be used pretty much how ever the govt wants to burn troops but this

A military investigation found the shooter guilty and relieved him of duty; he will be redeployed

makes me wonder what they found him guilty of and what other consequences were dealt to him.

And surely this is not the first incidence of this ever, where someone used something "sacred" for target practice.

[Sriad]

Jeez, guess how much people would've reacted if the book in question had been, say, a book about cooking, or how to train your dog.

If you guessed "No one would've given a shit", you guessed right.

But oh no, it's a religious book therefore it must be treated as something special!

A large group of people invest that particular book with hella symbolic value. We don't have to agree that that value is real or even directly relevant to us, but unless you're FUCKING DENSE it should be taken into account that it's relevant to that group of people, whose country we happen to be occupying, and who we want to stop killing each-other/us. It is, therefore, probably best if the alleged peace keepers avoid utterly gratuitous provocation. The "let sleeping dogs lie" principle.

If you or I (and here I'm assuming you aren't deployed in Iraq) want to burn a ten foot pile of Qurans, it is absolutely our right to do so and absolutely the duty of our government to protect us from freedom-hating assticks. But when someone whose job it is to TRY to keep a fucking lid on things engages in such behavior, he ISN'T DOING HIS JOB.

[Singular Intellect]

A large group of people invest that particular book with hella symbolic value. We don't have to agree that that value is real or even directly relevant to us, but unless you're FUCKING DENSE it should be taken into account that it's relevant to that group of people, whose country we happen to be occupying, and who we want to stop killing each-other/us. It is, therefore, probably best if the alleged peace keepers avoid utterly gratuitous provocation. The "let sleeping dogs lie" principle.

If you or I (and here I'm assuming you aren't deployed in Iraq) want to burn a ten foot pile of Qurans, it is absolutely our right to do so and absolutely the duty of our government to protect us from freedom-hating assticks. But when someone whose job it is to TRY to keep a fucking lid on things engages in such behavior, he ISN'T DOING HIS JOB.

Feel free to point out where any military soldier (or in this case American one) is obligated (via his job description) to respect religious beliefs.

[Singular Intellect]

Jeez, guess how much people would've reacted if the book in question had been, say, a book about cooking, or how to train your dog.

If you guessed "No one would've given a shit", you guessed right.

But oh no, it's a religious book therefore it must be treated as something special!

On the other hand, if the people complaining about shooting the Quran had shot an American flag, plenty of Americans would've freaked out if they heard about it, despite the flag being just a symbol. Let's not pretend that we're collectively that much more rational about the treatment of symbols.

You're simply pointing out that America has more than it's share of utter fucking idiots as well, which doesn't negate the stupidity of the situation.

[General Zod]

Feel free to point out where any military soldier (or in this case American one) is obligated (via his job description) to respect religious beliefs.

Soldiers are supposed to behave in a professional manner. Mocking religious beliefs in a way that gets out like this is not behaving professionally, and causes needless strife and conflict with a nation we might have tenuous relations at best with. Like it or not soldiers are representatives of their countries when they're out and about and need to behave as such.

[chitoryu12]

A large group of people invest that particular book with hella symbolic value. We don't have to agree that that value is real or even directly relevant to us, but unless you're FUCKING DENSE it should be taken into account that it's relevant to that group of people, whose country we happen to be occupying, and who we want to stop killing each-other/us. It is, therefore, probably best if the alleged peace keepers avoid utterly gratuitous provocation. The "let sleeping dogs lie" principle.

If you or I (and here I'm assuming you aren't deployed in Iraq) want to burn a ten foot pile of Qurans, it is absolutely our right to do so and absolutely the duty of our government to protect us from freedom-hating assticks. But when someone whose job it is to TRY to keep a fucking lid on things engages in such behavior, he ISN'T DOING HIS JOB.

Feel free to point out where any military soldier (or in this case American one) is obligated (via his job description) to respect religious beliefs.

Because when you're in a land full of people who want some excuse to scatter your brains across the sand, the best thing to do is not to do the equivilant of mooning them with a bullseye painted on your ass.

[Lord of the Abyss]

On the other hand, if the people complaining about shooting the Quran had shot an American flag, plenty of Americans would've freaked out if they heard about it, despite the flag being just a symbol. Let's not pretend that we're collectively that much more rational about the treatment of symbols.

Why don't we hear about 'plenty of Americans' freaking out every time a bunch of Middle-Easterners protest in front of an American embassy, burning American flags, among other forms of desecration?

What, you've never heard right wingers rant and rave about that sort of thing ? Admittedly, they rant and rave about nearly everything, but the point is that we have plenty of people with the same mentality right here.

[Patrick Degan]

Feel free to point out where any military soldier (or in this case American one) is obligated (via his job description) to respect religious beliefs.

It's called "promoting good will among the occupied populace".

[Edi]

Some individual moron causing more problems, I am sure radical Islam will take this and run with this even more, claiming this should be responded to with more bloodshed.

Because as everyone knows, if a group of people make threats of bloodly violence for silly things like free speech or lack of respect for their stupid believes, the best thing to do is grovel and beg forgiveness, right?

yeah, that is unfortunately how things seem to work these days.

I know the UCMJ can be used pretty much how ever the govt wants to burn troops but this

A military investigation found the shooter guilty and relieved him of duty; he will be redeployed

makes me wonder what they found him guilty of and what other consequences were dealt to him.

And surely this is not the first incidence of this ever, where someone used something "sacred" for target practice.

At a guess, reckless endangerment of the mission, endangering the rest of his unit, acting against standing orders ("do not unnecessarily provoke the local populace" etc) and whatever else you feel like dumping on him in the same vein.

[Flagg]

On the other hand, if the people complaining about shooting the Quran had shot an American flag, plenty of Americans would've freaked out if they heard about it, despite the flag being just a symbol. Let's not pretend that we're collectively that much more rational about the treatment of symbols.

Why don't we hear about 'plenty of Americans' freaking out every time a bunch of Middle-Easterners protest in front of an American embassy, burning American flags, among other forms of desecration?

What, you've never heard right wingers rant and rave about that sort of thing ? Admittedly, they rant and rave about nearly everything, but the point is that we have plenty of people with the same mentality right here.

Yeah, you're gonna have to do a bit more than that to get Americans to get off of their lazy asses for anything more than going to work or Wal-Mart and actually demonstrate. Really, I would say the American equivalent is the angry racist bumper sticker on the tailgate.

Like this.

[Edi]

Why don't we hear about 'plenty of Americans' freaking out every time a bunch of Middle-Easterners protest in front of an American embassy, burning American flags, among other forms of desecration?

What, you've never heard right wingers rant and rave about that sort of thing ? Admittedly, they rant and rave about nearly everything, but the point is that we have plenty of people with the same mentality right here.

Yeah, you're gonna have to do a bit more than that to get Americans to get off of their lazy asses for anything more than going to work or Wal-Mart and actually demonstrate. Really, I would say the American equivalent is the angry racist bumper sticker on the tailgate.

Like this.

All you have to do is burn the American flag in sight of them or piss on it and shout a few anti-American slogans and you'll need police protection to avoid being lynched. Your country may not be as religiously insane as fanatical Muslims are, though you have plenty of religious fuckwits of your own, but your country is just as bad about jingoism as those fanatical Muslims are about Islam.

[Netko]

As usual, the Top Gear american adventure is the perfect example of redneck stupidity concerning symbols.

[The Vortex Empire]

Why did the soldier think that shooting a Quran while in the Middle East could possibly be a good idea? I don't have a problem with the act itself, but if we're trying to get better relations with these people, that's not helping.

[CmdrWilkens]

Feel free to point out where any military soldier (or in this case American one) is obligated (via his job description) to respect religious beliefs.

From the Oath of Enlistment:

I, (NAME), do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God.

You see the part about orders of the "officers appointed over me." That's the obligation right there, by job description no less, to respect religious beliefs in so far as it is ordered with regards to the mission.