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May 20, 2005 |
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PROTESTS AND ANGER IN THE MUSLIM WORLD AND WASHINGTON TRIES TO CALM DOWN THE SITUATION. THE SAUDI SHOURA COUNCIL AND THE GRAND MUFTI CALL ON THE AMERICAN AUTHORITIES TO CONDUCT INVESTIGATIONS TO UNVEIL THE TRUTH. THE GCC AND THE ARAB LEAGUE CONDEMN THE DESECRATION OF THE HOLY QURAN. RICE: DISRESPECT FOR THE HOLY QURAN IS NOT NOW, NOR HAS IT EVER BEEN, NOR WILL IT EVER BE, TOLERATED BY THE UNITED STATES. NEWSWEEK MAGAZINE APOLOGIZES AND THE WHITE HOUSE CONDEMNS WHAT IT PUBLISHED. The Saudi government urged the US to carry out a rapid inquiry, saying that if the allegations were found to be true, measures should be taken to dissuade against any similar incident in the future. "(Riyadh) calls on the competent authorities to implement a swift inquiry into the cases," a Foreign Ministry source said. "If the cases turn out to be true, the Saudi government underlines the necessity of taking dissuasive measures... against those responsible (for the desecration) to prevent its repetition and to respect Muslims' feelings around the world." The official source at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that the Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is following with great concern and is upset about the news circulated by the information media that the sanctity of the holy Quran has been breached during several cases at Guantanamo camp in Cuba. Urging the concerned U.S. authorities to initiate a prompt investigation into these cases, the Government of the Kingdom reiterates that, if proved true, it would become important that deterring measures should be taken to charge those held responsible in a way that prevents its repetition and respects the feelings of Muslims all over the world, the source added. Protests and anger against the alleged desecration of the Holy Quran by US interrogators at Guantanamo Bay spread across the Muslim world, with nine Afghans dying in fresh violence and protesters rallying in Pakistan and Indonesia. According to Newsweek magazine US interrogators defiled copies of the holy book to rattle Muslim prisoners. In Pakistan, a key ally in what the United States calls a war on terrorism, hundreds of protesters burned US flags and effigies of President George W. Bush to vent their anger over the allegations, witnesses said. Demonstrators in several cities demanded the US government punish those involved in the reported desecration. About 6,000 Afghan refugees also staged a demonstration in a camp near the conservative northwestern city of Peshawar, before dispersing peacefully. Demonstrators waving brightly colored banners and placards in the central city of Multan urged the US government to arrest and punish the culprits. In Lahore, hundreds of people protested and burned tires. During a rally in the port city of Karachi, a senior Muttaheda Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) member Mairajul Huda told protesters that people "should rise against the anti-Muslim policies of the United States." Hundreds of people protested in Islamabad also. Speaking in Sydney, Pakistani Foreign Minister Khurshid Mahmoud Kasuri called for severe punishment for any US soldiers proved to have been involved in any abuse of the Quran. "Even the worst enemy of the United States could not harm the image of the United States in the Muslim world as effectively as they've done if this is correct," he said. In Jakarta, hundreds of Indonesians staged a rally at a mosque against the alleged sacrilege. Muslim Arabs also expressed anger as Palestinians took to the streets in protest. In the Jabaliya refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip, around 2,000 demonstrators held aloft copies of the Quran and Hamas flags as they marched through the streets in a protest. Nizar Rayan, a Hamas political leader, said the demonstrators were outraged by "the profanation of the Quran by the enemies of God at Guantanamo, and by the Zionist enemies in the prison of occupation". In the city of Hebron in the southern West Bank, around 400 people protested the alleged incident in the US camp after attending prayers at the Tomb of the Patriarchs. In Iraq, Sunni and Shiite imams alike spoke out against the alleged desecration in their Friday sermons. "We condemn the desecrations of the Quran carried out by American soldiers at Guantanamo," said Sheikh Abdel Zahra Suyaidi, a follower of Shiite leader Moqtada Sadr. Sunni cleric Sheikh Ahmed Abdel Ghafur Al-Samarrai also complained against the shameful incident. The United States insisted that an inquiry into alleged desecration of the holy Quran by U.S. interrogators at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba would be carried out. White House spokesman Scott McClellan said the Bush administration takes the allegation "very seriously" and reaffirmed that the Defense Department has launched an investigation. "We want Muslims around the world to know that we share and understand the concerns that they have," he said. "One of the values that we hold most dearly here in the United States is religious freedom and the ability of people to be able to worship freely," McClellan told reporters. "As Secretary [of State Condoleezza] Rice made clear, disrespect for the Holy Quran is something that the United States will never tolerate." US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice used an appearance before a Senate committee to make a special statement to Muslims in America and across the world, and promise a full investigation. "Disrespect for the Holy Quran is not now, nor has it ever been, nor will it ever be, tolerated by the United States," she said. "Our military authorities are investigating these allegations fully," Rice said. "If they are proven true, we will take appropriate action. Respect for religious freedom for all individuals is one of the founding principles of the United States." She said that over the past few days the United States has heard from Muslims throughout the world about their concerns. Religious freedom and protection of a person's right to worship freely was one of the founding principles of the United States and something taken very seriously in the country, Rice said. "Guaranteeing religious rights is of great personal importance to the president and to me," she said. "We understand and share these concerns," Rice said. "Sadly, some people have lost their lives in violent demonstrations," she said. "I am asking that all our friends reject incitement to violence by those who would mischaracterize our intentions." U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, has described disrespect of the holy Quran "abhorrent" and pledged to punish offenders. The information media had reported the desecration of the Holy Quran at Guantanamo camp in Cuba. Rice used an appearance before a Senate committee today to issue a special opening statement addressed "directly to Muslims in America and throughout the world" on the reported incidents at the U.S. prison camp, according to international news agencies' report. The Shoura Council strongly condemned at its ordinary ninth session held in Riyadh under the chairmanship of its Chairman Sheikh Dr. Salih bin Abdullah bin Homaid the information circulated by the media that the sanctity of the holy Quran has been breached in several cases at Guantanamo camp in Cuba, U.S. The Shoura Council said, in a statement, that it was closely and with the utmost upset and frustration following the reports that the sanctity of the holy book was violated in the camp. The Council condemned in the strongest words this flagrant violation which is considered a hurt of Muslims feelings and a breach of their sanctuaries, recalling the status of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as home to Muslims first two holy places. The Shoura Council warned against tampering the feelings of vast Muslim peoples and urged for avoidance of being indulged in dispute among religions and of provoking the feelings of more than one billion Muslims. The Shoura Council also urged the U.S. concerned authorities to launch a prompt investigation in these cases, and requested that, if the claim proved true, it would become important that an apology should be issued and addressed to Muslims all over the world to avoid widening the pace of hatred between nations and religion-believers as well. Following the meeting, Dr. Salih bin Abdullah Almalik, the Secretary General of the Shoura Council, told the Saudi Press Agency that the council then resumed discussion of traffic bill. The meeting adjourned to resume discussion of the bill at a future session. The General Mufti and the Chairman of the Supreme Council of Ulema (Muslim Scholars) and the Department of Scientific Researches and Ifta, Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al Al-Sheikh, strongly condemned last night what has been reported by the U.S "Newsweek" magazine and circulated by information media about the desecration of copies of the Holy Quran, tearing down its pages and trampling it down in a military prison at Guantanmu Bay, Cuba. In a statement issued by him, Al Al-Sheikh said "the Holy Quran is the most sacred divine book for Muslims and has the greatest honor and respect among Muslims". He condemned this sacrilegious act and urged the in-charge officials to undertake urgent investigation so as to clarify the complete truth and punish offenders. The World Muslim League (WML) expressed the resentment of Muslims and Islamic organizations over the desecration of the Holy Quran in a military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, as reported by the U.S "Newsweek" magazine. In a statement issued on behalf of the League, MWL Secretary General Dr. Abdullah Al-Turki, demanded that the U.S. authorities clarify the truth and undertake investigations on this issue in terms of desecrating copies of the Holy Quran, tearing down its pages and trampling it down during interrogation of prisoners. "The WML, Islamic peoples and organizations are strongly condemning what has been circulated by the information media and stressing on undertaking urgent investigation so as to take deterrent measures to punish offenders and prevent the recurrence of this ugly incident," he said in the statement. The 22-nation Arab League also criticized the alleged desecration of Islam's holy book. "The Arab League asks if this news is correct that the U.S. administration deals with these accusations with the required seriousness and punish with the harshest possible penalty all those proven to have played a role in, or planned, such a crime," it said in a statement. The Secretariat General of the Riyadh-based Gulf Cooperation Council strongly condemned media reports that the sanctity of the holy Quran has been breached in several cases at Guantanamo camp in Cuba, U.S. In a statement issued, the GCC demanded that the strongest penalties should be imposed upon those held responsible for this shameful crime so that it would never be repeated and that the dignity of Muslims could be respected everywhere. The GCC also said such disgusting acts could feed up the spirit of hatred among religions and come contrary to the efforts being exerted by the world community to extend bridges of understanding and dialogue among religions and civilizations to achieve peace and security for all. Al-Azhar's Sheikh Dr. Mohammed Sayyid Tantawi has strongly condemned the desecration of the Holy Quran in the military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. In a message addressed to U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Dr. Tantawi called for an earnest and rapid investigation into this case. Mufti of the Republic of Egypt Dr. Ali Gomaa denounced the desecration of the Holy Quran by US soldiers in the Guantanamo Bay in Cuba. Gomaa, in a statement, said that such an act was an unforgivable crime against all divine religions. Muslims will never stand hand-folded regarding any desecration of their sanctities atop of which comes the Holy Quran, he stressed. Lebanon's top Sunni Muslim cleric called on Sunday for an international probe into a report that U.S. interrogators desecrated the Quran at a military prison camp in Cuba. "Every day, the United States commits new follies that deepen the hatred of the Islamic world toward it and still American officials say 'why do they hate us?'" Lebanon's Mufti Mohammed Rashid Qabbani said in a statement. "The United States must investigate the crime of desecrating the holy Koran through an international committee with the participation of Islamic countries to show it understands the danger of the crime carried out by its soldiers in Guantanamo detention centres, and bring down the severest punishments on them to prove its intentions towards Islam and Muslims." Lebanon's top Shi'ite Muslim cleric said the incident was part of a U.S. policy to breed hatred of Islam. "The desecration of the holy Quran in the terrifying Guantanamo detention centre that America created under the title of fighting terrorism against the Muslims who have been arbitrarily rounded up there, is one of the American methods of torture," Grand Ayatollah Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah said. "This is not an isolated act carried out by an American soldier but is part of an American programme...of contempt for Islam, to disfigure its image in the minds of Americans." The Islamic Education, Science and Culture Organization has condemned the desecration of the Holy Quran in the military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and in Iraq where copies of the Holy Quran with crosses drawn on them by the US forces were found recently in some areas. In a statement, the organization called for a concerted international and Islamic stand to demand bringing those who committed this crime to justice. Several thousand Palestinians marched through a Gaza refugee camp to protest against the alleged desecration of the holy Quran in a military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Reuters reported. Several hundred Palestinians in the West Bank city of Hebron also marched in protest. Israeli soldiers looked on during the demonstration but did not intervene. The Government of Bangladesh strongly condemned, in a statement issued by its foreign ministry, the information circulated by the media that the sanctity of the holy Quran has been desecrated in several cases at Guantanamo camp in Cuba, U.S. The Bangladeshi Foreign Ministry said it has seen with deep concern the reports that the sanctity of the holy book was violated in the camp. The statement condemned in the strongest words this flagrant violation which is considered a hurt of Muslims feelings and a breach of their sanctuaries. Bangladesh hopes that those responsible should be brought to justice, the statement said, adding that the behavior is a sacrilegious attack on Muslims faith. Earlier, Muslims in Spain also condemned the event, saying that the U.S. has no power of investigation in the incident as is has granted its officials full immunity in the aftermath of Abu-Ghareeb prison scandal in Iraq. Yemen's Shoura Council has strongly condemned the desecration of the Holy Quran in the military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. In a session, the Council called for taking all punitive measures against perpetrators of these heinous acts. The U.S. Consul General in Jeddah Jina Apir Crompi Wenestanly disclosed that the U.S. administration is still conducting strict investigations into the holy Quran defiling incident at Guantanamo Bay prison, Cuba, U.S.A. despite the retract of the Newsweek magazine and its doubts in the accuracy of the report it has published last week and said the U.S. would punish whoever found involved in this insult if proved to have happened. She emphasized the U.S. administration's position rejecting such devastating behavior, confirming its respect for the freedom of faith as integral part of the United States of America's principles of human rights respect. The disclosure came during a meeting between the U.S. official and the Secretary General of the Jeddah-based Organization of Islamic Conference Akmaluddin Ihsan Oglu during which she conveyed to him a message from the U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. On his part, Oglu demanded the U.S. administration to expedite investigations and present their findings in complete transparency to the Islamic and international public opinion and bring those who proved to be responsible to justice. Newsweek magazine backed away Sunday from a report that U.S. interrogators desecrated copies of the holy Quran while questioning prisoners at the Guantanamo Bay naval base -- an account blamed for sparking violent riots in Afghanistan and elsewhere. At least 15 people were killed and dozens injured last week when thousands of demonstrators marched in Afghanistan and other parts of the Muslim world, CNN quoted officials and eyewitnesses as saying. "We regret that we got any part of our story wrong, and extend our sympathies to victims of the violence and to the U.S. soldiers caught in its midst," Newsweek Editor Mark Whitaker wrote in the magazine's May 23 issue, out Sunday. The Newsweek magazine has apologized in this week's issue for publishing a report which indicated that some investigators at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, U.S. have defiled the holy Quran during investigations to coerce Muslim detainees into giving information. Editor Mark Whitaker said, in an interview with the Washington Post, that the story was based on information from a "senior U.S. government official" who can no longer verify claims that U.S. military investigators in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, had flushed a Quran down a toilet. "There had been previous reports about the Quran being defiled, but they always seemed to be rumors or allegations made by sources without evidence. The fact that a knowledgeable source in the U.S. government was telling us the government itself had knowledge of this was newsworthy," Whitaker told the paper. The magazine also apologized that it was depending on a sole source of information, noting that it has tried to reach officials of the U.S. Defense Department to confirm or deny the report but one of them declined to comment on the allegations and another was skeptical about the accuracy of further information in the magazine's report without mentioning the holy Quran's incident. The magazine also expressed regret for protests and demonstrations triggered by its report in the Islamic world and extended condolences to families of victims who were killed in riots in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Newsweek magazine issued a retraction Monday of a May 9 report on the alleged desecration of the holy Quran at the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, CNN reported today. "Based on what we know now, we are retracting our original story that an internal military investigation had uncovered Quran abuse at Guantanamo Bay," Newsweek Editor Mark Whitaker said in a statement. This followed remarks earlier in the day from Bush administration officials who called for a full retraction. In an interview on the PBS "Newshour" Monday night, Whitaker said the problem stemmed from "one detail." "There were other elements in this story that people are not concerned about," he told PBS. "This is the one detail everyone is concerned about, and we are prepared to retract that." Senior White House officials applauded Newsweek's decision to retract the story but said the magazine will have to do more to repair the damage done. "It's a good first step," said White House press secretary Scott McClellan. McClellan said the magazine now has a responsibility to spread the word to the Muslim world that U.S. interrogators "treat the Quran with great care and respect." Another official said it will take a sustained effort by Newsweek to "mitigate the fallout," also calling on the magazine to take steps to spread the word about its retraction to Muslims worldwide. CNN confirmed at least four deaths last week stemming from riots in Jalalabad, Afghanistan. Newsweek reported rioting in Afghanistan and "throughout much of the Muslim world" last week had "cost at least 15 lives." Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said the flap was a reminder that people "need to be very careful about what they say." "People are dead, and that's unfortunate," Rumsfeld told reporters. "People need to be very careful about what they say just as people need to be careful about what they do." U.S. State Department spokesman Richard Boucher chided the magazine before Monday's retraction, saying "one would expect more than the kind of correction we've seen so far." |
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