The Quran is more than a book to Muslims
Sunday, May 22, 2005
By AREF ASSAF
SPECIAL TO THE HERALD NEWS
After what could have been an unavoidable calamity, it is often said, "damage
has been done because we can't reverse what occurred." This is so true of the
bloody and volatile international flap over the story in Newsweek about
desecrating the Quran, the Holy Book for over 1 billion Muslims.
Newsweek ran a sensational charge based on an anonymous source that turned out
to be false. It may be unfair to blame the subsequent violence and diplomatic
controversy entirely on Newsweek, it's reasonable, however, to argue that
credulous reporting like this contributed to a climate in which many innocent
Muslims needlessly died. It is also a further reminder of the pivotal role our
media plays in not only reporting on world events but also shaping them.
Newsweek was right to retract the Quran story - mainly because the magazine
claimed to have "sources" for the information, when Newsweek's subsequent
descriptions of how it acquired the story mention only a single source. But it's
far from clear that Newsweek's source was inaccurate in saying that U.S.
investigators had uncovered abuse of a Quran in the course of a recent
investigation; similar allegations have repeatedly been made by former
Guantanamo prisoners (The Washington Post, March 26, 2003; London Guardian, Dec.
3, 2003; Daily Mirror, March 12, 20004; New York Times, May 1; and the BBC, May
2).
Repeated denials by the American military that such incidents have occurred mean
little; when any government holds prisoners in violation of international law
and denies them access to independent counsel or human rights groups, assertions
by that government about how the prisoners are being treated can be given little
weight. Eric Saar, a former U.S. Army sergeant who served as a translator at
Guantanamo, has accused the Pentagon of engaging in organized efforts there to
deceive outsiders: Citing a new book by Saar, The Washington Post reported
(April 29) that "the U.S. military staged the interrogations of terrorism
suspects for members of Congress and other officials visiting the military
prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to make it appear the government was obtaining
valuable intelligence."
Objectively, the negative reaction of Muslims at all societal levels to the
Newsweek story, and their reluctance to credit the magazine's retraction, should
not have been a surprise in the West - and yet there is every indication of
Western shock. This reaction can only be explained by the West's stubborn and
widespread belief that Muslims have no legitimate complaints about Western
actions.
A Christian friend of mine could not believe the fury over "the simple act" of
flushing a copy of the Quran down a toilet and why Muslims went crazy over the
news." He related to me that Christians take the Holy Bible into the bathroom,
burn it, write on it, read it after having gone to the bathroom or engaged in
sexual intercourse. All these scenarios would prohibit any practicing Muslims
from even touching the Quran, let alone read from it. What many people do not
know is that to Muslims, the Quran is the Word of God and not simply a narration
of certain events and good advice. As the Word of God, the Quran is an eternal
manifestation of God. The Quran is to Muslims as Jesus is to Christians. Clearly
defined protocols are provided for handling the Book, reciting from it and
respect thereof... To use the Quran as a torture tool and in the purported
fashion is thus seen as an affront to Islam and its believers.
It has been repeatedly said - including by Newsweek in its initial apology -
that the magazine's source erred in saying the Quran incident was contained in a
report for the Pentagon's Southern Command. In fact, the original report said
the incident was "expected" to be in the report - an expectation that could have
easily been altered by the fact that the explosive allegation became public.
Popular reaction to the Newsweek story shows the extent to which the everyday
lives of Muslims is dominated by their faith. Demonstrations occurred
spontaneously around the world, showing the immediate and powerful impact a
perceived slight to an Islamic sanctity has among ordinary people. Nonetheless,
the intensity and extent of the popular reaction suggests that it would be
incorrect to assume that only those who support Islamist leaders like Osama
bin-Laden viewed the episode as an attack on the Islamic faith. I am deeply
troubled as a Muslim by the Muslims world's readiness to take at face value, and
without reflection, accusations of intentional U.S. and Western offenses against
Islam. I am equally troubled by the yellow journalism - void of ethical and
societal responsibilities - which has violated the sanctity of its professional
oath.
Aref Assaf is the president of American Arab forum of New Jersey.
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