| Another shameful act: U.S. sniper shoots at Holy Qur'an | ||||||
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By Emma Sabry Another shameful act has been committed by a U.S. soldier in war-torn Iraq that wasn't given much attention by the mainstream media. According to the BBC, an American soldier has been sent home from Iraq after using a copy of the Holy Qur'an for target practice at a shooting range near Baghdad in a disgraceful act that angered local tribesmen and prompted the U.S. army to issue a formal apology. Iraqi police found the Muslim Holy book riddled with bullet holes last week. Offensive graffiti has also been scrawled on the inside cover, a U.S. military spokesman said, adding that an investigation was launched after the discovery. "Coalition commanders have since briefed local leaders on the results of the investigation and expressed their deep regret. They have also undertaken disciplinary action against the soldier who was involved and he has been removed from Iraq," the spokesman said, without identifying the soldier, who was reportedly a staff sergeant in a sniper section. The U.S. military spokesman Colonel Bill Buckner denounced the incident as "both serious and deeply troubling", but he said that it was an "isolated incident and a result of one soldier's actions". The U.S. army's commander in Baghdad, Major-General Jeffery Hammond, also made a personal apology to local Sunni Arab leaders in Radwaniya, where the incident took place. On arrival, he was met by hundreds of protesting tribesmen shouting: "Yes, yes to the Qur'an" and "America out, out", according to CNN, which posted footage of the demonstration on its website. "I come before you here seeking your forgiveness," he was quoted as telling tribal leaders at an apology ceremony filmed by a U.S. television network. "In the most humble manner I look in your eyes today and I say please forgive me and my soldiers." Major-General Hammond also read from a letter of apology written by the soldier who fired the bullets. He wrote: "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." CNN also reported that Col. Ted Martin, a brigade commander, held up a new copy of the Qur'an which he kissed and touched to his forehead as he handed it to the tribal elders. "I hope that you'll accept this humble gift, " Col. Martin said. An Iraqi community leader said Sunni Arab tribal units who fight alongside U.S. troops had threatened to quit after the incident, but that the U.S. apology had assuaged their anger. "I was feeling bitterness, but as long as they apologised we are okay with them. Our anger has cooled," Saeed al-Zubaie told Reuters. It's unclear whether the soldier who fired the bullets would face further disciplinary action after arriving in the United States. It's also unclear whether the U.S. apology would be enough to ease tensions between U.S. troops and local tribesmen. In a speech on behalf of Radhwaniya tribal leaders, Sheikh Hamadi al-Qirtani called the incident "aggression against the entire Islamic world." The Association of Muslim Scholars (AMS), the highest Sunni religious authority in Iraq, also blasted the soldier's actions. "We condemn this heinous crime against God's holy book," the AMS said in a statement. "AMS holds the occupation and the current government fully responsible for this violation." The incident also threatens to further damage the U.S. image in the Muslim world. The Jeddah-based Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) condemned the desecration and described the American soldier's action as reprehensible and irresponsible. "It cannot be condoned under any pretext," said an OIC spokesman. However, the spokesman appreciated the U.S. Army's prompt disciplinary action against the soldier and for issuing a statement of apology. "We hope the American authorities will take all necessary measures to ensure that such acts of incitement and provocation are not repeated." ” The Qur'an shooting is the latest known incident of desecrating Muslim holy symbols in Iraq by U.S. occupation troops. Since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion, there had been several accusations against American occupation forces of attacking and defiling mosques. The most serious incident took place in November 2004, when U.S. soldiers killed nearly 40 unarmed Iraqis inside a mosque in the northern city of Fallujah, triggering protests in Iraq and prompting widespread international condemnation. |
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