Title: U.S. MILITARY Says, ‘Burning Qur’ans BAD’ ‘Burning Bibles GOOD!’ Source:
http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/05/20/us.military. URL Source:http://CNN Published:Sep 11, 2010 Author:staff writer Post Date:2010-09-11 04:42:22 by Murron Keywords:None Views:5354 Comments:8
U.S. MILITARY Says, Burning Qurans BAD Burning Bibles GOOD!
2009: US military confiscates and burns Bibles in Afghanistan, 2010: U.S. Military tells pastor not to burn Qurans in America. One would almost think theres a Muslim running the country.
CNN Military personnel threw away, and ultimately burned, confiscated Bibles that were printed in the two most common Afghan languages amid concern they would be used to try to convert Afghans, a Defense Department spokesman said Tuesday. The unsolicited Bibles sent by a church in the United States were confiscated about a year ago at Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan because military rules forbid troops of any religion from proselytizing while deployed there, Lt. Col. Mark Wright said.
The decision was made that it was a force protection measure to throw them away, because, if they did get out, it could be perceived by Afghans that the U.S. government or the U.S. military was trying to convert Muslims. Troops at posts in war zones are required to burn their trash, Wright said.
US military confiscates and burns Bibles in Afghanistan (video)
I did a little research and it appears that burning is the appropriate method of disposal.
Books, Scapulars, and Holy Cards: Can be reverently burned and the ashes buried. An old Irish tradition was to save old sacramentals until June 23, the Vigil of the Feast of St. John the Baptist, and dispose of them in the blessed bonfire they traditionally kindled that night.
This is a normal SOP to dispose of material like this. There is no need to inflame the population of a country where religious conversion to Christianity would inflame passions in a way that would jeopardize the safety of men and women of our Armed Forces there.
It is the way a worn or damaged U.S. Flag is disposed of as well.
This was done not as a temperamental act against a religion; it is recognition that in a low intensity conflict that has a large element of needing to win the hearts and minds of the locals, it behooves us not to give ammunition to the Taliban to accuse us of being there solely to destroy Islam and convert people to Christianity.
Once we depart from that area of operation and if the government there allows it, I'm sure the salesmanship of proselytization of other faiths like Christianity will begin anew.