U.S. Long Had Memo on Handling of Koran

[bemildred]

We seem to be in full retreat on this subject now.
I'm sort of wondering if the fundy-nuts will be upset about
all this respect for the Koran.

More than two years ago, the Pentagon issued detailed rules for handling the Koran at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, requiring U.S. personnel to ensure that the holy book is not placed in "offensive areas such as the floor, near the toilet or sink, near the feet, or dirty/wet areas."

The three-page memorandum, dated Jan. 19, 2003, says that only Muslim chaplains and Muslim interpreters can handle the holy book, and only after putting on clean gloves in full view of detainees.

The detailed rules require U.S. Muslim personnel to use both hands when touching the Koran to signal "respect and reverence," and specify that the right hand be the primary one used to manipulate any part of the book "due to cultural associations with the left hand." The Koran should be treated like a "fragile piece of delicate art," it says.

The memo, written a year after the first detainees were brought to Guantanamo from Afghanistan, reflects what U.S. officials said was a specific policy on handling the Koran, one of the most sensitive issues to Muslims. The Pentagon does not have a similar policy regarding any other major religious book and takes "extra precautions" on the Muslim holy book, officials said.

WaPo

[shraby]

1. Kinda looks like some rules were

broken then doesn't it?

[Hobarticus]

2. Didn't they can the Muslim chaplains at Gitmo?

I seem to recall some trumped-up charges that went nowhere...where these guys in the way?

[remfan]

3. A year after...

I'd ask what prompted the memo, but considering the language, it's pretty obvious.

requiring U.S. personnel to ensure that the holy book is not placed in "offensive areas such as the floor, near the toilet or sink, near the feet, or dirty/wet areas."

Memos like this get written AFTER something has happened, not before.