Worth Dying For?

The International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) is a NATO-led security mission in Afghanistan established by the United Nations Security Council on 20 December 2001 by Resolution 1386 as envisaged by the Bonn Agreement.

ISAF's "Counterinsurgency Advisory and Assistance Team" (CAAT) has issued this demented leaflet to our soldiers in Afghanistan, entitled "Cultural Sensitivity: Religious Importance of the Qur'an", which imposes Islamic law on our troops serving in the country. The full text reads as follows:

Best Practice: NATO ISAF personnel should always deal carefully with Islam and its founding text, the Holy Qur’an.

Discussion:

The vast majority of Afghans, 99%, is Muslim and thus practices Islam. The Qur’an (also spelled Koran) is the central religious text of Islam. Muslims believe the Qur’an is the book of divine guidance and direction that all of mankind should follow. They consider the text – in its original Arabic – to be the literal word of God (Allah), revealed to humanity through the Prophet Muhammad (also spelled Mohammad).

Because Muslims believe that the Qur’an records the literal word of God, they treat all copies of the book with extreme veneration. Every complete copy, or even a partial passage, is considered holy. It is considered culturally insensitive for any non-Muslim to touch a copy of the Qur’an. Even Muslims are supposed to perform ablution, a ritualistic hand washing before holding the Qur’an.

Additionally, verbal disrespect for Islam and/or the Qur’an is considered as inappropriate as physical desecration of the Qur’an. Insulting the Qur’an is an act of blasphemy. Muslims believe they have an inherent duty to stand up against injustices committed against Islam and the Qur’an. Therefore, they take any perceived disrespect to Islam and/or the Qur’an extremely seriously. Insurgents will use this to their advantage by planting desecrated Qur’ans and spreading disinformation about NATO ISAF forces.

Recommendations:

1. Do NOT handle Qur’ans or other Islamic religious items.
2. Never talk badly about the Qur’an or its contents.
3. If you must search a location or person’s belongings, ask them if they have a Qur’an or religious item present. If so, ask them to remove it or put it in a suitable place before conducting the search.
4. Your level of sensitivity must be even greater when conducting canine searches. Having an animal anywhere near a Qur’an or other religious artifact is considered highly disrespectful.
5. If you have any questions about the Qur’an or Islam, ask respectfully.
6. Be informed and prepared to answer questions about alleged desecration of the Qur’an.

In other words, comply with Islamic rules even though you are not Muslims and do not believe in Islam, because they will kill you if you don't - and if they do, it will be your fault.

It's all part of that wonderful idea originated by George W. Bush, and continued by the witless commanders of the British and American armed forces today, that it is seriously worth going to war and having our best soldiers murdered, having them come home with crippling life-destroying disabilities, having hundreds of British and American children grow up without fathers - all in order to make Muslims happy.

How's that working out, lads?