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U.S. soldier uses Quran for target practice
cnn.com — The U.S. military on Saturday formally apologized to an Iraqi village after a soldier admitted using the Quran -- Islam's holy book -- for target practice.
tc2004txst- 1147 diggs
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- GoatRoper, on 05/18/2008, -79/+195Whether you agree with a religion or not, you don't go around shooting holes and writing "***** yeah" across that religion's holy book...especially when you are supposed to be "winning the hearts and minds" of a certain people. Pics of what remained of the Quran; http://www.webtrendsguy.com/images/shotquran.jpg
Original story source; http://heyetnet.org/en/content/view/2869/1/- canyoudiggitman, on 05/18/2008, -36/+20Wow, Nice shot!
- thcobbs, on 05/18/2008, -11/+2Not really, the guy could barely hold a decent grouping.
And as for "what remained"... The USA's m16 usues 5.56mm NATO rounds that are slightly smaller than a .22 cal rifle. All he did was punch holes in it and annoy a bunch of people.- Spuy767, on 05/19/2008, -0/+1You're an idiot. The 5.56 is .223 caliber, or slightly larger in diameter than a .22, but the bullet weight is much greater.
- thcobbs, on 05/18/2008, -11/+2Not really, the guy could barely hold a decent grouping.
- Disregard, on 05/18/2008, -47/+65You see no problem with charging people for crimes against a ***** BOOK?
- colincornaby, on 05/18/2008, -21/+13Did you look at the pictures? That looks like a beautiful, handwritten book. If someone destroyed something someone put a lot of time and effort into, that certainly is a crime. If someone blew up a house you built by hand, would you say "That's ok, don't charge them with a crime, it was just the house I lived in that I built by hand..."
- vondrak, on 05/18/2008, -7/+20I see what you're saying there, but if I bought the house from you then demolished it there wouldn't be a problem.
- Disregard, on 05/18/2008, -3/+15You're deliberately confusing vandalism/theft, ie. actual real crimes, with the situation here - charges of blasphemy against an inanimate object.
- Monkeywithacold, on 05/18/2008, -4/+11Haha, did you really just compare destroying a house with destroying a book?
- marx2k, on 05/18/2008, -3/+5Monkey, I know this may come as a shock, but some people may value a book more than a house.
- peoplerstoopid, on 05/18/2008, -1/+4marx2x
some people are idiots - RobotCitizen, on 05/19/2008, -0/+2Peoplerstoopid, while I agree that some people are idiots, we are in their country. It's not for us to tell them what they should value.
If I piss on a picture of your mother, you'd be upset by that. - emjaymj, on 05/19/2008, -1/+3Upset, yes. However, in a free society, nobody has the right to not be offended. I wouldn't exactly be pleased if someone pissed on a picture of my mother, but if said person owns the picture, the best I can do is not let it provoke me. And it certainly isn't anything that could be considered criminal.
- TheThirdLevel, on 05/18/2008, -23/+37I'll bet you a hundred bucks that if someone shot up a Bible, people would make a huge deal over it.
- thcobbs, on 05/18/2008, -9/+14Not really. I don't care if someone shoots a Bible.... I just go down to the local book store and buy another one for $5.
- KaiUno, on 05/18/2008, -17/+17Or... you'd be glad the silly old book'o'superstitions would be gone. Wake up folks, it's 2008. Time to put this religious nonsense behind us.
(And stop those damn church bells from waking me up every bleeding saturday and sunday morning, chimining away for those 3 or 4 old people who are awake anyways by then. We've all got cloks in our houses, several in fact, keep your outdated superstitions to yourself.)
There, that's off my chest, bring on Monday. - takamalak, on 05/18/2008, -8/+10I use one as toilet paper. No one seems to mind.
- sadilak, on 05/18/2008, -16/+4Shooting the Koran is bad, but considering the fact that the soldiers are frustrated out there, it is not really a big deal. Someone should shoot down the CNN reporter who is reporting such garbage.
- heliox, on 05/18/2008, -9/+3Shooting Quran = bad
Defaming bible = acceptable
Yeah...that about sums it up... - specialK16, on 05/18/2008, -1/+10It's not about that. It's about respecting other people, as simple as that.
- VonBargenJL, on 05/19/2008, -2/+3ill respect you. not your books. i dont care what religion you are. ill find flaws and make fun of them all.
- 1randomguyO8, on 05/19/2008, -1/+2Maybe we should go outside a church in texas and shoot a bible and see what peoples reaction would be
- elipabst, on 05/18/2008, -8/+70The problem is that crap like this is bad PR and leads to US soldiers getting killed in reprisal attacks. Look at those stupid jackasses who raped that Iraqi girl in Mahmoudiya. A few weeks later 5 US soldiers got killed in an ambush in the same area and an additional 3 were captured and tortured to death in revenge. Dumb ***** like this cost people their lives. If you want to shoot up Korans, then wait till you get back to the US.
- Monkeywithacold, on 05/18/2008, -10/+8I thought you were talking about Koreans.
- mithrasinvictus, on 05/18/2008, -4/+24How about not doing ***** like this out of respect instead of out of fear for reprisals?
The official story is still that the occupation is meant to help the iraqi's , spitting on their religion is not helping. - cgrado, on 05/18/2008, -7/+12Uhh... You know i think there is a BIG difference between raping a girl and shooting a book.
- Risingashes, on 05/19/2008, -0/+1Welcome to religion.
- 1randomguyO8, on 05/19/2008, -0/+1SENSE. The man speaks of it.
- Monkeywithacold, on 05/18/2008, -10/+8I thought you were talking about Koreans.
- UsmanB87, on 05/18/2008, -1/+11Your right about your thought, but the country where this took place is Iraq, which is a country with a majority of Muslims. For Muslims, the Quran is holy and respected. I am sure the Iraqis could penalize, by law, someone for desecrating the Quran.
In a secular country like America, the act would not be illegal but most likely protested against if it is committed publicly like this situation.- PhilLesh69, on 05/19/2008, -0/+2But the IPA, run by Bush appointees, early on added a provision to the Iraqi constitution that prevents American personnel from being charged with crimes in Iraq.
However, in this case at least, the US Military didn't use that as a cover and went after the guy on their own. Being redeployed to a stateside job from a combat zone is a nice big black mark on the guy's records that will probably mean being passed over for promotion and no hopes of any leadership duties.
(IPA = Iraq Provisional Authority)
- PhilLesh69, on 05/19/2008, -0/+2But the IPA, run by Bush appointees, early on added a provision to the Iraqi constitution that prevents American personnel from being charged with crimes in Iraq.
- shoover, on 05/18/2008, -7/+2When in Rome...
- PhilLesh69, on 05/19/2008, -0/+2...***** on the romans?
- swrostmore, on 05/18/2008, -3/+15He's not being charged for crimes against a book, he's being charged for hurting the war effort. I guarantee the US Army doesn't give a ***** what happens to the Q'oran (just look at what they did to Q'orans at Abu Ghraib), but when a soldier's actions damage the war effort and put his fellow soldiers at risk from retaliation, then he needs to be prosecuted.
- PhilLesh69, on 05/19/2008, -1/+2The koran abuse was at Guantanamo, as far as I can recall. They just abused people at Abu Grhaib.
- Yazilliclick, on 05/18/2008, -0/+14Soldiers are not citizens. Soldiers have a mission and they're not supposed to be jeopordizing and hurting that mission out of sheer stupidity.
- PhilLesh69, on 05/19/2008, -0/+2Soldiers are not citizens???
- RobotCitizen, on 05/19/2008, -1/+2Correct. Soldiers are not private citizens. That's why when soldiers leave the service we describe it as "returning to civilian life."
- PhilLesh69, on 05/20/2008, -0/+1civilian life, not citizen life. Soldiers are indeed citizens.
Otherwise, they couldn't vote, or pay into social security.
- PhilLesh69, on 05/19/2008, -0/+2Soldiers are not citizens???
- colincornaby, on 05/18/2008, -21/+13Did you look at the pictures? That looks like a beautiful, handwritten book. If someone destroyed something someone put a lot of time and effort into, that certainly is a crime. If someone blew up a house you built by hand, would you say "That's ok, don't charge them with a crime, it was just the house I lived in that I built by hand..."
- flink405, on 05/18/2008, -22/+30It´s a book.
What happens if you have a digital file of the Quran on your computer and you delete the Quran file?- subterfuge, on 05/18/2008, -10/+46then there is no option besides execution . . . of the file recovery program!
- DrunkTomato, on 05/18/2008, -5/+5Oh, that was cheesy.
- snypa, on 05/18/2008, -8/+40what a ***** comparison. you cant compare the intentions between deleting a file of a religious article and shooting up a religious book. yes it is "a book" but these are people shooting a religious book for target practice who get sent out to a muslim country and expect to have won their hearts and minds?
- snypa, on 05/18/2008, -3/+22.... you have the US trying to convince the people that they are there to "liberate" and free them, while they use a religious book to which most this nation holds respect and care toward as target practice, wtf is that.
all the while the insurgents are trying to convince the people that the "invaders" are there to attack Islam and their Islamic beliefs. the soldiers in point are hardly defying this claim are they. - TheGuruStud, on 05/18/2008, -5/+3We're there to make rich ppl richer. We are not there to free Iraq. ***** rich ppl, ***** the gov't, ***** the Middle East, ***** the bible and quran. It's all *****. Blow up a ***** truck load of that waste of paper, who gives a *****.
- snypa, on 05/18/2008, -3/+22.... you have the US trying to convince the people that they are there to "liberate" and free them, while they use a religious book to which most this nation holds respect and care toward as target practice, wtf is that.
- Stroggoth, on 05/18/2008, -9/+3All Kuarans will eventually be destroyed by entropy, so this whole thing is ridiculous. You cannot preserve these books; paper decays, and disasters happen that destroy them.
While we're talking about computer analogies, the Kuaran is like a program that infects machines so that the machines will not delete the file. (ie. any copy of the words of the Kuaran should be attrib +r read-only). Eventually you would be overrun with copies of the damn book, because they are printing more copies all the time. What do you do with the piles and piles of them? Put them in a special reservation?
Also, at what point is a book protected? Can I destroy a Kuaran that contains only 30% of the text? 10%? 90%? Or is any sentence fragment protected?
If it is any fragment, then the photos of the book in the article must be preserved on your machine once you view them because the copies in your cache are now "religiously protected" and if you clear your cache, they are being destroyed.
The only conclusion can be that, protecting a text religiously is IMPOSSIBLE to enforce, and therefore cannot be the will of a god, so destroy them all you want.- DevilInPgh, on 05/18/2008, -0/+3There's a difference between natural decay and deliberate desecration. Natural decay is accepted as eventually happening. That is why an old Torah scroll is given a ceremonial burial in Judaism, or a frayed American flag is similarly given a ceremonial burial. I'm not sure if Islam does the same thing with the Koran.
- etherreal, on 05/18/2008, -0/+1DevilInPgh: A properly retired american flag is ceremonially burned, not buried.
- specialK16, on 05/18/2008, -0/+2What the ***** are you talking about? This is not about destroying a book. I bet soldiers use many things for target practicing, but what he is doing is a completely disrespectful to these people. You can defend destroying a piece of book yes, but you cannot defend the lack of respect for religious things, specially when it comes to Muslims.
- Stroggoth, on 05/19/2008, -0/+0>You can defend destroying a piece of book yes, but you cannot defend the lack of
> respect for religious things, specially when it comes to Muslims.
And why is that? Why do any religious things "deserve" respect? Dawkins has already dealt with this issue quite satisfactorily. - PhilLesh69, on 05/19/2008, -0/+1I'm confused. If all korans will eventually be destroyed through entropy, how can you be asking what we should do with the piles and piles of the copies they keep printing all the time?
Not sure if you see the contradiction in your logic, there.
- dksupremacy, on 05/18/2008, -1/+9Don't you think America would be pissed if people in the Middle started Shooting or Burning the American flag? oh wait....
- subterfuge, on 05/18/2008, -10/+46then there is no option besides execution . . . of the file recovery program!
- brownr21, on 05/18/2008, -23/+13Whatever, not a big deal.
- PhilLesh69, on 05/19/2008, -0/+1Not to you.
I'm sure that says a lot about your character and disposition towards islam.
I can just hear you saying "They flew airplanes into skyscrapers" in your basement right now.)
- PhilLesh69, on 05/19/2008, -0/+1Not to you.
- PovRayMan, on 05/18/2008, -9/+31We are winning their hearts and minds.
Two to the heart and one to the mind. - kund57, on 05/18/2008, -15/+30Ok, I think what he did was pretty stupid. But let's think about things here. Every time someone insults Islam, the whole Islamic community flips a major *****. But then when people insult Christianity, which many people do, most people laugh it off or forget about it. Why is it so shunned upon to insult Islam but it's almost perfectly safe to insult
Christianity? In this case it's was just a book. People use the Bible to roll joints for cryin' out loud.- archiesteel, on 05/18/2008, -13/+19Islam is 600 years younger than Christianity.
I suggest you go back in time 600 years and insult Christianity in any of the European countries, see how far that takes you. I'll even let you borrow my Time Machine if you want.
Whether or not we agree with the fact tha Muslims should be offended by this, it takes a pretty dense individual to not expect this to be a big deal. This seems to have been done with the express goal of offending people - that's a pretty dumb thing to do when you're supposed to be winning hearts and minds, as others have pointed out.- mmmmmbiscuits, on 05/18/2008, -11/+14That has got to be the most ridiculous defense of Islamic back-asswardness I have ever read.
- archiesteel, on 05/18/2008, -8/+15It's not a defense of Islam, just a statement of facts. You'd have understood that if you weren't a moron.
Religions go through phases, they transform over time, but it usually takes a pretty long while. Modern thought and science will help accelerate the "moderatization" of Islam, as long as the idiots in power stop trying to make this a "war of civilizations" (thus helping the radicals gain more followers). - DrunkTomato, on 05/18/2008, -8/+5i think it's a valid argument- this guy was obviously an idiot, racist soldier, who felt like shooting the holiest thing in many innocent people's lives could release some of the stress caused by being in a war. Probably the same kind of idiot who would have just as soon shot at a civilians head if no one had been around him.
He has a vendetta against the entire Islamic world, like a huge percentage of military personnel and their families.
This is what needs to stop. Islam is not the enemy, the Quran does not breed hate towards the US, it's ***** terrorist groups that interpret the Book their own way and are every bit as radical as some Christian groups, only way more violent. Lots of people don't get that.
***** racism, man! - Macrophallus, on 05/18/2008, -3/+2I'm a militant anti-theist extremist and I call for death to all believers.
- p0s3r, on 05/18/2008, -7/+5He's a racist for shooting a book? LOL.
- Trichomonas, on 05/18/2008, -2/+3@p0s3r: Oh please, try burning the US flag in front of the White House and see if they don't charge you with something. After all, aren't you just burning cloth?
He didn't shoot "a book"...he shot at what the book represents. And yes, that does make him a racist. - biergutlol, on 05/18/2008, -2/+2It doesn't actually make him racist; after all it's not the book of brown skin, but rather the book of a violent and dangerous religion
- jameskong15, on 05/19/2008, -0/+4Wow I didn't realize Islam was a race DrunkTomato! Getting pretty sick of ***** idiots like you that bring race into every issue.
- Mejari, on 05/18/2008, -4/+10Do soldiers of a different faith that are occupying a Christian country that doesn't want them there while the soldiers are trying to make peace with the inhabitants do that? If not then your comparison is retarded.
- JointVenture, on 05/18/2008, -6/+4No , when Muslim soldiers are in another country they just kill anyone who wont convert.
- Mejari, on 05/18/2008, -1/+11[citation needed]
Try saying something that wasn't just fed to you by the right-wing, k?
- eir574, on 05/18/2008, -4/+12The point of this particular story is not whether everyone should respect Islam or refrain from desecrating the Quran. The point is that a soldier in Iraq did this. Convincing the Iraqi people that we're on their side is critical, and this kind of thing doesn't exactly help. If the Iraqi military were occupying our country and shot holes in a bible, I'm sure there would be outrage. I don't ask that every soldier respect Islam, but it's not much to ask that they refrain from obviously disrespectful actions such as this while they're in Iraq.
"Why is it so shunned upon to insult Islam but it's almost perfectly safe to insult Christianity?"
In this country, plenty of people insult Islam and Christianity, and plenty of Muslims and Christians get upset when it happens. Have you ever hung out on a thread about a WND article? There are a bunch of Christians on digg who feel that they're being persecuted and that people are trying to destroy Christianity. - swrostmore, on 05/18/2008, -4/+11Nonsense. Christians get offended regularly and by far more trivial things than shooting a holy book. Granted christians don't riot as much as muslims, but they do get things banned much more frequently.
http://www.wwrn.org/article.php?idd=694&sec=28&con ...
http://www.p2pnet.net/story/15243
http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewCulture.asp?Page=Cultu ...
http://nymag.com/daily/entertainment/2007/11/how_w ...
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A247 ...
http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_an ...- p0s3r, on 05/18/2008, -4/+2I didn't read in any of your articles were people got murdered over it. Weird, if as you claim there's a moral equivalence between Islam and Christianity, you'd think there would be people murdered in your stories.
- marx2k, on 05/18/2008, -1/+5p0s3r, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crusades
For the first decade, the Crusaders pursed a policy of terror against Muslims and Jews that included mass executions, the throwing of severed heads over besieged cities walls, exhibition and mutilation of naked cadavers, and even cannibalism, as was recorded after the Siege of Maarat.
In the minds of the Muslims the Crusades were Western invasions motivated by the West’s greed and hatred for Islam, while the Christian West thought they were reclaiming the Holy Land and stopping the spread of Islam. For the West these wars were known as the ‘crusades’ which comes from the Latin word for cross. The Muslims, on the other hand, referred to the wars as “Frankish Invasions” using the Arabic word al-ifranj which is the term for French although it was applied to Westerns in general. One of the ironic things about the Crusades is that even though “God may have indeed wished it, there is certainly no evidence that the Christians of Jerusalem did, or that anything extraordinary was occurring to pilgrims there to prompt such a response at that moment in history.
The Crusades have made a lasting impact on the Islamic world, especially in their perception of the West and of Christians. In fact even today Muslims still consider the Crusades to be a symbol of Western hostility toward Islam. The Muslims were horrified by the brutality of the Franks and how they so willingly massacred civilians and broke promises. It did not help that the Crusaders felt little to no remorse for what they did and when the Muslims compared that to Saladin’s reputation of being a man of honor they thought even less of the Franks.The fact that the Franks were motivated more by politics and greed than true religious reason has led Muslims to feel that when Europe began to colonize the East it was merely a continuation of the Crusades. This view caused the Muslims to set up intellectual barriers and become very isolationist in their policies causing them to be left behind in the world scene. Now extremists of both the Christian and Islamic faith believe that confrontation is inevitable and because of this view the Crusades remain in focus keeping them in an active albeit violent role in contemporary politics. - p0s3r, on 05/18/2008, -1/+3@marx2k
Did you catch "First Crusade 1095-1099"?
Note the year. Find me a Crusades survivor and I'll understand his anger. - flip2trip, on 05/18/2008, -1/+2"Granted christians don't riot as much as muslims,.."
Would you care to inform as to when the last time Christians "rioted" about something? - marx2k, on 05/18/2008, -0/+3flip2trip, why riot when you can simply lobby the government (who are mostly made up of Christians) to change the laws to better suit your ideology?
- PhilLesh69, on 05/19/2008, -0/+3pos3r, talk to people who work at abortion clinics, or the family members of the doctors who have died in abortion clinic bombings.
- mr100percent, on 05/19/2008, -0/+2@flip2trip:
September 14, 2005
' Priest says Catholics live in fear after Protestant riots
After successive nights of extensive rioting by Protestant mobs in Belfast and other parts of Northern Ireland, Catholics are living in fear, said Fr Aidan Troy of Holy Cross Parish in Belfast.
CLICK HERE"When rioting is taking place, members of this parish can't leave the area, because access to the main roads is blocked. We're supposed to be having a novena here this week, but speakers can't get in to us because of the violence," he told Catholic News Service.
Northern Ireland Chief Constable Hugh Orde said the rioting was organised by Protestant paramilitaries - the Ulster Defence Association and the Ulster Volunteer Force - with disturbances breaking out in seven different locations in Belfast and five different locations outside the city in an effort to stretch police and army resources to the maximum. Protestant leaders deny the charge.
Rioting started last Saturday after the Independent Parades Commission ruled that a parade by the Orange Order, a Protestant fraternity, could not pass through a Catholic district.
SOURCE
Priest says Catholics live in fear after Protestant riots (Catholic News Service 14/9/05)
ARCHIVE
Irish Church leaders respond to renewed violence in Belfast (CathNews 13/9/05) '
http://www.cathnews.com/news/509/96.php
- mr100percent, on 05/19/2008, -0/+3"Every time someone insults Islam, the whole Islamic community flips a major *****. But then when people insult Christianity, which many people do, most people laugh it off or forget about it."
I'm quite sure you're saying this from a Christian country. If Pat Robertson says something extremist, or Bush talks about a "crusade," you would shrug it off because you know many, many other christians who aren't like that. You don't see your neighbors get rowdy or throw a fit. If you're christian yourself, you either know where he's coming from but disapprove, or think that he's completely crazy. You don't need to hear condemnations from christians or neighborhood priests, because its obvious to you that your christian friends wouldn't agree with it.
With Muslims, I'm guessing you don't know what they're thinking, and don't have many Muslim neighbors you're close with. As a result, you think the ones on TV are like the ones everywhere. It's a mistaken assumption known as "availibility heuristic;" I only hear about airplanes crashing, so therefore airplanes are dangerous and prone to crashing (even though millions fly without problems)
Ergo, "the whole Islamic community" does not go rioting or burning down embassies. Most sit at home and don't do anything, but the tiny subset of people who actually do something make the headlines. It's a sadly common mistake people make, and I for one get annoyed when I'm compared to or lumped in with some tiny Syrian mob on CNN, for example.
On the other half of the coin, the tiny minority of any religion gets the press. We shrug off Bush's comments, or Pat Robertson's remarks, but they get a lot more play overseas. There are Muslims who, just like Christians here, are scared of the Christian extremists they see on TV. (Pat Robertson, Bush, Franklin Graham, etc)
When an abortion clinic is bombed, CNN airs christian groups who condemn the atrocity. When people are killed in Iraq, Al-Jazeera has Muslim leaders condemning it, but they don't seem to get aired on CNN (maybe they assume it's obvious, like christians condemning an abortion clinic bombing).
- archiesteel, on 05/18/2008, -13/+19Islam is 600 years younger than Christianity.
- Rosco, on 05/18/2008, -12/+6Nice grouping of shots. Sure it wasn't the best choice of targets to use, but this staff sergeant is one helluva a good shot, I'll give him credit for that.
- cleric85, on 05/18/2008, -7/+10He should have just picked it up, litter bug.
- gettophilosophr, on 05/18/2008, -4/+23Yeah...personally, I'm a Christian, and I think South Park is ***** hilarious. Even when it makes fun of Christianity. It's ok, I'm allowed to laugh at myself.
I think my favorite was the Simpsons episode with the ball of caramel corn/cotton candy/some other carnival candy that Flanders' kids get stuck to...."I was saving sugar for my wedding night! *cries*"
It was hilarious. It was completely mocking my religion and beliefs. Did I mention it was hilarious? I think this soldier was an idiot for doing this in Iraq of all places, but I don't think that's a criminal activity so much as horribly insensitive and stupid.- Mejari, on 05/18/2008, -4/+5Well, it can be said that shooting a Quran isn't even funny. Maybe if there was a joke beyond 'haha look at how i can shoot their religious texts" then it'd be less of a problem, but it's not like they were trying to be funny or prove a point, they were just being dicks.
- 9bpm9, on 05/18/2008, -4/+3So instead shooting a target of the picture of Saddam Hussein or Osama Bin Laden is better? They're shooting a ***** book.
- Mejari, on 05/18/2008, -3/+6They're shooting a holy book of a religion that is dominant in the region they are currently militarily occupying. Even disregarding whether it's 'right' or 'wrong', do you really think it's a good idea to piss them off even more? Doing that is going to create more insurgents and put more american lives at risk. So even the most Muslim-hating America-loving tard could see that getting a few seconds of glee by shooting up a '***** book' isn't worth the loss of lives that will result.
- Stevanoski, on 05/18/2008, -3/+2Goes to show you the Left has absolutely no sense of humour.
- Mejari, on 05/18/2008, -0/+4I laugh at a lot, but could you explain how shooting a Quran is funny?
- flip2trip, on 05/18/2008, -1/+1gettophilosophr-----
What is it that makes you a Christian? Just curious as to the fact you seem to think profanity and blasphemy is ok.- sonstone, on 05/19/2008, -0/+1Profanity is very subjective and based off of culture and audience, and he didn't say anything blasphemous.
- flip2trip, on 05/19/2008, -0/+1sonstone--
The blasphemy I was referring to was concerning some episodes of South Park to which I believe he was referring.
- Mejari, on 05/18/2008, -4/+5Well, it can be said that shooting a Quran isn't even funny. Maybe if there was a joke beyond 'haha look at how i can shoot their religious texts" then it'd be less of a problem, but it's not like they were trying to be funny or prove a point, they were just being dicks.
- JointVenture, on 05/18/2008, -11/+8So let me get this straight, its an issue when soldiers shoot a book but not an issue when terrorists blow up a mosque and all the books in it?
- p0s3r, on 05/18/2008, -10/+6Correct! Because that terrorist was not an American, and the American Left doesn't hate that terrorist!
- GoatRoper, on 05/18/2008, -2/+1When a masjid is attacked they are attacking the masjid, not the book. To simply attack the book it's selk AND write in it is a direct attack on the book itself.
- arobicha, on 05/18/2008, -2/+6Or at least, you know... have the brains not to get caught. He could have wiped his ass with it for all I care, just... keep that ***** to yourself.
- acegi, on 05/19/2008, -2/+3I dont mind the soldiers doing that to a quran
i dont care if it's bible or talmud either. it's just a ***** book - 1randomguyO8, on 05/19/2008, -2/+1That's like saying the Bill of Rights is just a piece of paper. It's what it symbolises. I'm not really too sure that shooting a Koran is really that bad. Because burning of, now longer used, old Koran's is actually encouraged to protect its authenticity(think of it as a clean format). Whilst on the other hand drawing/depicting Mohamed is expressly forbidden in the Koran(This is all to my knowledge.)
- Memitim, on 05/19/2008, -0/+3Meh, fair grouping but low of center. I give it a seven out of ten; a soldier in a war zone should have better marksmanship.
- rthakidn, on 05/19/2008, -0/+1If it's in bad taste to shoot the Koran because of what it symbolizes, that shouldn't it be equally distasteful to burn the American Flag for what it symbolizes, yet we see the radical Muslims there do it all the time and not a peep out of the people complaining about shooting this book. Undoubtedly, the argument will be made that burning the flag is a condemnation of US policy, not necessarily it's people. Well I'd say the same about shooting the Koran. It's desecration is a condemnation of the actions of those who justify them by it.
- czg3000, on 05/19/2008, -0/+0Yeah, I know! I also hate when someone suggests that our own actions be held to a more ethical standard than radical fundamentalist flag-burners.
- PhilLesh69, on 05/21/2008, -0/+1So you'd rather that this country lower its ethical standards to the people you hate? So we really wouldn't be any better than them? Put our women in burkas, don't allow them to drive. Great idea, idiot.
That really makes sense.
Of course, to even think that, you must be as intellectually weak and ignorant as those people to begin with. - czg3000, on 05/22/2008, -0/+0/sarcasm
- PhilLesh69, on 05/21/2008, -0/+1So you'd rather that this country lower its ethical standards to the people you hate? So we really wouldn't be any better than them? Put our women in burkas, don't allow them to drive. Great idea, idiot.
- czg3000, on 05/19/2008, -0/+0Yeah, I know! I also hate when someone suggests that our own actions be held to a more ethical standard than radical fundamentalist flag-burners.
- Windsurfer619, on 05/19/2008, -0/+2Freedom of speech. As long as you're not infringing upon someone else's rights, you can do whatever you want to any book of yours.
People seem to have forgotten that freedom also means freedom to offend. - BOOKLOVER28, on 05/19/2008, -0/+0You don't behave this way when you are to trying to win people over by convincing them that we are not an evil nation. Acts like this give people more reasons not to like us and for some it is enough to plan and carry out new attacks. This act proves to some that the US has no regard for other nations beliefs.
- canyoudiggitman, on 05/18/2008, -36/+20Wow, Nice shot!
- mediablitz, on 05/18/2008, -38/+131Apologists with the "but what about when they" argument, missing the point, in 3...2...1...
- Shawshanksr, on 05/18/2008, -13/+2now...
- Ryan166, on 05/18/2008, -28/+29but what about when they kill innocent civilians like on 9/11 because they are not muslim?
- leexy, on 05/18/2008, -5/+26Sorry mate. I'm Muslim and I sure as hell never voted for the commander-in-chief of the 9/11 crew nor did they ever get a penny from me. In fact, I can assure you that the first such criminal who crosses my path would get a swift ass-whooping from yours truly, and that I'll do everything in my power to bring him/her to justice.
Meanwhile, you sir are paying for that douchebag's bullets. - Terc, on 05/18/2008, -5/+16"but what about when they kill innocent civilians like on 9/11 because they are not muslim?"
Well, first off, "when they kill"
"They" - Islams (people who believe the Quran is holy text) did not attack the US. 19 people, members of al-Qaeda attacked the US. The fact that this soldier somehow saw a link between this book and terrorism is only due to the work certain leaders in our government have done to associate the war in Iraq with the war on terror.
Second, apparently you've also associated the war in Iraq with the war on terror. - Delphium226, on 05/18/2008, -2/+10But what about stupid dogs like you who don't care that Bush hasn't caught Bin Laden for 9/11?
- NightVortez, on 05/18/2008, -1/+5Despise this guy or not, if you're going to start this conversation this little piece needs to come into play..
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article65 ... - dude001, on 05/18/2008, -0/+11Many Muslims also died on 9/11 who were working in the trade centers.
- fredJdukes, on 05/18/2008, -6/+5must have missed the memo...
- leexy, on 05/18/2008, -5/+26Sorry mate. I'm Muslim and I sure as hell never voted for the commander-in-chief of the 9/11 crew nor did they ever get a penny from me. In fact, I can assure you that the first such criminal who crosses my path would get a swift ass-whooping from yours truly, and that I'll do everything in my power to bring him/her to justice.
- DalamarArgent, on 05/18/2008, -3/+8More like ignorant idiots with the "who would care about this because I don't care about bibles."
The problem is these are the same morons who are in Iraq perpetuating the cycle.- cgrado, on 05/18/2008, -5/+5Or we just don't really care if you shoot a book..
- SuperWinner, on 05/18/2008, -3/+10Does anyone really wonder anymore if almost ALL war is simply about religious ideology?
- nycmac247, on 05/18/2008, -1/+3worship of money
- shawnanigans, on 05/18/2008, -2/+2All war is about security.
- OJXs, on 05/19/2008, -2/+4Interesting, the 9/11 attackers were middle class, well educated (some of them even had PhDs)
If their belief in martyrdom and the heaven filled with virgins that awaits them didn't motivate them to commit suicide while killing 1000s of innocent people, I don't know what did.
- mikesbaker, on 05/18/2008, -62/+33AMERICA ***** YEA!
- Shawshanksr, on 05/18/2008, -15/+2AMERICA! YOU *****!
- rpebble, on 05/18/2008, -3/+5Wow triple fail.
- Macrophallus, on 05/18/2008, -0/+1THAT'S WHAT SHE SAID. Sorry for yelling.
- shtonkalot, on 05/18/2008, -2/+4America, ***** YEAH!
Coming again, to save the mother ***** day yeah,
America, ***** YEAH!
Freedom is the only way yeah,
Terrorist your game is through cause now you have to answer too,
America, ***** YEAH!
So lick my butt, and suck on my balls,
America, ***** YEAH!
What you going to do when we come for you now,
it’s the dream that we all share; it’s the hope for tomorrow
and so on and so on...- mikesbaker, on 05/19/2008, -0/+1at least someone got it
- Tweekster, on 05/18/2008, -1/+1I bet you would be cheering if this were a bible.
- mikesbaker, on 05/19/2008, -0/+1no then I would express righteous indignation over the affront to my religion
/sarcasm
- mikesbaker, on 05/19/2008, -0/+1no then I would express righteous indignation over the affront to my religion
- supersoyboy, on 05/18/2008, -0/+0that was such a ***** dumbass comment that i had to tell you
- mikesbaker, on 05/19/2008, -0/+1that was such a douche bag comment that I had to tell you
- senatorpjt, on 05/18/2008, -0/+1For everyone digging this guy down, look more closely at the picture. He wrote "***** YEAH!" on it. Hilarious, unintentionally so I assume.
- mikesbaker, on 05/19/2008, -0/+1you shipment of fail arrived on time
http://digg.com/users/mikesbaker/gallery/3335655
- mikesbaker, on 05/19/2008, -0/+1you shipment of fail arrived on time
- InfodivaMLIS, on 05/18/2008, -30/+76Sad! Loss of Respect is nothing to cheer about. I fear for my young . I fear for those who still have hearts and minds.
- affanjam, on 05/18/2008, -6/+1This incident might spark another feud just like the cartoons. When you lock up something in its own cage ...don't frickin poke sticks at it!
- mypetridish, on 05/18/2008, -3/+1what does that mean? this is an honest question.
- thcobbs, on 05/18/2008, -3/+3Ooooooooook....
Now we're apologizing for the Danes and their cartoons?
- subterfuge, on 05/18/2008, -11/+18i dont consider this to be a loss of respect. the muslims need to understand that they are the only ones who find the Koran holy. i thought it was ridiculous that some muslims were calling for the execution of the danish cartoonist who drew a picture of mohammad. that's like an american calling for a canadian to be arrested for drinking when they're 18 - they arent under the jurisidction of that law. they need to understand that others do not share their beliefs. this goes for anyone who holds an opinion, whether it is political, religious, moral, or intellectual.
- archiesteel, on 05/18/2008, -5/+7While I agree the uproar over the cartoons was ridiculous, this is somewhat different. It is a lack of respect for the whole religion, at sensitive time in a sensitive place.
The fact that one does not share someone else's beliefs doesn't mean one has to be a dick about it. I'm not a Christian, but I don't leap on the altar and shout out "I ***** the Virgin Mary in the ass" whenever I visit a church...- mmmmmbiscuits, on 05/18/2008, -7/+4Islam kinda needs to grow a thicker skin. But based on your earlier comments I guess you're OK with them taking another 600 years to do it, right? Brilliant!
- archiesteel, on 05/18/2008, -1/+6I guess you're okay with someone wiping the ***** from their ass using an American flag? If not, maybe you need to grow a thicker skin.
You seem to have the idiotic notion that I'm offended by the soldier's actions. I'm not, however I'm not so freakin' dumb not to understand that it will offend others, and that saying "they shouldn't be offended" has absolutely no bearing on reality.
- Phyraxus, on 05/18/2008, -0/+2Homosexuals need the right to marry right away. Christians need to understand that they are the only ones that find the bible holy. I thought it was ridiculous that some christians get pissed when a court in california overturns an anti-same-sex marriage law. They need to understand that others do not share their beliefs. This goes for anyone who holds an opinion, whether it is political, religious, moral, or intellectual.
hmm... sounds good... - mr100percent, on 05/19/2008, -0/+1No, it would be like Americans calling for the death of an Arab for making fun of 9/11 victims or cheering in the streets after it.
The NY Post ran headlines during the Afghanistan bombing of Kabul like "Ka-bluey" which Afghans and some Muslims didn't like. Would you think it proper to print headlines like "Penta-gone!" or "What-trade-center?"
Obviously you're going to piss people off by doing that, just as the Danish cartoonists did. It's bad timing to do either one. (Put yourself in a Muslim's shoes. There's all this hatred of Muslims, and Americans like Franklin Graham and Ann Coulter calling for bombing of Muslim countries and even civillians, yes Ann Coulter said that, and converting people to Christianity. Denmark, a country with troops in Iraq, has its own government supporting hate speech against Muslims, which calls into question its troops' intentions. All while anti-Semitism is illegal in Europe but anti-Muslim sentiment is 'protected' speech. I don't agree with all of this, but there's a real lack of perspective here.)
- archiesteel, on 05/18/2008, -5/+7While I agree the uproar over the cartoons was ridiculous, this is somewhat different. It is a lack of respect for the whole religion, at sensitive time in a sensitive place.
- taradisiac, on 05/18/2008, -12/+11Respect for a religion that sees women as objects and human life as nothing? I don't think so...
- Laughsatyou, on 05/18/2008, -7/+6I agree, Im sick of people telling me what to respect. PC pussies for the loss.
- groumpf, on 05/18/2008, -6/+9Oh, cause you apparently know so much about Islam, don't you? Respecting the religion starts with understanding what it's about by yourself, not listening to some hatred-filled reports given to you by people who actually want to wage a war on those guys, and try to make you dislike them by all means.
I'm sorry, but I have to say you might need to take your head out of your ass.- lolinyerface, on 05/18/2008, -1/+1Bring on the crap about not really knowing the religion until you read it in the original language.
Oh wait, I smell something, King James?
Say what you will, but we are talking about scared men that hide behind religion in fear of the opposite sex. It's sad really.
- lolinyerface, on 05/18/2008, -1/+1Bring on the crap about not really knowing the religion until you read it in the original language.
- source1984, on 05/18/2008, -1/+6Except thats not what Islam teaches. Muhammad (pbuh) himself preached men and women are equals, with different roles to play. Instead of hating on something you obviously know little about.. maybe you should look into it.
- p0s3r, on 05/18/2008, -4/+2I'll pass. I'm too old to go on murderous rampages.
- lolinyerface, on 05/18/2008, -1/+2"I say things and it makes them true."
- eir574, on 05/18/2008, -0/+2And, many Christians believe the same thing. There are plenty of Christians who don't think that women should be working outside the home, running for political office, or have an equal say in the running of the household. You will also find some Christians who believe that women are responsible for dressing modestly so that men will not lust after them.
Islam is not alone in assigning different roles to men and women. Yes, there are some countries that place much greater restrictions on women, but not every Muslim interprets the Quran that way. Not all Muslims live under Sharia law, and not all who do live under Sharia law wish that to be the case.
- ad33lshahid, on 05/19/2008, -1/+4The "sharia law" that is practiced in muslim countries today is mostly cultural traditions that have been upheld due to ignorance and lack of education. Yes many muslim countries today are BACKWARDS, but this is NOT because they follow the teachings of Islam, quite the contrary. Infact the primitve ways of Arabian culture was the exact reason why Islam was revealed to them in the first place.
Take for example, the burying of daughters -- a common practice in pre-Islam Arabia, because they feared that the daughter would dishonor the family, this was immediately illegal and severely punishable with the coming of Islam.
Another example was the marrying off of ones daughters without their say-- this again was prohibited by Islam (although it is commonly practiced still-- this is AGAINST islam and many muslims are just as ignorant about their religion as nonmuslims are)
The list continues with women's right to work, participate in government, vote, right to inheritance and so on.. This is starkly contrasted against the west, for example in America where women received the right to vote in the 1920s, a whopping 1300 years after islam.
As for your comments regarding seeing women as objects, i feel as though this does not even require a refutation. Any objective analysis of both a current western culture and proper islamic tradition would show that women are treated as "objects" far more in western culture. Ask Yvonne Ridley, an ardent feminist and women's rights activist who converted to Islam after being held captive by the Taliban while reporting as a journalist for England. And ask her why she covers her head now? She will tell you that she feels liberated, not having to worry about how she is made up, and that men now respect her opinions rather than the way she looks (can see it on her youtube interview). Why is it that nuns who cover their heads are doing it for God, and to be more modest, but if a muslim woman chooses to do the same she is oppressed? Have you ever gone to your local mosque and actually ASKED muslim women how they feel about wearing the veil or scarf? Did you know that many muslim husbands threaten to divorce their wives if they do not take off their scarves, and yet it continues? I don't understand how people like you claim to be fighting for their rights, when they are the ones making the choice to cover up and be more modest.
- jabberwolf, on 05/18/2008, -6/+1Too bad the Quran is nothing but disrespect to every other person who doesnt buy Mohammad's crap... oh and disrespect to women.
But then again, human rights plays second to protecting the Quran in Islam !- Phyraxus, on 05/18/2008, -0/+5Too bad the bible is nothing but disrespect to every other person who doesn't buy Jesus' crap... oh and disrespect to women.
But then again, human rights plays second to protecting the bible in christianity !
- Phyraxus, on 05/18/2008, -0/+5Too bad the bible is nothing but disrespect to every other person who doesn't buy Jesus' crap... oh and disrespect to women.
- kutza, on 05/18/2008, -0/+2And why do you fear? Would you fear the same from, say the British if you shot a bible? Is it really about the book?...
- jameskong15, on 05/19/2008, -1/+1Who exactly did they lose respect for? The entire US? That would be a bit extreme seeing as how it was one soldier who performed the act. Still, if they want to play that way, I can feel free to lose respect for all followers of Islam since a few were involved in 9/11.
- slotimus, on 05/19/2008, -0/+1I think they lost a lot of respect when America invaded two innocent countries, everything since then has just been icing on the cake ;)
- affanjam, on 05/18/2008, -6/+1This incident might spark another feud just like the cartoons. When you lock up something in its own cage ...don't frickin poke sticks at it!
- mr100percent, on 05/18/2008, -28/+66What a freaking idiot. Don't you think Iraqis will be outraged at this atrocity?
"I come before you here seeking your forgiveness," [Commander of US forces in Baghdad] Hammond said to tribal leaders and others at the apology ceremony. "In the most humble manner I look in your eyes today and I say please forgive me and my soldiers." Another military official kissed a Quran and presented is as "a humble gift" to the tribal leaders.
He's doing this because obviously he knows that this is going to get more troops killed. The insurgents are telling the Iraqi public that they're being attacked for being Muslim, and you have a soldier proving this for them.
If they really wanted to nip this in the bud, they would announce a harsher disciplinary action for the soldier and a warning against anyone not to do that in the future. To Iraqis this is worse than peeing on a flag.- leexy, on 05/18/2008, -6/+49"Don't you think Iraqis will be outraged at this atrocity? "
Iraqis? Try a billion and a half Muslims?- Macrophallus, on 05/18/2008, -11/+2Muslims are born offended.
- mypetridish, on 05/18/2008, -8/+24exactly. but this doesnt only concern the Iraqis. as a Muslim I feel insulted for the soldiers lack of respect for our holy book.
i cant help to think that the soldiers will be on the receiving end of the upcoming backlash from the community in Iraq- thcobbs, on 05/18/2008, -8/+5And that sums up a lot right there. I'm a Christian, but do I get all hot and bothered if someone tears up a Bible? Not really.
I know its a large collection of alegorical tales that have some basis in fact.... and that's it.- mypetridish, on 05/18/2008, -1/+13My point is to us it is sacred and its sanctity is thoroughly upheld. I don't really care what you think of your book an how you care for it.
I am concerned that some soldiers think it is funny to piss on other people's beliefs, but I also care that he has endangered his fellow soldiers due to his actions.
You dont go into someone else's house and piss on their PS3 or Xbox 360 do you? :(
---
Muslims will not touch their Qurans without washing their hands, and they keep it on high shelves in their homes and mosques to avoid facing their backs towards it.They have an unbelievable amount of respect for it. Even when a Quran is old and wearing away beyond recognition as a Quran - it cannot be tossed out, it has to be buried or burnt. The point im trying to make is not that they have weird traditions but so that you can see why they are so outraged when a Quran is desecrated - they treat every printed Quran like the original book.
- Some other Muslim digger - Exbzurq, on 05/18/2008, -1/+11 I am also a Christian, and honestly I would get bothered if someone shot up a bible. Its not the act of destruction that bothers me, its the intention of the one doing the shooting. A better comparison would be flag burning. A lot of people do get bothered when the flag of their nation gets burned, but in the end its just burned up property right? No its the message of hate being sent and thats whats shocking about this incident. The troops sent to Iraq are there to do a job, and not spread a message of hate. I support the troops when they do their jobs and I realize that incident does not reflect on all of the troops but it does cause one to think about what kind of message this sends to not only the Iraqis but the people of the world who already have plenty of legitimate reasons to disagree with what we are doing over there.
- archiesteel, on 05/18/2008, -0/+14This is not about you. We eat beef, and don't find the animal to be particularly holy. Does that mean it's okay to go to India and shoot a cow on the street?
There's a little thing called "respect for other cultures". Perhaps you should look into it. - leexy, on 05/18/2008, -0/+11You don't get it. I'm sure that plenty of Holy Books are desecrated across the globe on a regular basis. It is the fact that it was willingly performed by a member of a invading force that makes it outrageous. Imagine if a Chinese soldier is shooting at the Bible and writing profanities on it, after the Chinese army killed, maimed and displaced millions of Americans, turned the land into a terrorist haven, got its corporations to exploit US' natural resources, etc. That would be a fair comparison to the story.
- hellotyler, on 05/19/2008, -0/+2Other stress reducing activities available in Iraq include throwing puppies off a cliff. Personally I find that more offensive then burning, shooting, ect any kind of religious or national symbol.
- mr100percent, on 05/19/2008, -0/+3If North Koreans or Iraqis invaded America, and setup roadblocks and checkpoints and did Abu-Ghraib-like atrocities, would Americans stand for it?
What would people in Kentucky and Alabama do if this invading army shot up bibles? You may not care, but some Americans deeply would.
If you ever see the film Red Dawn, about a fictional invasion and occupation of America by Russians, you'd have a different perspective.
- mypetridish, on 05/18/2008, -1/+13My point is to us it is sacred and its sanctity is thoroughly upheld. I don't really care what you think of your book an how you care for it.
- Laughsatyou, on 05/18/2008, -13/+3***** your holy book, it does not deserve any respect.
****** and wipes ass with your holy book*
tolerate that.- MasterGrief, on 05/18/2008, -0/+5You're an idiot.
- hellotyler, on 05/19/2008, -1/+2Don't ***** with crazy people!
- sup3rnautx, on 05/18/2008, -0/+4its not whether or not YOU will be offended. it simply offends someone else. more over, this act was not done without malice. i'm sorry, it can only be done WITH malice. you don't take anyone's holy book and purposefully take shots at it with a rifle.
I'm sorry, but this kind of behavior is the REASON why we are not welcome in a lot of places, especially the Muslim world. We expect people to stand when the pledge of allegiance or take off their hats (for whatever occassion). these expected ideals are simply transposed and changed for all other cultures. lol, this is how we treat other people in the world. its just now that we find out about it.
- thcobbs, on 05/18/2008, -8/+5And that sums up a lot right there. I'm a Christian, but do I get all hot and bothered if someone tears up a Bible? Not really.
- LukasSmith, on 05/18/2008, -10/+5Actually I'm pretty sure the last thing this military official wants to do is announce the kind of punishment that might satisfy all of our muslim friends. Im pretty sure shooting a Koran is up there with making cartoons of allah. And there can be only one kind of punishment for that.
- Zap2, on 05/18/2008, -8/+5This is not an "atrocity"
Its a stupid action, but troops, because its very counter productive.
But rational, its a book, with word. atrocity over states what happened- asskicker32, on 05/18/2008, -1/+2what the ***** did you just say?
- Artemis3, on 05/19/2008, -0/+2And you wonder about America's culture? They destroyed a library with possibly the oldest human writings and countless invaluable artifacts dating from the beginnings of history.
Chinese cultural revolution? Child's game compared American soldiers...
- Artemis3, on 05/19/2008, -0/+2And you wonder about America's culture? They destroyed a library with possibly the oldest human writings and countless invaluable artifacts dating from the beginnings of history.
- asskicker32, on 05/18/2008, -1/+2what the ***** did you just say?
- nonpareil, on 05/18/2008, -2/+5I think your use of the word "atrocity" is a little too much here. Bad judgment for sure, but not an "atrocity."
- cquinnd, on 05/19/2008, -0/+2The bad PR created, and the resulting ammunition it will give to people looking to target US troops is an atrocity.
- dimitrisokolov, on 05/19/2008, -3/+1Wow. That commander is a bitch. Can you imagine a soldier shooting Mein Kampf in WW2 and the US apologizing?
- PhilLesh69, on 05/19/2008, -0/+5No, but I can imagine Henry Ford buying a million copies of it to place on every German school child's desk.
Mein Kampf was the psychotic ramblings of a politically radical right wing hate monger.
The Koran is the written word of God (according to muslims).
There is no comparison.- nepidae, on 05/19/2008, -0/+0Using "written word of God" doesn't exactly help your argument that it isn't psychotic ramblings.
- PhilLesh69, on 05/20/2008, -0/+1Did I argue that it isn't psychotic ramblings?
I'm not even sure if you could comprehend the comparison is remarking on the statement made by dimitrisokolov, about what would happen if a soldier shot mein kampf in WWII.
But, let's go ahead and make that argument right here, that you imagined I was making...
Mein Kampf was the psychotic ramblings of a political ideology. The Koran is a rather benign set of religious texts. You confuse the psychotic ideological misuse of those writings by poorly educated idiots with the book itself being psychotic.
- PhilLesh69, on 05/19/2008, -0/+5No, but I can imagine Henry Ford buying a million copies of it to place on every German school child's desk.
- phrawgh, on 05/19/2008, -2/+2Perhaps he should be beheaded in a soccer stadium?
- rthakidn, on 05/19/2008, -1/+1why is this worse than peeing on a flag. why should their religious feelings carry more weight than my patriotic feelings?
- mr100percent, on 05/19/2008, -1/+1Are you dense? This is not about you, or your American rights or your feelings. I made the 'peeing on a flag' analogy since these comments on Digg have shown me that destroying religious books doesn't seem to faze a lot of people or they don't seem to understand why its so offensive. How do you think this is about YOU, rthakidn?
In Iraq, you could tear up an Iraqi flag and not everyone would care. Some would take it as an insult, but some wouldn't. A Christian soldier as part of an invading army who destroys the people's holy book is going to be taken as a sign of what US soldiers REALLy think about Muslims and Islam. AQ in Iraq has been saying for years that the US Soldiers don't care about freedom, only wiping out Islam. This moron soldier helped prove their point.- rthakidn, on 05/22/2008, -0/+1I think everyone who commented knows how offensive it is to destroy a holy book. They also know that the teachings in this book is what motivates the fanatics to kill Americans, hence the lack of respect. Was this soldier an short sighted fool? Yes. Do I understand what motivated him to shoot the Koran? Yes. So what's your point? My analogy wasn't about ME, so quit trying to be a pompus ass. Respect is a two way street. So until you can show some respect to the soldiers that are dying for people not of their country, STFU. These soldiers are not trying to wipe out Islam, they are there to give these people the freedom to live without fear of their so called leaders (especially the religious ones).
- mr100percent, on 05/19/2008, -1/+1Are you dense? This is not about you, or your American rights or your feelings. I made the 'peeing on a flag' analogy since these comments on Digg have shown me that destroying religious books doesn't seem to faze a lot of people or they don't seem to understand why its so offensive. How do you think this is about YOU, rthakidn?
- leexy, on 05/18/2008, -6/+49"Don't you think Iraqis will be outraged at this atrocity? "
- LadyKofNYC, on 05/18/2008, -44/+168What a douchebag
- mal1964, on 05/18/2008, -5/+6I think he made a poor decision.
- LadyKofNYC, on 05/18/2008, -1/+4Yeah, he made the poor decision to let other people know what a ***** douche bag he is.
- mal1964, on 05/18/2008, -5/+1"douche bag"
@LadyK, Are you sure deep down its not a personal problem ?
- mal1964, on 05/18/2008, -5/+1"douche bag"
- LadyKofNYC, on 05/18/2008, -1/+4Yeah, he made the poor decision to let other people know what a ***** douche bag he is.
- CoMpUtErITGuY, on 05/18/2008, -18/+4He deserves a medal.
- DarkReign16, on 05/18/2008, -5/+2He offended me, waah.
- Malevolant, on 05/19/2008, -0/+1What's most ironic in this thread? The amount of anti-muslim rhetoric from digg users except when given the chance to rail on the war again. Thank you again for demonstrating the extreme hypocrisy on digg! Selective morality, the tactic of choice here.
P.S. It's just another book of fables and fairy tales so I could care less. No one should ever die over a book, a cartoon, or anything as ridiculous as that, period.
- mal1964, on 05/18/2008, -5/+6I think he made a poor decision.
- wuxia, on 05/18/2008, -20/+45-South Park Jesse Jackson bends over- "Yes, that's right... apologize.
- graemee, on 05/18/2008, -4/+4Now if Osama would come out of hiding, I'd kiss his ass to apologize - then kill him.
- blackjack75, on 05/18/2008, -19/+89In all fairness this is just one idiot. Nothing like Abu Grahib where clearly the perpetrators had orders from above.
From the soldier's mouth: "I sincerely hope that my actions have not diminished the partnership that our two nations have developed together (....)".
I am pretty sure his actions will indeed maintaint that "partnership" in a beautiful state. It's bound to continue to work as well as it did in the past five years.- mediablitz, on 05/18/2008, -4/+19"From the soldier's mouth: "I sincerely hope that my actions have not diminished the partnership that our two nations have developed together (....)"."
From the soldiers mouth, by way of the Pentagon PR department
FTFY - leexy, on 05/18/2008, -3/+13You are missing the big picture. He is in Iraq in boots, uniform and M-16 because he got his orders from above. It's an institutionalized action in the sense that it's a direct result of an unnecessary act of aggression commanded by the elected representatives of the American people and on their tax dime.
I'll say it again: the best thing that ever happened to Al-Qaeda and other similar criminal organizations was the war on Iraq. With stories like this one, Al-Mahmoudiya, Abu-Ghraib, the use of white phosphorous on civilian areas and others, who needs a PR department?- mediablitz, on 05/18/2008, -1/+2Headline two weeks ago: "US says more terrorist then ever". It isn't a coincidence.
- PhilLesh69, on 05/19/2008, -0/+1I agree with everything you wrote, except where you say that it's an institutionalized action.
I don't think, for the most part, that our actions in Iraq have anything to do with them being a largely muslim nation. After all, Saddam was a very secular ruler, who barely tolerated the clerical class in his country (hell, he had Moqtada Al-Sadr's father killed). We went into Iraq for geopolitical reasons.
There are soldiers who have the utmost respect for Islam, and there are the backwater fools who believe that the entire muslim world attacked the world trade center. There are fools who rub pork fat on their bullets, because they are ignorant meat-headed hate-mongers. But none of that is an official policy, by any means.
Abu Ghraib was certainly officially endorsed, but this sort of ***** is just the act of some idiot who is filled with hatred.
- anaesthetica, on 05/18/2008, -2/+10Actually, the apology you quote was not from the soldier, but from his commanding officer, Major General Hammond.
- jameskong15, on 05/19/2008, -0/+1"Hammond also read from the shooter's letter: I sincerely hope that my actions have not diminished the partnership that our two nations have developed together"
Learn to read idiots who dugg up and poster...
- jameskong15, on 05/19/2008, -0/+1"Hammond also read from the shooter's letter: I sincerely hope that my actions have not diminished the partnership that our two nations have developed together"
- mediablitz, on 05/18/2008, -4/+19"From the soldier's mouth: "I sincerely hope that my actions have not diminished the partnership that our two nations have developed together (....)"."
- P5ycHo, on 05/18/2008, -41/+25If he was a real hero, he would have shot the other holy books as well.
- Shawshanksr, on 05/18/2008, -5/+4ermm... why the ***** would he do that?
- Phyraxus, on 05/18/2008, -0/+1He should just go on a rampage in the fiction section at Borders.
- citydragon, on 05/18/2008, -45/+19His only mistake? Getting found out.
- Shawshanksr, on 05/18/2008, -11/+5no. it was shooting the quran
- citydragon, on 05/18/2008, -7/+9As a non believer, shooting the koran has no more significance than shooting the yellow pages. For a Muslim of course this is not true. Had he not been found out, the Iraqis would have nothing to feel offended about, and so the situation would have been avoided.
- Mejari, on 05/18/2008, -1/+2But as a person that is part of an occupying force in another country that is attempting to de-radicalize parts of the populace you really think it was a good idea for him to do that at all? None of our soldiers in Iraq should have so little respect for the Muslim holy book as to do that. It shows a complete lack of respect for their culture and their faith, which is not the way you win 'hearts and minds'.
- internetcoward, on 05/18/2008, -19/+92They put the US in Jesus.
- akamurph, on 05/18/2008, -14/+4Who cares? They are so insecure about their religion they get offended by EVERYTHING! Go ahead, line up a bunch of Bibles and shoot at them, it won't get my panties in bunches, I'll let a higher being than myself judge you, not me.
- internetcoward, on 05/19/2008, -0/+1people like you on digg hurt my head you get so offended.
- Tishiablo, on 05/18/2008, -1/+6That's very punny.
- stonewaljacksn, on 05/19/2008, -4/+3yes, mock religion all you want, cuz ur a cool educated digger.
people on digg talking about flying spaghetti monsters and raptor jesus and any other random religion jokes are equally as disrespectful as those people shooting holes in the Quran.
but NOOOO look how much the PEACE-LOVE-DOPE diggers come out in full force to condemn that very same degradation of religion that is unfortunately a prevalent characteristic of our generation.
hypocrisy.- Anonchrist, on 05/19/2008, -1/+2People on Digg do not kill in the name of liberating Christians nor do we fire our guns at bibles... That makes a huge difference. If he was discharged for having a WWFSMD? magnet on his car we would have a problem with that, but we have the right to complain about him opening fire on a book because we are paying for the bullets and the political turmoil.
There are many shades of gray between challenging an idea and book burning. -Ramen
- Anonchrist, on 05/19/2008, -1/+2People on Digg do not kill in the name of liberating Christians nor do we fire our guns at bibles... That makes a huge difference. If he was discharged for having a WWFSMD? magnet on his car we would have a problem with that, but we have the right to complain about him opening fire on a book because we are paying for the bullets and the political turmoil.
- akamurph, on 05/18/2008, -14/+4Who cares? They are so insecure about their religion they get offended by EVERYTHING! Go ahead, line up a bunch of Bibles and shoot at them, it won't get my panties in bunches, I'll let a higher being than myself judge you, not me.
- mark076h, on 05/18/2008, -15/+43why can't they hide this stuff from the media like all the other stuff going on over there?
- JanYpe, on 05/18/2008, -3/+13Riiight. It's hidden. Doesn't have anything at all to do with the media's laziness and obsession with Britney, Paris and other "stars".
- afx1, on 05/18/2008, -0/+5did someone say britney and paris?? link please!
- cheeseysynapse, on 05/18/2008, -14/+3like how we're winning?
- archiesteel, on 05/18/2008, -0/+8I think you mean "how we're negotiating with insurgents, which we used to call terrorists only a few months ago, and that they are starting to police their own areas, bringing the violence down."
You know, like, talking with our enemies...the very thing Dubya and McSame have said we should never do?- PhilLesh69, on 05/19/2008, -0/+1we only will never do that when it serves the political purposes of our party.
When we actually do it, we call it something else and hope people are not paying too close attention. If they are paying attention, we call them conspiracy theorists and ask them how well their tin foil hat fits.
Intellectual dishonesty is ***** frustrating to anyone with any semblance of intelligence. To others, it is a comforting way of avoiding difficult concepts.
- PhilLesh69, on 05/19/2008, -0/+1we only will never do that when it serves the political purposes of our party.
- archiesteel, on 05/18/2008, -0/+8I think you mean "how we're negotiating with insurgents, which we used to call terrorists only a few months ago, and that they are starting to police their own areas, bringing the violence down."
- lolinyerface, on 05/18/2008, -3/+3It's simple, shoot at the Americans when the camera is off, then when its on you, show all the horrible pain and suffering the Americans are causing.
Simple propaganda tactics, and our pathetic PC society eats it up.- PhilLesh69, on 05/19/2008, -3/+2Yeah, that's what it is.
Do you hide in your basement, out of fear of the big, bad, strong and evil muslims who are trying to kill your for your freedoms?
How sad. Grow a brain and a pair of balls.- lolinyerface, on 05/20/2008, -0/+1You are my new best friend.
- PhilLesh69, on 05/19/2008, -3/+2Yeah, that's what it is.
- uzkhan1, on 05/19/2008, -1/+1True that!
- JanYpe, on 05/18/2008, -3/+13Riiight. It's hidden. Doesn't have anything at all to do with the media's laziness and obsession with Britney, Paris and other "stars".
- reepax, on 05/18/2008, -13/+67i really think basic competency ( beyond high school "education") and *thorough* sanity tests should be given to all enlisted people. ( cops too, but i guess thats pushing it )
- jus1haz2, on 05/18/2008, -0/+11People join the army normal and it sometimes changes them into a different person.
- hauntedchippy, on 05/18/2008, -1/+4Why stop there? Why not have the whole population checked out?
- hwy9nightkid, on 05/18/2008, -1/+3because the whole population isn't representing the US in Iraq. They will only see douche bags like this guy.
- jameskong15, on 05/19/2008, -0/+1Actually the whole population is representing the US at all times.
- PhilLesh69, on 05/19/2008, -0/+1Actually the whole population is representing the US at all times, poorly.
- pyronik, on 05/18/2008, -2/+2yeah why don't we make sure they are all good DailyKos liberals right?
- hwy9nightkid, on 05/18/2008, -1/+3because the whole population isn't representing the US in Iraq. They will only see douche bags like this guy.
- cgrado, on 05/18/2008, -0/+6Uhh... they do perform psych tests. If you have a history of mental illness you can't join.
- JoeVet, on 05/18/2008, -4/+5The army cannot meet recruitment quotas any more without lowering its standards. We now accept high school drop outs who cannot pass height or weight standards. Our forces are stretched so far beyond the breaking point that if we don't leave Iraq and rebuild soon then even the smallest third world country will be able to over take us. The neo-cons have decimated our military with their middle east crusades.
- Badandy127, on 05/20/2008, -0/+0What a joke. I take it you've never had experience with the United States military have you?
A third world nation? Sorry, but we could destroy ANY nation right now. I do agree with you that the trend is alarming and it is decreasing our capacity for defense, but U.S. military supremacy is absolute, there is no way that any third world/second world/first world countries could beat us, even now.
- Badandy127, on 05/20/2008, -0/+0What a joke. I take it you've never had experience with the United States military have you?
- warriorscot, on 05/18/2008, -0/+5You need to be a little insane in order to do frontline duty, under normal circumstances humans have a natural mental barrier to killing other humans its well documented, unfortunately that is a liability in combat and when you have an army like the US with short service contracts(allot of European forces uses a 7 year min.) and long tours(3x longer than other western armies) you have to break some stuff in a man to get the job done and they don't leave time to fix it.
- jaykaywhy, on 05/19/2008, -1/+1Newsflash, crazy people can get commissioned. Why stop at enlisted?
- 533n, on 05/18/2008, -29/+15I'd use the bible or the Quran. Man made religions cause a lot of the worlds problems and hate.
- fredJdukes, on 05/18/2008, -4/+6/agree with 533n
Religion needs to go the way of the dodo- Monkeywithacold, on 05/18/2008, -1/+3Never will happen. People have been saying religion is stupid ever since religion existed. The religions change and adapt, but they won't go away.
- taradisiac, on 05/18/2008, -1/+3Do you have a crystal ball that shows the future or something?
- Phyraxus, on 05/18/2008, -1/+2Ahh, I see it now, crystal ballism.
- Monkeywithacold, on 05/18/2008, -1/+3Never will happen. People have been saying religion is stupid ever since religion existed. The religions change and adapt, but they won't go away.
- warnergt, on 05/20/2008, -0/+1The Quran seems to inspire a lot more hate than the others, doesn't it?
- fredJdukes, on 05/18/2008, -4/+6/agree with 533n
- whathappened, on 05/18/2008, -22/+91Muslims will not touch their Qurans without washing their hands, and they keep it on high shelves in their homes and mosques to avoid facing their backs towards it.They have an unbelievable amount of respect for it. Even when a Quran is old and wearing away beyond recognition as a Quran - it cannot be tossed out, it has to be buried or burnt. The point im trying to make is not that they have weird traditions but so that you can see why they are so outraged when a Quran is desecrated - they treat every printed Quran like the original book.
And when i say "they" i mean all muslims including myself.- WRXFiles, on 05/18/2008, -28/+14Sounds like the tribalistic americans and their flags...
- syda, on 05/18/2008, -10/+3+1 for whathappened
-1 for wrxfiles (ass hat.) - biergutlol, on 05/18/2008, -0/+5i wonder why this comment has been buried so hard. he's so damn right
- syda, on 05/18/2008, -10/+3+1 for whathappened
- fredJdukes, on 05/18/2008, -29/+14maybe they should grow up and stop worshiping dead trees
- pookkake, on 05/18/2008, -34/+9Terrorist.
- mitikomon, on 05/18/2008, -0/+3I wonder why nobody gets it? you should add this "/sarcasm"
- taradisiac, on 05/18/2008, -28/+17lol that's ***** stupid
- Hillsfar, on 05/18/2008, -3/+4If you were a Jew, would you desecrate a Torah scroll? If you were a Christian, would you shoot up your own Bible? If you don't wash your hands before touching the Bible, maybe you should start doing that as a sign of respect and reverence for the simple material object that conveys your Holy Scriptures.
- taradisiac, on 05/18/2008, -2/+1I'm neither of those because I'm not an idiot.
- mattlohkamp, on 05/18/2008, -1/+1it's the difference between the belief that the book is just a book, and while it conveys the word of god, the word exists independently of the book, and ultimately it could be told as effectively from memory or off of a computer screen as on a printed page. Some people find more satisfaction in attaching greater importance to things, that's all - but if they're at all self-aware, they know the truth.
- senatorpjt, on 05/18/2008, -0/+1I stole my bible from a nightstand in a hotel room. I'd wipe my ass with it if it was sitting in the bathroom and I ran out of toilet paper.
- mitikomon, on 05/18/2008, -1/+1Maybe. but its their tradition which harms nobody*. does it kill you to respect that?
-------------------------
*I mean only this one
- Hillsfar, on 05/18/2008, -3/+4If you were a Jew, would you desecrate a Torah scroll? If you were a Christian, would you shoot up your own Bible? If you don't wash your hands before touching the Bible, maybe you should start doing that as a sign of respect and reverence for the simple material object that conveys your Holy Scriptures.
- blackjack75, on 05/18/2008, -7/+28Don't christians have the same behavior? Maybe they wouldn't wash their hands but even I – a convicted atheist – would feel weird throwing a Bible in the trash. And my grandmother would surely have called an exorcist if I started shooting at it.
- warriorscot, on 05/19/2008, -1/+3Cant say I've burned or shot one but I have certainly thrown a way at least a couple when the gideons handed them out during visits to religious education classes(to be honest I preferred the visits by people that didn't give you stuff and not take no for an answer).
- pcghost, on 05/19/2008, -0/+1I am an atheist as well but desecrating literature is ***** wrong, no matter what you think of the book. It is a serious piece of classical literature and should be respected as such. The tool that did this should be driving a desk in Kansas for the rest of his career for daring to influence our foreign relations in such an ***** manner. Who the hell appointed him Sec. State?
- TsuruchiBrian, on 05/19/2008, -0/+1The Bible is just a book. The Constitution is just a piece of paper and the American flag is just a piece of cloth.
If you really support the constitution you should support people's right to destory symbols of an ideology in protest.
I suppoprt Americans' and Arabs' rights to burn American flags in protest of our country.
I support Penn and teller honoring our Constitution by burning it.
I support the right to desecration of any property that belongs to you.
What I don't support is murdering someone because they offended you by burning a book or a document ot a flag that you happen to agree with. We should be punishing actual crimes, not thought crimes. It should not be a crime to dislike Islam or to express your dislike for it in a way that does not hurt other people or damage their property. We are supposed to be spreading democracy and freedom in the middle east right? Well Freedom is being able to shoot a Quran without punishment.
This guy was in the military so he signed up for a few extra restrictions on his behavior especially while in uniform, but this particular example is not the only incident like this.- pcghost, on 05/19/2008, -0/+2I agree with the right to burn whatever you want provided it's yours, but you hit the nail on the head in your last paragraph. He wasn't vacationing there, he was representing our country by serving in the armed forces. His behavior sent a message that was not a message the U.S. wanted to put out there, namely that we have no respect for the religious beliefs and cultural sensitivities of the Muslim world. I would prefer the state department deliver such messages if such a message needs to be sent, where at least under most administrations (sans this one) there is some form of accountability. Joe soldier is not hired to send such messages to our friends or our enemies. He should do his ***** job and leave such matters to the diplomats.
- Carnell73, on 05/18/2008, -9/+21They do all that hand washing, and holding it high, but they don't bother to read it.
- fredJdukes, on 05/18/2008, -7/+4Can't. Blew up the school.
- mitikomon, on 05/18/2008, -2/+1Specially if they were not Arab, but how did you know that?
- slotimus, on 05/19/2008, -0/+1Carnell, what you say is sad but true.
- Zap2, on 05/18/2008, -9/+12yes, organized religion is irrational!
- joshuagor44, on 05/18/2008, -7/+21I apologize for everyone above me.
- hauntedchippy, on 05/18/2008, -4/+9They have so much respect for it that in Afghanistan recycling paper is illegal. Why? Because a piece of a recycled Koran could end up as toilet roll, holy *****! Theres respect, and then theres worshipping a piece of paper.
- mitikomon, on 05/18/2008, -2/+7actually worshiping Quran is infidelity. they beleive that Quran is God's words.
- mr100percent, on 05/19/2008, -0/+1That was a Taliban-era law, and it seems more like an urban legend. I combed the library archives, but never figured out the original source of that. Heck, it could have been a suggestion and not a law, we just don't know the specifics.
- akamurph, on 05/18/2008, -10/+12Who cares? What I gather from this and all other incidents including muslims is that they are very insecure about their religion that they get offended by EVERYTHING (cartoons anyone?).
- stonewaljacksn, on 05/19/2008, -3/+4You are an idiot and I spit on everything that means anything to you in your life.
That's what shooting a Quran is saying to many Muslims.
So yeah, you are clearly a just a train wreck of bad logic and I shouldn't have wasted my time responding to you, but I did. - slotimus, on 05/19/2008, -0/+1Just because you have no respect for any of your own religious books or places (if you have a religion) doesn't mean we need to do the same.
- stonewaljacksn, on 05/19/2008, -3/+4You are an idiot and I spit on everything that means anything to you in your life.
- jaredcat, on 05/18/2008, -4/+9Forgive my ignorance, but what about all of the Qurans blown up when Muslims are blowing up each others mosques? We're always hearing stories about Sunni and Shiite mosques being bombed. I assume that they are full of Qurans.
- Handcannons, on 05/18/2008, -2/+7It's Ok when THEY do it, it's only wrong when an infidel does it.
- warriorscot, on 05/19/2008, -0/+3Its pretty rare for a mosque to be attacked it is a big deal when it happens and the only times I can remember a mosque being attacked are when there are armed men using it as shelter betting on it not being attacked. Sunnis and Shiites fight allot but they generally respect a mosque as most people respect any religious building but there are exceptions but they aren't alone Christians have done the same in the past.
But its also one thing for one muslim to attack another and to attack a mosque as it is for someone from a different nation of a different religion to do it, might not make the most sense but its symptom of the human condition most peoples suffer from similar. - mr100percent, on 05/19/2008, -1/+1When a mosque is blown up, you will see Muslim and political leaders on Al Jazeera and Al-Arabiya condemning the incident. I don't know why CNN doesn't interview those same people.
Iraqis wonder why American citizens don't condemn things like Abu Ghraib, since they don't see those people on Iraqi TV. It's that kind of analogy.
- Tweekster, on 05/18/2008, -4/+10Do you treat all books of fiction that way? or just special works of fiction?
- unbreakable177, on 05/19/2008, -3/+3Then why was one left in a plastic bag on every door in my neighborhood like a phone book?
- WRXFiles, on 05/18/2008, -28/+14Sounds like the tribalistic americans and their flags...
- Zippo, on 05/18/2008, -33/+90And people wonder why they hate Americans so much...
- jameskong15, on 05/19/2008, -0/+8I know because hating Americans based off the actions of this soldier is very rational and legitimate. It’s the same reason why I hate all Muslims because a few of them were involved with the 9/11 attacks.
- PhilLesh69, on 05/19/2008, -2/+2I think you are being sarcastic.
But you see that it isn't just muslims who are irrational, if you are being sarcastic.
I just wish more people could figure that out.- muzy, on 05/19/2008, -0/+1few muslims who call themselves Muslims + BUSH'S family
- PhilLesh69, on 05/19/2008, -2/+2I think you are being sarcastic.
- Malevolant, on 05/19/2008, -0/+2First off they will most likely always hate us, going forward, so nothing can be done about that. We will never win their hearts and minds. When I say "they" I am referring to the extremists, because not all muslims hate all Americans. That's just pure hyperbole. Honestly, they can hate all they want, I don't care one bit. Extremists live to hate, so they are free to do so. In the meantime, I'll live my life.
- jameskong15, on 05/19/2008, -0/+8I know because hating Americans based off the actions of this soldier is very rational and legitimate. It’s the same reason why I hate all Muslims because a few of them were involved with the 9/11 attacks.
- elamr, on 05/18/2008, -32/+62I got no problem with it as long as the bible is right there with it at the 50m mark.
- GeneralCopper, on 05/18/2008, -26/+5Along with your ugly head.
- Schweppes7T4, on 05/19/2008, -0/+1who peed in your cheerios?
- brownr21, on 05/18/2008, -8/+10Hell. yes.
- griffinjam, on 05/18/2008, -5/+18Even that would be different though. We are pretty cavalier with bibles here in the U.S. People hand them out at train stations, at schools, outside supermarkets. Most of these people know the bibles they hand out will just get trashed and accept this. In a way that sets the bar for how much respect we show the bible in our society. So the idea of shooting one...well, it's not that outrageous.
Muslims show their holy book a great deal of respect. They wouldn't give one to someone they felt would probably just trash it.
Personally, I don't think it's ok for any holy book to be used as target practice. It shows a complete lack of respect for other people and their beliefs and is totally unnecessary.- rpebble, on 05/18/2008, -0/+4Agreed. I personally know several people who have smoked weed out of bible pages... who go to church every sunday. It's completely different.
- lotsa1s, on 05/18/2008, -2/+0Actual, printed pages, or the useless blank ones in the back of the book? In certain bibles, the pages are excellent for rolling. Very thin, but they also burn slowly.
God doesn't give a ***** about the blank pages, its not the book that is holy, its the words contained within.
- lotsa1s, on 05/18/2008, -2/+0Actual, printed pages, or the useless blank ones in the back of the book? In certain bibles, the pages are excellent for rolling. Very thin, but they also burn slowly.
- rpebble, on 05/18/2008, -0/+4Agreed. I personally know several people who have smoked weed out of bible pages... who go to church every sunday. It's completely different.
- Monkeywithacold, on 05/18/2008, -13/+14Just so you know, it is people like you who give atheists a bad name.
- mmmmmbiscuits, on 05/18/2008, -6/+6And yet see how many "progressive" diggers agree with him
- GeneralCopper, on 05/18/2008, -26/+5Along with your ugly head.
- angusm, on 05/18/2008, -13/+109It's always easy to spot the guy who missed the "cultural sensitivity training" session before he shipped out.
- Tweekster, on 05/18/2008, -5/+5Kind of funny because if it were the bible most of digg would be cheering him on.
He shot a book of fiction, it is stupid that this made news anywhere (and that would apply equally if it were the bible, buddhist texts, hindu texts etc.
Book of fiction.- lolinyerface, on 05/18/2008, -6/+3For kicks I replaced the Quran with 'Harry Potter Book 7' in the news article. It made it much more entertaining to read.
- stonewaljacksn, on 05/19/2008, -1/+4damn tweekster you are hung up on the book of fiction thing. its something that is incredibly important to people. it's not a book just about religion. it's a book that contains a massive amount of their cultural heritage and tradition, and that kind of stuff is very important to many people and if you weren't such a blabbering idiot you might have stopped to think about that.
- Tweekster, on 05/18/2008, -5/+5Kind of funny because if it were the bible most of digg would be cheering him on.
- nycmac247, on 05/18/2008, -17/+10Yeah, the war is going great - how many more need to die, again?
- blackjack75, on 05/18/2008, -1/+1None.
There are lots of born-again, but dead-again no one.
- blackjack75, on 05/18/2008, -1/+1None.
- JK1150, on 05/18/2008, -35/+13i would too
- mypetridish, on 05/18/2008, -5/+6JK1150, USA ... ... checked
- Al-Qaeda Information and Communications division- JK1150, on 05/19/2008, -1/+1bring it
- Delphium226, on 05/18/2008, -4/+3That's ok, unless my piss was gasoline, I wouldn't piss on you if you were on fire.
- groumpf, on 05/18/2008, -0/+3I wouldn't do it if my piss was gasoline either... Don't want my bladder to go all boom...
- Delphium226, on 05/19/2008, -1/+1LOLage
- groumpf, on 05/18/2008, -0/+3I wouldn't do it if my piss was gasoline either... Don't want my bladder to go all boom...
- mypetridish, on 05/18/2008, -5/+6JK1150, USA ... ... checked
- footodors, on 05/18/2008, -40/+19Then the general had to kiss the koran. Ain't no mouthwash strong enough....
- m0tbaillie, on 05/18/2008, -5/+5To get the ***** taste out of his mouth?
- rpebble, on 05/18/2008, -2/+413 diggs...ya know, this new comment system is great what with it telling us the number of diggs and buries, but sometimes it's downright depressing to see how many people agree with stupid ***** like that.
- Zandarrr, on 05/18/2008, -14/+12Winning hearts and minds....
- Diran, on 05/18/2008, -39/+19What a waste.....coulda gone to good use as toilet paper.
- footodors, on 05/18/2008, -9/+20damm. quote the whole friggin book why dont you.
- ussoldier, on 05/18/2008, -31/+25Can't blame him... I've read it... its a bunch of garbage. Same goes for the bible. Just about most religious books are.
The closest thing I've found to being wise are some of the sayings of Buddah.- TheThirdLevel, on 05/18/2008, -5/+13I'm sure its a good idea to shoot up the most treasured book of the people whose land you are militarily occupying, trying to improve public relations....
- mypetridish, on 05/18/2008, -2/+4do note that you are doing your soldier brothers much of a favor...
- Pogue_Mahone, on 05/18/2008, -3/+20The thing is, nobody cares whether you think it's garbage are not. There are millions of Muslims who worship it, and in the world-policial scope that outweighs what you and this dumb solider think is "wise" by a large margin.
- taradisiac, on 05/18/2008, -4/+3Free speech triumphs those idiots' feelings.
- itsgotyou, on 05/19/2008, -1/+3Freedom without responsibility is anarchy.
- taradisiac, on 05/18/2008, -4/+3Free speech triumphs those idiots' feelings.
- CoMpUtErITGuY, on 05/18/2008, -7/+2Yes, most people here don't realize that Islam is a war and built on hate religion. Go to school. You'll find out the truth.
- rpebble, on 05/18/2008, -1/+4Which school is that precisely? Because i've taken several world and religious history classes in undergrad and I would never call Islam "built on hate".
- mjones77, on 05/18/2008, -32/+15Who cares. I would not have apologized for this at all. I think I will go buy one now and use it for target practice with a shotgun.
- Delphium226, on 05/18/2008, -2/+1Good dog!
- DevilInPgh, on 05/18/2008, -0/+4Not to compare you to a Nazi, but that's what the Nazis did with Torah scrolls in WWII.
Oh, and I haven't even mentioned the numerous times the Talmud was burned throughout European history.
Putz.
- Vironex, on 05/18/2008, -31/+33Nobody would care if it was a bible.
Including me.- DalamarArgent, on 05/18/2008, -3/+8Actually I am pretty sure about 1/10th of your country would care and call it religious persecution.
- blackjack75, on 05/18/2008, -2/+10If a muslim country invaded and controlled your land, I am pretty sure even the least christian of us would feel offended if they started shooting at bibles in our backyards.
The whole occupation thing does raise tensions, somehow. - mattlohkamp, on 05/18/2008, -1/+6Dude, people would care even if they're not christian.
Including me. - salism2, on 05/18/2008, -4/+3i would be deeply offended, i am a muslim, i believe that in the Bible are commands from God, and quiet of few of them have been currupted and tampererd with by humans.
- kb29, on 05/18/2008, -24/+13WAAAAAHHHHHH
- ColonelJessup, on 05/18/2008, -17/+8LOL!
- anttanant, on 05/18/2008, -0/+0http://homepage.mac.com/leperous/.Pictures/enemy2. ...
- aserer511, on 05/18/2008, -19/+17that's horrible. Look, unfortunately, some of America's finest come from some of America's most ignorant places.
- fredJdukes, on 05/18/2008, -3/+10then they're hardly the "finest" are they
- blackjack75, on 05/18/2008, -1/+8But you have to tell them they are the finest. Otherwise why would they accept to become your pawns?
- bklny, on 05/18/2008, -9/+3ignorance is bliss.....
- morgino, on 05/18/2008, -36/+58I want one...just ONE cartoon to make fun of the Koran and Allah like they continually make fun of Jesus. The media are ***** pussies when it comes to this. South Park tried and got shot down, we bow down to these fools. That would be the first thing on my list to do if I had some pull in that industry
- gsadamb, on 05/18/2008, -3/+12Feel free.
- brownr21, on 05/18/2008, -6/+8They probably don't want to get blown up.
- lhbaker, on 05/18/2008, -6/+12They make fun of Jesus? I hadn't heard that one.
- Strykar, on 05/18/2008, -0/+11They don't. Jesus, Moses and Abraham are considered prophets on equal standing with Muhammad by Muslims.
Obviously, this idiot doesn't know what he's talking about. "they continually make fun of jesus" my ass.
- Strykar, on 05/18/2008, -0/+11They don't. Jesus, Moses and Abraham are considered prophets on equal standing with Muhammad by Muslims.
- a0peter, on 05/18/2008, -8/+7Mohammad Cartoons anyone?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jyllands-Posten_Muham ... - Delphium226, on 05/18/2008, -7/+12"like they continually make fun of Jesus"
Examples please.- a0peter,
