Another Military Investigation

There is yet another investigation going on with regard to our military's treatment of prisoners. This time it is not about how we are treating the live prisoners; the investigation is centered around a report about burning the bodies of deceased Taliban fighters.

There are several things wrong in the reporting, not the least of which is that the incident's reporter, Australian photojournalist Stephen Dupont, is now claiming that the incident was done not to taunt the Taliban but, rather, for reasons of hygiene.

In the United States, cremation is just another method of burial. In many other cultures, burning the bodies of the dead is part of a regular, religious practice. Why is the Muslim community going to be "horrified" when they find out about this?

In a brief search, I have found something of an answer as to why Islam prohibits cremation. As a Christian, all I can say is, "whudda thunk it?"

Winning the hearts and minds of civilians, especially within a culture that is foreign to the rank-and-file American, is of the utmost importance. This is why the US military is very intentional about teaching soldiers how to respect the culture in which they may find themselves. Fighting a war on the ground is hard enough; they don't also need to be fighting a war of words and principles.

Military commanders are coming out breathing fire (no pun intended) and promising to go after those who are guilty of this "crime". However, considering that knowledge of Islam has been our greatest challenge since 9/11/01, why is it that Islamic chaplains in the US military have not been more aggressive about being sure that American soldiers are well-informed about that which requires all the sensitivity we can muster?

While reasonable persons would never condone abuse of a prisoner under any circumstances, I think rather than demand a soldier's head on a platter, we may need to plead ignorance in this case and move on. We can only apologize so many times.