Burning the Koran: How Ignorance is Costing Us the Peace in Afghanistan

Hi everyone!

As the United Nations tries to put out fires in Syria, this week saw a whole new conflagration erupt in Afghanistan...again. This time it isn't video of U.S. marines urinating on the corpses of dead Taliban and then joking about it, as if that wasn't bad enough. No, this time we've gone back to our old standard of burning the Holy Koran. When will we learn?

It doesn't matter if this desecration was performed out of malicious intent as we saw last year in the case of the "mock trial" officiated by Florida pastor Terry Jones or out of seeming ignorance as we witnessed this week at Bagram Air Force base in Kabul. Burning the Koran is not only the epitome of disrespect toward Muslims worldwide, but it's just plain stupid.  And frankly it's this stupidity that is costing us the so-called "hearts and minds" of the Afghan people our forces are trying to win over.

American military personnel were clearing out a room in Bagram that contained books they claimed were filled with handwritten communication pertaining to terrorist strikes against coalition forces. Obviously they couldn't keep these around. These personnel also claimed that they had no idea that the books were copies of the Koran. As they were being tossed into an incinerator, a couple Afghan workers at the base noticed what these guys were doing and intervened. Word got out and understandably outraged Afghanis took to the streets in violent protest. This was on Monday.

Yesterday, President Obama issued a formal apology to the Afghan people which was accepted by Afghan President Hamid Karzai who expressed outrage at the offense but, realizing the last thing he or the Americans need is another outbreak of anti-American violence, urged his security forces to help maintain calm while calling for a swift trial for the offenders.

It's already too late. As of yesterday, seven Afghans were killed in the violence while an Afghan Army soldier attacked and killed two American servicemen. This is only the latest in a series of killings of coalition servicemen and women at the hands of their supposed allies in the Afghan Army. One such attack against French troops is what prompted Sarkozy to announce his early withdrawal of French troops from Afghanistan this year.

After over ten years of war in this part of the world, you would think by now that we'd know better than to blatantly demonstrate our continued ignorance--or lack of consideration--of the Islamic faith. While killing of any nature is rarely justified, I can understand the rage that the Afghan people feel over yet another desecration of their religion at the hands of foreign occupiers. Our troops complain about not winning the fight in Afghanistan and the Muslim world, well, is it really so surprising? Without taking away from the courage and valor demonstrated by our men and women in the armed services, there seems to be a continued and demonstrated lack of knowledge about the countries and cultures to which they are being sent. Or perhaps it's just a lack of intelligence?  Either way, it's no wonder the Taliban continue to be as powerful as they are.

And while I again don't believe we should be legitimizing an organization that indiscriminately stones women to death, bans music, and commits other unspeakable acts against its people in the name of religion, I can see how the Afghan people are angry, disillusioned, and fed up with the insults they and their religion are subjected to by our troops that after ten years still have not learned to respect their religion and their culture.

What a shame.

Ciao.