A NEWSWEEK story about the desecration of the Islamic Holy Book, The Quran in its May 9th edition, has sparked a worldwide protest against The United States. In the article, it was reported that U.S. military investigators had found evidence that American guards at the detention center in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, had committed infractions in trying to get terror suspects to talk, including in one case flushing a Qur'an down a toilet. Their information came from a knowledgeable U.S. government source. The spark became a full fledged fire when Legendary Cricket hero Imran Khan held a press conference in Pakistan exclaiming "This is what the U.S. is doing," exclaimed Khan, "desecrating the Qur'an." His remarks, as well as the outraged comments of Muslim clerics and Pakistani government officials, were picked up on local radio and played throughout neighboring Afghanistan. The radicals quickly fanned the issue and exploited local discontent with a poor economy and the continued presence of U.S. forces, and riots began breaking out last week. By the end of the week, the rioting had spread from Afghanistan throughout much of the Muslim world, from Gaza to Indonesia. Buildings were bombed, US flags were burnt in the streets and riots broke out between protestors and the authoritis, claiming 16 lives and many more injuried.
On May 16, Newsweeks issues a statement retracting the story and issued an apology over the article citing "Based on what we know now, we are retracting our original story that an internal military investigation had uncovered Quran abuse at Guantanamo Bay.."
And then what??? What about the people who died? What about the people injured? What about the buildings razed down by fire? Talk about irresponsible journalism!!! In matters as sensitive as religion, especially in already volatile conditions, it sure doesn't help when an internationally renowned magazine, often cited for quality analysis, publishes a story that is not properly investigated.
Of course, some would question Newsweek's culpability in the matter saying it was free-will that put the dead people in the middle of a rioting street but then again they wouldn't be there would they? had their emotions not been flamed by the article. The Quran is considered sacrosanct by Muslim. We believe that the Qur'an is the literal word of God and culmination of God's revelation to mankind, revealed to the Prophet Muhammad. We treat the Quran with reverence. We treat it with the utmost respect that we belive it deserves and to hear of IT being flushed down the toilet by American forces (Of all the people!!!) understandably invokes anger and outrage of Muslims everywhere. Education and perhaps civility, decides how we react. While some, like me look to literary means of venting my anger, others especially those brought up in conditions of violence everywhere around them, choose to take to the streets.
Now, I am by no means justifying the violent acts of rioting, arson and gunfire but my argument is that a respectable publication like the Newsweek should know better than to just print anything that comes its way without proper verification and authentication. Surely Newsweek doesn't require such shallow tactics as to use inflammatory content just for the sake of rescuing its fledging circultion. Then perhaps, it is no better than the tabloid thrash of The Enquirer and News of the World.
It was utterly unbelievable and totally irresponsible of Newsweek. They obviously have blood on their hands. While the damage is done and nothing really, can be done to return the lives of the 16 dead people I think most would agree with me that a mere apology is not enough.
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