Honor The Qu'ran

Here is an interesting link to a Department of Defense memo instructing US soldiers guarding muslim prisoners at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba on how to handle the Qu'ran. (Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader. If you don't have it "google it" for free.)

A couple of questions here:

1. Why? Where is the separation of the so-called church and state so publicy stated here in the US? Especially when US school children are strictly forbidden to have a bible on their person in a public school?

2. Why are US soldiers expected to treat and give the Qu'ran such respect when the Saudi's and other muslim nations strictly forbid foreigners to posess any christian icons, including the Bible in their countries? All Bibles and other christian icons like crosses or medals are all confiscated from foreigners and destroyed in Saudi Arabia. If they are discovered on you you can go to jail? Why does the US government and US media say anything about that yet give the Qu'ran such respect?

3. Would any muslim country treat foreign prisoners and their religious books in a similar way and allow them to have their Bibles or other religious artifacts. Do you think they have a similar memo for their prison guards?

4. And this was dated January 19, 2003! 2 MONTHS BEFORE we invaded Iraq! Therefore my friends, was this invasion already planned way in advance? And I do mean like a couple of years in advance.

5. With this memo being issued to US service personnel BEFORE the invasion, does anyone really believe the Newsweek stories on how US soldiers mishandled the Qu'ran?

6. Could it be that the US is trying to be humanitarian to the muslim prisoners by respecting their religion? I don't know.

As a famous playwrite once said, "Somethings rotten in Denmark." As most of you know, I do not follow any religion, but I do find this most interesting and puzzeling.

School children are not prohibited from carrying bibles. Many classrooms and most school libraries actually have copies of the Bible. The 1st amendment prohibits the establishment of a religions, and protects the free excercise thereof.

Although i am not an american i`ll take the boldness to answer (or better say to comment?)

1. those prisoners most of the times are not the citizens of US

2. it was already answered in some related thread. If you claim that you are 'better', than act like the one, no matter what

3. i think, it depends on a country. If they don`t, then look at answer num.2

4. not impossible. But i personally don`t have any evidence, have read only various articles analysing the situation

5. it is said that laws are made to be broken, many people will not care to follow such instructions unless there will be some serious penalty for breaking it

6. Could, but this memo could also be a 'fig leaf' to cover ...mmm... future 'mal-entendu'.

Of course the war in Iraq was planned, I don't know why it wouldn't have been. Saddam posed a threat to the US/World, and Bush/USA decided to invade it after some planning. Also yeah, I'd handle the holy book of a different religion with respect too. It's only right.