The Topeka, Kansas-based Westboro Baptist Church has been fined US $10.9 million (Canadian $10.2 million) by a court in Maryland for invasion of privacy and emotional distress resulting from its protests at the funeral of Marine Lance Cpl. Matthew Snyder, who died in Iraq in March 2006.
Members of the church attended Snyder's funeral with signs saying "Thank God for dead soldiers" and "You're going to hell".
The Westboro Baptist Church, which is not affiliated with any Baptist movement, claims that the losses suffered by the US in the Iraq War are the result of Americans' toleration of homosexuality. In their defence, members of the church argued that they had a constitutional right to free speech. The church plans to appeal the sentence (BBC).
What I don't understant is this: if the members of the church do think homosexuality is so offensive, why say "You're going to hell" at the funeral of a soldier who probably had nothing to do with that orientation? Why adopt a repulsive practice to fight something which the church considers repulsive?
Showing posts with label US Marine Corps. Show all posts
Showing posts with label US Marine Corps. Show all posts
02 November 2007
26 July 2007
US court orders Sudan to pay Cole victim families
A US federal court in Virginia has found Sudan guilty of involvement with the bombing of USS Cole by al-Qaeda in 2000, and has ordered the Sudanese government to pay US $8 million (Canadian $8.4 million) in compensation to the families of 17 US Marines who died in the attack.
According to Judge Robert Doumar, who presided over the trial, "It is depressing to realise that a country organised on a religious basis with religious rule of law could and would execute its power for purposes which most countries would find intolerable and loathsome."
The ruling was based on the Death on the High Seas Act. The families can collect the sum from Sudanese assets frozen in the US.
Sudan denies any ties with al-Qaeda, and the US government seems to agree (BBC).
I wonder if Doumar took the US government's position into account in making his judgement.
According to Judge Robert Doumar, who presided over the trial, "It is depressing to realise that a country organised on a religious basis with religious rule of law could and would execute its power for purposes which most countries would find intolerable and loathsome."
The ruling was based on the Death on the High Seas Act. The families can collect the sum from Sudanese assets frozen in the US.
Sudan denies any ties with al-Qaeda, and the US government seems to agree (BBC).
I wonder if Doumar took the US government's position into account in making his judgement.
25 July 2007
US Marines, Army undergo cultural training before Iraq
The US Marine Corps organises compulsory cultural training for Marines headed to Iraq in Quantico, Virginia, where, among other topics, the trainees are introduced to topics such as "religion, the importance of mosques to Muslims" and "the importance of family values".
Meanwhile, the US Army has only recently launched a similar cultural training course, based in mock-ups of two Iraqi towns, which are located in the Mojave Desert in California. The Army training programme goes under the name of "Mojave Viper" (BBC).
Two questions: Why did the US Army start out with this programme in 2007, instead of 2003? By way of an answer, I suppose the neocons did not believe a knowledge of Iraqi culture or Islam had anything to do with occupying Iraq.
And secondly: What's up with calling the whole programme "Mojave Viper"? Who or what is supposed to be the viper here?
Meanwhile, the US Army has only recently launched a similar cultural training course, based in mock-ups of two Iraqi towns, which are located in the Mojave Desert in California. The Army training programme goes under the name of "Mojave Viper" (BBC).
Two questions: Why did the US Army start out with this programme in 2007, instead of 2003? By way of an answer, I suppose the neocons did not believe a knowledge of Iraqi culture or Islam had anything to do with occupying Iraq.
And secondly: What's up with calling the whole programme "Mojave Viper"? Who or what is supposed to be the viper here?
20 June 2007
Muslim chaplain represents Islam to the Marines
US Navy LCDR Abuhena Saifulislam serves with the US Marine Corps as its only Muslim chaplain, and one of two Muslim chaplains in the Navy.
Growing up in Bangladesh, Saifulislam was fascinated with US Navy uniforms that he saw in World War II movies. After immigrating into the US in the 1980s, he decided to join the Navy instead of working in the world of finance in New York, which had been his original plan.
Saifulislam is often interviewed by the media, and tries to point out that there is nothing incompatible between being Islam and the US Armed Forces.
While working as a Muslim chaplain, he has obtained prayer space for Muslims at Marine Corps Base Quantico (located in Virginia), and started regular Muslim calls to prayer at the detention centre at Guantánamo Bay.
Saifulislam also teaches non-Muslim Marines about Islam.
On relations between the US and the Arab world, Saifulislam says, "Don't see the entire religion, or judge it, through one set of eyes. The Arabs shouldn't generalise (either)...The majority of Americans may not approve of many things that we do outside, but it doesn't mean that we don't love the country (BBC).
Definitely not the most typical place for a Bangladeshi to end up in. Saifulislam is doing good work, and the US Armed Forces need more people like him, both to combat an image of their being an anti-Islamic force, and to teach American soldiers to be respectful to Islam and Muslims.
Growing up in Bangladesh, Saifulislam was fascinated with US Navy uniforms that he saw in World War II movies. After immigrating into the US in the 1980s, he decided to join the Navy instead of working in the world of finance in New York, which had been his original plan.
Saifulislam is often interviewed by the media, and tries to point out that there is nothing incompatible between being Islam and the US Armed Forces.
While working as a Muslim chaplain, he has obtained prayer space for Muslims at Marine Corps Base Quantico (located in Virginia), and started regular Muslim calls to prayer at the detention centre at Guantánamo Bay.
Saifulislam also teaches non-Muslim Marines about Islam.
On relations between the US and the Arab world, Saifulislam says, "Don't see the entire religion, or judge it, through one set of eyes. The Arabs shouldn't generalise (either)...The majority of Americans may not approve of many things that we do outside, but it doesn't mean that we don't love the country (BBC).
Definitely not the most typical place for a Bangladeshi to end up in. Saifulislam is doing good work, and the US Armed Forces need more people like him, both to combat an image of their being an anti-Islamic force, and to teach American soldiers to be respectful to Islam and Muslims.
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