A “Holey” Instrument of Peace in Iraq

by Robert Weitzel

On October 23, 2006 a U.S. soldier or
marine peered through the telescopic sight of his M24 sniper rifle and
trained it on the face of Nora, a five-year-old Iraqi girl. Her pretty
face was close enough to kiss. Instead, he squeezed the trigger and
sent a 7.62 round slamming into her skull. The medical report read,
“Nora sustained an explosive bullet injury to her head that smashed
the skull bones and ruptured her cerebral membrane.” Nora survived
the sniper’s bullet.

During the battle for Falluja in 2004,
U.S. snipers positioned themselves on rooftops covering the entrance
to the only hospital still in operation, creating what locals called
“sniper alley.” Iraqi men, women, and children seeking medical treatment
were fired on. Ambulances delivering patients and supplies were fired
on. Unlike Nora, many did not survive the sniper’s bullet. 

On May 30, 2006 Nabiha Nisaif Jasiam
and her cousin, Saliha Mohammed Hassen were shot from behind by a U.S.
sniper as they drove to Samarra General hospital. Nabiha was about to
deliver her third child. Neither survived the sniper’s bullet. 

No U.S. president or general or lowly
lieutenant acknowledged, much less apologized, for these illegal and
immoral shootings. No sniper was held accountable. 

On May 19 the commander of U.S. forces
in Baghdad, Maj. General Jeffrey Hammond, apologized to community leaders
and imams from the Baghdad neighborhood of Radhwaniya after it was discovered
that a U.S. sniper used a copy of the Quran for target practice. 

Gen. Hammond told the angry crowd, “I
come before you here seeking your forgiveness. In the most humble manner
. . . I say please forgive me and my soldiers. The actions of one soldier
were nothing more than criminal behavior.” 

Sheikh Hamadi al-Qirtani, speaking for
the tribal sheiks of Radhwaniya, called the sniper’s behavior “aggression
against the entire Islamic world.” The Association of Muslim Scholars
condemned “this heinous crime against God’s book” and warned Gen.
Hammond, “God preserves his book and [is] the Great Avenger.” 

We need some perspective here! 

Nora and the other innocent Iraqis shot
by snipers are made of flesh and blood and a brain capable of remembering
yesterday and hoping for tomorrow. They are their god’s “Islamic
World,” the living testament to faith in a sacred covenant. It is
these human beings who are the victims of a “heinous crime” and
deserve to be avenged by their god, if not at least apologized to by
Gen. Hammond.

Holy books, on the other hand, are made
of cardboard and paper and ink. They are made for profits (pun absolutely
intended). These books are not manna from heaven. They are manufactured
here on Earth and there is nothing sacred about their physical presence.
Whatever “sacredness” there may be in holy books can, like little
Nora, survive a sniper’s bullet. If it cannot, then it is most assuredly
the creation of men, not of gods. 

To seal his apology at Radhwaniya, Gen.
Hammond ordered a soldier to kiss a new copy of the Quran and present
it to the community. That done, he assured them, “I have punished
this soldier. [He] has lost the honor to serve the United States Army
and the people of Iraq here in Baghdad.” The soldier was sent home
to his family. 

Is it any wonder that the Vietnam War
lasted for more than a decade and claimed the lives of 58,200 Americans
and over two million Vietnamese? During that war, soldiers and marines
had to shoot themselves instead of a book in order to lose the “honor”
of serving the U.S. military and the people of Vietnam and get sent
home to their families. 

With that in mind, consider this proposal
for a “holey” workable Iraq peace plan: Mothers write to your son,
wives to your husband, and kids to your dad. Beg him to drill a few
7.62 holes into a holy book of his choice, turning it into an instrument
of peace. Have him respectfully submit this symbol of peace to his commanding
officer with a notarized photograph to the unit chaplain or local imam.
He will no longer be allowed to “serve” the people of Iraq and will
be safely home in a week. The war will be over by Christmas. 

It seems unlikely that either the Peaceful
Prophet of Islam or the Prince of Peace of Christianity will have a
problem with 140,000 holey holy books if it means saving twice that
many lives and the ending of an immoral war and suffocating occupation. 

The Peaceful Prophet said, “Whoever
kills a single soul . . . it is as though he had killed all of humanity,”
while the Prince of Peace made it clear, “Verily I say unto you, inasmuch
as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethrens, ye have
done it unto me. 

Neither Prophet nor Prince ever said
anything about “killing” a book. It is the “living testament”
that is sacred to them, not something made of cardboard and paper and
profits. 

Biography: Robert Weitzel is a contributing
editor to Media With a Conscience. His essays regularly appear in The
Capital Times in Madison, WI.  He can be contacted at: robertweitzel@mac.com