I don't disagree that it's propaganda but let's at least get our facts straight.
Farsi isn't the dominant language in Iraq.
Arabic is the only "official" language arabs acknowledge for the Koran. All who convert are taught some basics like saying the shihaada in Arabic. Whether or not he was reading it at the time, the language of his culture is irrelevant to his ability to read the Koran.
The koran isn't read. It's chanted from memory. You can hold it upside down and they wouldn't know the difference.
That's why this story is B.S. It's not like this guy was sitting in his room reading the bible, which is the impression they are trying to make, and us dumb westerners buy it.
And unless this was right in baghdad, I doubt these people could read Arabic at all. Haditha is where, more north nearer the kurds?
I'm sure these "nasty marines" would shoot this girls father and grandmother right in front of her, going from room to room while she watched. And then let her live to tell everyone about it. And it just so happened to be a Times reporter, who did his own "investigation".
We've seen these frauds before, the stories are too unbelievable to be even remotely true. I spent 23 years in the army, Nobody, especially a whole squad, would do anything like this. You could see one soldier snaping and going beserk, but nothing like this.
The Koran was origionaly written in Arabic, true- or so they try to tell us. Arabic wasn't a written language during Mohammads time, and was just developing oraly.
The Arabic in the Koran it's not quite the same as the Arabic used in everyday life.
The Koran is also written in many other languages. As mentioned, the usual method used to teach muslim youth the koran is by memorization. The literally memorize the entire koran. That's that "singing" you hear all the time in Islamic cities and towns.
Westerners visiting placed like Egypt, not understanding what they are saying, often comment how 'religious' the place is, not realizing that they could be signing the "and kill them where ever they are found" parts of the Koran.
Have you ever agued with muslims over what the koran says? The reason they argue with you, is because they have never read it. They have only memorized it and were told what it meant. That's why they are very evasive and often have to go ask their imam for a proper interpretation, and accuse you of reading it wrong.
The point is, even if the guy DID speak Arabic, it's pure BS that he was sitting in his room quietly reading the koran. Why would he need to do that when he has had it memorized from early childhood?