Posted on 11/22/2005 10:23:17 PM PST by RWR8189
WASHINGTON — At the U.S. prison for suspected terrorists at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, everyone can get a Koran, but no one gets a Bible.
Saifullah Paracha, a 58-year-old former Pakistani businessman with alleged ties to Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, has been in U.S. custody since 2003. Like the other inmates at Guantanamo Bay, he has a copy of the Koran. But he also wants an English translation of the King James version of the Bible.
Paracha believes that because the Bible is one of the scriptures accepted in Islam, he is entitled to a copy to read in his small wire-mesh cell. But after his lawyer shipped him a Bible, along with two volumes of Shakespeare, prison officials confiscated the package.
Paracha's American lawyer filed suit in U.S. District Court in Washington, demanding that Paracha be given the Bible and copies of "Hamlet" and "Julius Caesar." The government responded that certain books were kept from prisoners because they could "incite" them.
Whether the Bible or the Koran, prayer might seem appropriate for Paracha. The allegations against him are serious.
The government contends that through his international packaging company, Paracha conspired to ship chemical components to the United States to help set off an attack by Al Qaeda terrorists. His son Uzair Paracha, 25, is on trial in New York on charges that he tried to help an Al Qaeda operative enter the country and plan the intended attack.
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
The government responded that certain books were kept from prisoners because they could "incite" them.
But it's okay to give them the vile Koran? *sigh* Our tax dollars at work.
Personally, I'm all for giving them bibles.
Well, we know that the Bible is such a violent book in contrast with TROP Koran. /sarc
If this is true, then it's a shame. There is no reason whatsoever the government could ever give for not giving this man, or any other a bible.
I'm all for giving them Korans...with pig-skin covers and a slice of bacon as a bookmark.
Now THIS makes me mad. They give these terrorists a copy of their terrorist manual, but they won't give them a bible? They should offer them bibles to read while the korans are on "back order".
We should give them all Bibles and flush the Korans down the drain.
We must put an end to this madness, an enemy combatant is nothing but a non uniformed mercenary that is not recognized by the Geneva Conventions and should be held until the War is over and only released when his country of origin will promise to prosecute him as a terrorist
I am sure that his wanting a Bible means that he is up to no good.
A shipping company, huh? My guess is that the good folks at Gitmo will be more than happy to give him their own copies of said works. This smells very fishy.
I must say, I've never imagined Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar" inciting anyone to riot, but I guess there's a first for everything!!
They should give him the bible, and some extra copies for his fellow terrorists. (Oh, and give him the Shakespeare too! sheesh)
No doubt! And just think of the devious scheme he has for the copy of Hamlet. *shudder*
I'm going to take a stab that the lawyer did this as a stunt, the package got to Gitmo (what, is there a PO Box?) and they immediately confiscated it. They probably didn't even know they were books until the lawsuit. There are so many details left out, I'm guessing the LAT didn't even bother to rewrite the lawyer's press release.
The lawyer might be up to no good. The guy requesting The Bible MIGHT want it for good or evil. He might want to use it to incite his fellow inmates and to make the job of the US military personnel tougher.
They all should be "released" at 10,000 feet over the middle of the Atlantic with a ball and chain around their leg.
I'm guessing that you're right on the money. I'm also wondering what he'd do with the Bible and what would happen if he decided to flush it.
Sorry, but I see nothing 'innocent' about his wanting a Bible.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.