Harry Potter and The Koran
Aug 8th 2005RavenGeneral & War
What do the books about Harry Potter, the Koran and Gitmo abuse have in common? Not much according to some people. Prisoners, you know-those who have been abused, are given oppurtunities to read the Harry Potter books among others. Some of them have become big fans.
Harry Potter’s worldwide popularity is so broad-based that it has become favorite reading for Islamic terror suspects at the U.S. prison at Guantanamo Bay.
Lori, who for two years has overseen the detention center’s library, said J.K. Rowling’s tales about the boy wizard are on top of the request list for the camp’s 520 al Qaeda and Taliban suspects, followed by Agatha Christie whodunits.
“We’ve got a few who are kind of hooked on it. A couple have asked if they can see the movie,” said Lori, a civilian contractor who asked that her last name not be publicized.
I wouldn’t let them read such good books. No. I would give them the King James Bible. I would have every version of every Christian bible in that library. And some Stephen King, Anne Rice (I bet the detainees would just LOVE the tales of one Lestat de Lioncourt).
Lori said she is compiling a list to provide to various lawmakers in Washington, who recently visited the prison at the U.S. Naval Base Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, as part of a congressional delegation investigating accusations of torture. A U.S. military investigation last month concluded that no torture has taken place since the prison opened in early 2002.
I’ll compile a list of books, and I’ll even set up a donation project for people who have books they want to get rid of. Special requests would include cook books like this, and this awesome book about President Bush, among other simliar titles.
The Guantanamo library also has drawn interest because of a separate investigation into how guards handle the Koran, which is given to any prisoner who requests it under Pentagon policy. The investigation found five cases of mishandling the sacred book, but no evidence that personnel flushed a copy down a toilet, as one press report — since disavowed — said.
The prison initially ordered 1,600 Korans in various languages for $23,000 and since has put in orders for more than 200 more.
That’s a lot of money to be spending on copies of the Koran. Why don’t we just print our own? I could do that for a hell of lot less than this.
Most of the Muslim holy books are printed in Saudi Arabia at the King Fahd Holy Koran Printing Complex. There, Islamic clerics ensure that each edition faithfully translates the words of the prophet Muhammad.
Once the shipment arrives, Lori said, the prison staff then screens them. Saudi Arabia is the hub for extreme teachings of Wahhabism’s version of Islam. Some Korans are printed with Wahhabi commentary. But those editions are not allowed at Guantanamo.
“We only buy the Koran,” Lori said. “The Koran is the Koran is the Koran. There is no Wahhabi version. You can buy a Koran with commentary. We do not purchase the Koran with commentary. The reason we do not do that is we would end up with Wahhabi interpretations.”
Most people know we would print a version that is equal to if not better than the original. I know there would be lots of people who would love to edit and re-write the Koran and bring it up to modern times. It would have to include the thousands of attacks by modern day Muslim hero Islamafreakoids. It would have to include bios of the big man himself, Osama Yo Mama Bin Laden and his little flea picking homey lover, Dr. Ayman al- Zawahiri. I think they would include a new chapter in the Koran, called the END. Complete with drawings of pretty pink nuclear explosions over Mecca and Medina.
