Islamic Scholars Criticize bin Laden’s Sea Burial

And then there’s this:

Muslim clerics said Monday that Osama bin Laden’s burial at sea was a violation of Islamic tradition that may further provoke militant calls for revenge attacks against American targets.

Although there appears to be some room for debate over the burial — as with many issues within the faith — a wide range of senior Islamic scholars interpreted it as a humiliating disregard for the standard Muslim practice of placing the body in a grave with the head pointed toward the holy city of Mecca.

Sea burials can be allowed, they said, but only in special cases where the death occurred aboard a ship.

Bin Laden’s burial at sea “runs contrary to the principles of Islamic laws, religious values and humanitarian customs,” said Sheik Ahmed al-Tayeb, the grand Imam of Cairo’s al-Azhar mosque, Sunni Islam’s highest seat of learning.

So what? I’ll start paying attention to what these “scholars” have to say when that clearly and unambiguously denounce all terrorism. That means no buts  as in, “We are against terrorism but not when it is used against Jews occupying Palestine”, or ‘we are against terrorism but it is all right to murder people if a Koran is burned somewhere, anywhere is the world.

More Thoughts on Osama’s Death

Some of the thoughts that occur to me:

It doesn’t seem at all likely that elements of the Pakistani military and intelligence services did not know where Osama has been. They actually seem to have been protecting him and warning him whenever US forces approached.

Former Pakistani Prime Minister Musharraf criticized this operation for violating Pakistani sovereignty.

Former Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf on Monday accused the U.S. of violating his country’s sovereignty by sending in special forces to kill Osama bin Laden.

“American troops coming across the border and taking action in one of our towns, that is Abbottabad, is not acceptable to the people of Pakistan. It is a violation of our sovereignty,” Mr. Musharraf told CNN-IBN, an Indian news channel.

He added that it would have been “far better if Pakistani Special Services Group had operated and conducted the mission. To that extent, the modality of handling it and executing the operation is not correct.”

Well, if we had worked with the Pakistani Special services, than Osama  would have been long gone.

Mr. Musharraf said the “lack of trust is very bad.”

They’re not giving us much reason to trust them.

From Texas I read this:

DALLAS — Supporters left American flags and patriotic red, white and blue balloons outside the Dallas home of former President George W. Bush in the hours after President Barack Obama’s announced a U.S.-led mission had killed Osama bin Laden.

A sign on the gate outside the street leading to Bush’s residence Monday read in small letters, “President Obama forgot to say …” then continued in letters big enough to be read from the road, “Thank you President Bush.”

One would hope that the President would have enough class to acknowledge the efforts of his predecessor but with President Narcissus that’s not very likely.

Osama is Dead

Well, they finally got him.

This is a day of independence, for all Americans and their descendents.

First, let’s thank the persons responsible-The Navy SEALs who stormed his hideout in Pakistan and killed him.

Next, the great president who put into motion the policies that led to this day, George W. Bush

Oh, and thanks to Obama for not keeping his campaign pledge to close Guantanamo and for not messing this up like he has everything else he’s done.

One quibble, it seems that they are burying him at sea in accordance with Islamic practices. Why? His body ought to be put on public display at ground zero, then slathered in pig fat and buried.

Oh, and another thing, the Pakistani government had to have known where he was for some time now.