Bin Laden's burial at sea--why was it so important to adhere to Muslim funeral rites?

[WhipperSnapper]

I don't understand why the U.S. government thought that it was so important to dispose of his body within 24 hours unless they're using it as a cover up for something (such as his having already been dead for years or our not having actually killed him).

Who cares if he gets a proper Muslim funeral? Did the victims in the World Trade Center get a proper funeral? Aside from keeping his body around for a while to show various media investigators and whatnot, afterward I think we should have placed his body in a 55 gallon drum full of pigs blood and then dumped the drum at sea. Perhaps his submersion in the drum could have been broadcast over the Internet. "Follow in his footsteps and this is what will happen to you."

 

[Doppel]

I also wonder why they put emphasis on this, something he doesn't deserve. Especially if they are trying to impress that he's not a muslim leader.

 

[AyashiKaibutsu]

Well, they had to choose between inciting the enemy or appeasing conspiracy nuts and out for vengeance type simple folk. One of them makes the military's job easier, and since I'm in the military I personally like that option.

 

[xj0hnx]

Pretty sure they didn't do it for Osama's spirit's benefit but rather as Ayashi said to appease Islamist that even though might have found Osama, and what he stood for revolting, will definitely critique America's handling of this.

 

[Capt Caveman]

B/c we don't want anymore innocent people beheaded, like that jackass did by burning the Quran. Also, b/c Obama is a muslim too.

 

[gevorg]

B/c we don't want anymore innocent people beheaded, like that jackass did by burning the Quran.

This!

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

B/c we don't want anymore innocent people beheaded, like that jackass did by burning the Quran.

Winner.

Also it's a great way to show respect for the religion and give his supporters a big FU. A place of burial would be a rallying point. A body would be motivation for attacks to reclaim it. Now there's nothing but the fish to tell the tale.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

Also, b/c Obama is a muslim too.

 

[wuliheron]

To many Muslims he is a modern Robin Hood or Jesse James who stood up to the evil west. The US wanted to erase his memory as thoroughly as possible from the Muslim world.

Burying him on land would have given people a place to visit and remember the man. Burning the body would have been an insult to Islam. Feeding him to the sharks in the middle of nowhere and claiming they were trying to observe Islamic tradition took care of all the complications.

 

[boomerang]

My understanding is that the method did not adhere to Muslim burial rituals. There is no provision for burial at sea unless the individual died at sea with the means for internment on land not possible. So if the intent was to appease Muslims, it was a failure.

An individual should be buried before sunset and ideally before the next prayers with their head facing East. Taking the body out to sea after killing him on land did not accomplish anything in regards to good will.

The answer given that it was done so as not to create a shrine on land makes sense to me. IMO his body was disposed of at sea for that reason and that reason alone.

Our enemies will never believe his body was disposed of in a manner that suited them anyway.

 

[yllus]

It's the ultimate victory, really - kill the enemy, and deny his followers any propaganda value from his death. With Americans and America interests spread far and wide throughout the world doing anything else would be a bit irresponsible.

That said, I bet (and kind of hope) they held on to some part of his body for DNA evidence to be released a few months or years down the road.

 

[frostedflakes]

Disrespecting the corpse could have incited hatred from Muslims, helped to martyr bin Laden, etc. But I'm not even a conspiracy nut and even I find the burial at sea thing a bit odd. I find it hard to believe that no countries out there would have taken the body. I mean Saddam was buried with his family in Iraq, surely bin Laden's family could have found a grave in Saudi Arabia, or Afghanistan or Pakistan could have found a place to bury the body. Just seems odd to me.

 

[SandEagle]

muslim burial should be done asap but i think theres a max time of 3 days. plus dumping him out to sea aint the way to do it. should be somewhere underground.

 

[CallMeJoe]

muslim burial should be done asap but i think theres a max time of 3 days. plus dumping him out to sea aint the way to do it. should be somewhere underground.

I realize that Wiki is not necessarily correct, but:

"The sacred texts of Islam prefer burial on land, "so deep that its smell does not come out and the beasts of prey do not dig it out". However, if a person dies at sea and it is not possible to bring the body back to land before decay, burial at sea is allowed. A weight is tied to the feet of the body, and the body is lowered into the water. This would preferably occur in an area where the remains are not immediately eaten by scavengers. Also, if an enemy may dig up the grave to mutilate the body, it is also allowed to bury the deceased at sea to avoid mutilation."

 

[Schadenfroh]

There needs to be time for international experts to see / examine the body. Just like the holocaust's concentration camps, need to make sure enough people see it with their own eyes and confirm it themselves so that they cannot deny it happened.

 

[GodisanAtheist]

It's the ultimate victory, really - kill the enemy, and deny his followers any propaganda value from his death. With Americans and America interests spread far and wide throughout the world doing anything else would be a bit irresponsible.

That said, I bet (and kind of hope) they held on to some part of his body for DNA evidence to be released a few months or years down the road.

-Yeah there is certainly reams of photographic, video and forensic material ready to be declassified in however many years (FOIA timeframe?) to make sure his capture and disposal are unquestionable.

 

[Zorkorist]

We have no interest in Osama's corpse, but the fanatics do.

It was a simple and plausible way to be rid of his corpse.

-John

 

[Capt Caveman]

Just trying to appease everyone here.

 

[wuliheron]

My understanding is that the method did not adhere to Muslim burial rituals. There is no provision for burial at sea unless the individual died at sea. So if the intent was to appease Muslims, it was a failure.

The US claimed they made a gesture at trying to conform to Muslim tradition. If that isn't good enough for Muslims tough shit. Of course, if it makes you feel better I'm sure every Muslim and Imam would love nothing better then to tell you their feelings on the subject. Oh, I forgot, asking people about their feelings instead of jumping to conclusions isn't your strong suit.

 

[Lemon law]

Winner.

Also it's a great way to show respect for the religion and give his supporters a big FU. A place of burial would be a rallying point. A body would be motivation for attacks to reclaim it. Now there's nothing but the fish to tell the tale.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In the grand scheme of things, its likely to be a self serving US position that will backfire in the Muslim world.

Burial at Sea and within 24 hours, only serves to prevent a grave site Al-Quida supporters
can rally around as a holy site.

But still the USA violated Muslim religious beliefs, because under Islamic law, a Muslim burial at sea, is only kosher if the diseased died at sea, and it was impossible in the 24 period to return the body for a land burial.

But in so saying, I don't care a bit as long as Bin Laden is dead, but what I say in this post is irrelevant, the judge jury and executioner will be the outrage or lack of it in the Muslim Community. And when we are dealing with 1.4 billion people, what Muslims think will
end up being what matters. Already many Muslim clerics have weighed in as outraged.

 

[bfdd]

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In the grand scheme of things, its likely to be a self serving US position that will backfire in the Muslim world.

Burial at Sea and within 24 hours, only serves to prevent a grave site Al-Quida supporters
can rally around as a holy site.

But still the USA violated Muslim religious beliefs, because under Islamic law, a Muslim burial at sea, is only kosher if the diseased died at sea, and it was impossible in the 24 period to return the body for a land burial.

But in so saying, I don't care a bit as long as Bin Laden is dead, but what I say in this post is irrelevant, the judge jury and executioner will be the outrage or lack of it in the Muslim Community. And when we are dealing with 1.4 billion people, what Muslims think will
end up being what matters. Already many Muslim clerics have weighed in as outraged.

The wiki posted above says otherwise.

 

[Throckmorton]

My friend said "Obama taking credit for this is absolutely ridiculous. That would be like Osama taking credit for killing 3000 people on 9/11"

 

[Throckmorton]

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In the grand scheme of things, its likely to be a self serving US position that will backfire in the Muslim world.

Burial at Sea and within 24 hours, only serves to prevent a grave site Al-Quida supporters
can rally around as a holy site.

But still the USA violated Muslim religious beliefs, because under Islamic law, a Muslim burial at sea, is only kosher if the diseased died at sea, and it was impossible in the 24 period to return the body for a land burial.

But in so saying, I don't care a bit as long as Bin Laden is dead, but what I say in this post is irrelevant, the judge jury and executioner will be the outrage or lack of it in the Muslim Community. And when we are dealing with 1.4 billion people, what Muslims think will
end up being what matters. Already many Muslim clerics have weighed in as outraged.

Funny, I thought The Muslim World hates bin Laden and doesn't support terrorism. Suddenly they're all terrorist supporting jihadists like the rightwingers have been saying? Son of a bitch...

 

[wuliheron]

The wiki posted above says otherwise.

You can find a Muslim cleric ready to declare Disney Land an outrage. Bitching is a time honored tradition among Christian fundamentalists as well. So what.

 

[Zebo]

buried at sea lolz...fishy indeed.