US Military Yields to Al Jazeera, Destroys Afghan Bibles

05/07/09 Afghanistan (International Christian Concern) – The U.S. military leadership in Afghanistan has confiscated and destroyed several Bibles in Afghan languages which had been sent to an American soldier serving in Afghanistan. The military confiscated the Bibles after the Arab media outlet Al Jazeera released a story earlier this week with videos of American soldiers discussing how to distribute the Bibles.

U.S. Central Command’s General Order Number 1 prohibits American soldiers from proselytizing. Al Jazeera’s report wrongly indicates that there are no Christians in Afghanistan, and so the only purpose of the Bibles could be for proselytism.

However, Al Jazeera’s report is wrong on two counts. ICC has received reliable reports that there are at least 10,000 Afghan Christians living in Afghanistan. The case of Abdul Rahman in 2006, who was forced to flee the country for converting to Christianity, however, shows that these Christians must operate in absolute secrecy for fear of their lives. In addition, the Christian Bible is considered a holy book for Muslims as well as Christians.

While Al Jazeera’s alarmist reporting claims that the American soldiers with these Bibles had no other plans than to force Christianity on an unwilling Muslim population, the video they posted clearly reveals the opposite. In the video on Al Jazeera’s website, the soldiers agree that Bibles can only be given to those who ask for them. Why would good Muslims not be interested in obtaining a book considered holy by their own religion?

The Pentagon press office did not respond to calls for a comment.

Jeremy Sewall, ICC’s Advocacy Director, said, “This is a clear case of radical Muslim propaganda on Al Jazeera’s part, and it shows an unwillingness to deal with the fundamental right of religious freedom. In kowtowing to Muslim criticism, the US military is violating the very mission that brings them to Afghanistan – to promote democracy. The US military is not going to promote democracy by limiting the freedom of conscience of the people who are supposed to adopt a democratic form of government, but they are doing just that by destroying Bibles that Afghan people have every reason and right to obtain.”