News

The Religious Side of the Abu Ghraib Scandal

Columnist

As prisoners forced to renounce faith, guards repudiated theirs voluntarily.

Christianity Today May 1, 2004

It’s worse As more details have emerged on abuse by American soldiers against Iraqi prisoners at Abu Ghraib prison, Christian commentators have largely focused on the pornographic nature of the images, speculating that the pervasiveness of pornography is at least partly responsible for the outrageous behavior. When Christian leaders have spoken directly on how religion and the abuse intersect, the focus has largely been on recognizing the sinful nature of each human being. Each of us is capable of great evil, several writers have noted.

In the next few days, however, expect writers both in the mainstream and Christian press to pick up a slightly different angle to the abuse story. That’s because new revelations have a somewhat religious bent to them.

The first item comes from Spec. Joseph M. Darby, who reportedly confronted Spec. Charles A. Graner Jr.โ€”apparent ringleader of the prison abuseโ€”about the activities. Darby later told investigators that Graner told him, “The Christian in me says it’s wrong, but the corrections officer in me says, ‘I love to make a grown man piss himself.'”

That the Christian in Graner lost out (in fact, it wasn’t just the prisoner’s own urine that Graner reportedly liked to see prisoners soaked in) is ripe for much commentary.

But far more troubling is an allegation that guards deliberately attacked the prisoners’ faith. Details on this matter have largely surfaced from prisoner Ameed Saeed al-Sheikh, who, in the words of The New York Times, said that “a hostility toward Islam coursed through much of the abuse.” We’ve already heard of many abuses that would have been particularly offensive to Muslims, but it now appears that the guards may have deliberately chosen some of these methods because they’re so offensive to Muslims. Some prisoners, press reports say, were “forced to renounce their religion.”

Particuarly disconcerting is this testimony from al-Sheikh: “Someone else asked me, ‘Do you believe in anything?’ I said to him, ‘I believe in Allah.’ So he said, ‘But I believe in torture, and I will torture you.'”

There’s no word on whether this line came from Graner, but if it did, it’s clear that “the Christian in him” was not calling the shots.

Copyright © 2004 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.

Related Elsewhere:

Suggest links and stories by sending e-mail to weblog@christianitytoday.com

What is Weblog?

Check out Books & Culture‘s weekly weblog, Content & Context.

See our past Weblog updates:

May 21 | 20 | 19 | 18 | 17

May 14b | 14a | 13 | 12 | 11 | 10

May 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3

April 30 | 29 | 28 | 27 | 26

April 23 | 22 | 21 | 20 | 19

April 16 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 12

and more, back to November 1999

Our Latest

Latino Churchesโ€™ Vibrant Testimony

Hispanic American congregations tend to be young, vibrant, and intergenerational. The wider church has much to learn with and from them.

Review

Modern โ€˜Technocultureโ€™ Makes the World Feel Unnaturally Godless

By changing our experience of reality, it tempts those who donโ€™t perceive God to conclude that he doesnโ€™t exist.

The Bulletin

A Brief Word from Our Sponsor

The Bulletin recaps the 2024 vice presidential debate, discusses global religious persecution, and explores the dynamics of celebrity Christianity.

News

Evangelicals Struggle to Preach Life in the Top Country for Assisted Death

Canadian pastors are lagging behind a national push to expand MAID to those with disabilities and mental health conditions.

Excerpt

The Chinese Christian Who Helped Overcome Illiteracy in Asia

Yan Yangchu taught thousands of peasants to read and write in the early 20th century.

What Would Lecrae Do?

Why Kendrick Lamarโ€™s question matters.

No More Sundays on the Couch

COVID got us used to staying home. But itโ€™s the work of Godโ€™s people to lift up the name of Christ and receive Godโ€™s Wordโ€”together.

Review

Safety Shouldnโ€™t Come First

A theologian questions our habit of elevating this goal above all others.

Apple PodcastsDown ArrowDown ArrowDown Arrowarrow_left_altLeft ArrowLeft ArrowRight ArrowRight ArrowRight Arrowarrow_up_altUp ArrowUp ArrowAvailable at Amazoncaret-downCloseCloseEmailEmailExpandExpandExternalExternalFacebookfacebook-squareGiftGiftGooglegoogleGoogle KeephamburgerInstagraminstagram-squareLinkLinklinkedin-squareListenListenListenChristianity TodayCT Creative Studio Logologo_orgMegaphoneMenuMenupausePinterestPlayPlayPocketPodcastRSSRSSSaveSaveSaveSearchSearchsearchSpotifyStitcherTelegramTable of ContentsTable of Contentstwitter-squareWhatsAppXYouTubeYouTube