Osama's Speedy Sea Burial: Where's The Certificate?

OR IS IT? (Photograph of work by a sand artist in India from the AP)

Not surprisingly, there seems to be conflicting opinions regarding Osama Bin Laden's burial at sea, and whether or not it violated the central tenets of Islam. Reuters quotes the leader of Egypt's prestigious learning center, al-Azhar, as saying that the sea burial "contradicts all the religious values and human norms." Meanwhile, Khalid Latif, NYU's Islamic Center director said that Islamic law is "flexible" in this instance, and that "letting bin Laden's body 'wash back and forth in the sea'" was preferable to a land burial that would "create an opportunity for many individuals to unleash and lash out their rage against him. He made lives terrible for so many of us."

The New York Times, quoting an official, couches Bin Laden's burial in oddly peaceful terms, noting that "a military officer read religious rites—translated into Arabic—and then the body was placed on a board, tipped up and 'eased into the sea.'" Perhaps the official's emphasis on "easing" rather than "chucking" is due to the administration's caution to not offend or insult Muslims, but Birthers have already begun seeing something nefarious in the speedy disposal of the leader of Al Qaeda. The same people who demanded (and still demand) proof of the President's birth on US soil will need to see photographic proof of Bin Laden's demise. In fact, according to Al Qaeda, Bin Laden is still alive! He's probably kicking back with an Arnold Palmer and a signed copy of Freedom right now.

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By Christopher Robbins in News on May 2, 2011 3:45 PM

Comments [rss]

manuella

do you really believe they killed him ??? C'mon !!!
Either he was dead for a while but it was not politically interesting to mention it at that time or he is still alive.
I don't believe he was killed 2 days ago and how convenient to burry him in such a hurry. Bizzare !!

ed_Extinct

The White House will release photos.

As for the burial, in keeping with Islamic tradition, we again are the bigger men for not flaunting him—he died a coward, not a martyr and it needed to be kept that way.

rcltrh

Doesn't this just mean he will wash up on some shore somewhere - especially if attached to a floating board? Never did understand the burial at sea thing. Dead bodies float around and eventually wash up somewhere if they aren't eaten by fish and birds. Some kid somewhere will be digging in the sand making sand castles only to be horrified when this rotten corpse washes up.

thesporkgirl

i think the idea is to tip the board, the body slides off, and the board stays on the ship.

xXxMExXx

Your a racist if you doubt Obama.

birdtird

Why does Osama deserve respect or a respectful anything? At least as far as the US government or military is concerned? Should have hung him up in Times Square.

Roger_the_Shrubber

Fact is, if there is ever any question about the body in the future, nothing can be done about it.

NlGGAZ

I mean it's plausible. I mean it could be the greatest and most brilliant Propaganda that the US has ever done. Think about it. What if Osama WERE still alive? All the US had to do was say they killed him, took his DNA, bury him at sea. Tell everyone, it's covert ops, tell the covert ops it's super secret covert ops and that's that. The US then would have destroyed the Osama Bin Laden symbol symbol of terror and hero to rebels against the US forever. Osama couldn't be like "No I'm not dead! I'm still alive! Look at me!!!" cause they'd make him dead for real in no time if he announced that and any pictures or audio and video disseminated would be and thrown away and regarded casually as Muslim radical conspiracy kooks like a saddam lookalike. It could be a total Capricorn One situation. So basically Osama can't prove he's alive if he were alive. And that would be a awesome measure of revenge in itself.

TeddyNYC

Well, if you think about it, they kind of did it quick. They could've kept his ass in some freezer and think it over a little longer what to do with the body. I'm sure they took pictures and video of his body. Right?!? If he's still alive, I'm sure he'll put his anti-semitic feelings aside and call Elliot Gould for help.

thesporkgirl

they couldn't have kept it in a freezer without being disrespectful to islamic burial traditions, which require burial to take place as soon as possible after death.

Rocknrope

Someone should draw in a big "?" underneath the words.

soxinthecity

Some people have spent way too much time watching 24.

inoyourider21

Should have buried him in a vat of pigs blood.

AuntySemantic

I wonder how long it will take the wing nuts to assert that bin Laden is not dead, just being stored at Parkland hospital with JFK until after the election.

cr17

No, he's on the Hollywood back lot where they shot the moon landing.

Roger_the_Shrubber

The White House says they gave him a traditional and respectful muslim service before throwing him overboard.

Why?

I have no respect for that scumbag but apparently the president did.

They should have shoved a pork chop up is ass, thrown him down an Army latrine and given every soldier some ex-lax.

Logan

I doubt it was done out of respect for bin laden, It was done out of respect for Islam. bin laden was an awful Muslim and shamed himself more than we ever could. If you want to treat our worst enemies like they would treat us then I have no idea why you're so upset with them.

RevWaldo

Well, let's just say that if the Romans had decided to simply cut Jesus's head off in a secluded courtyard, dismembered and burnt the body then dumped the remains in an old salt pit on the outskirts of Golgotha, we'd be living in a very different world.