2005 Press Releases
Respect for the Holy Koran
May 20, 2005
As Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said before a U.S. Senate committee on May 12:
“Disrespect for the Holy Koran is not now, nor has it ever been, nor will it ever be, tolerated by the United States. We honor the sacred books of all the world's great religions. Disrespect for the Holy Koran is abhorrent to us all. There have been recent allegations about disrespect for the Holy Koran by interrogators at Guantanamo Bay and that has deeply offended many people. Our military authorities are investigating these allegations fully. If they are proven true, we will take appropriate action. Respect for the religious freedom of all individuals is one of the founding principles of the United States. The protection of a person's right to worship freely and without harassment is a principle that the government and the people of the United States take very seriously. Guaranteeing religious rights is of great personal importance to the President and to me. During the past few days, we have heard from our Muslim friends around the world about their concerns on this matter. We understand and we share their concerns. Sadly, some people have lost their lives in violent demonstrations. I am asking that all our friends around the world reject incitement to violence by those who would mischaracterize our intentions.”
Newsweek magazine has retracted its report of May 9 alleging disrespect of the Holy Koran at Guantanamo Bay. The U.S. Department of Defense has been looking into allegations of desecration of the Koran and has found nothing to substantiate them.
The U.S. government will investigate all credible allegations of misconduct and take action. We condemn all acts of incitement and violent protest, and we express our sympathies to those injured and to the families of those killed.