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UNITED STates institute of peace

© USIP 2012 • All rights reserved.

“The recent crisis of the 

defamation of the Koran 

exemplifies the need to better 

understand the vital role of 

religious leaders and communities and their multidimensional function in maintaining 

peace and stability in their 

respective communities.”

March 20, 2012

The Koran Desecration and the Role 

of Religion in Conflict

Summary

•	 The recent desecration of the Koran and Islamic writings caused violent unrest in Afghanistan

and raises concerns about essential training in culture and religion for U.S. personnel.

•	 Basic knowledge of religious actors and their rolesin peacebuilding and conflict management

isstill barely factored in by policymakers and advisersto U.S. government.

•	 There needs more effort by local, regional, and international religiousleadersto promote

nonviolent and tolerant reactions even in midst of incendiary events.

•	 An assessment is needed to evaluate whether efforts at promoting inter-culturalsensitivity

are working or not, and identifying processesfor mitigating tensions.

In February 2012, Afghan employees at the Bagram Air Base were enraged to find burnt copies

of the Koran and other Islamic writingsin the trash. Thisset off deadly proteststhroughout the

country claiming as many as 41 Afghan lives and the shooting of four American soldiers. There

were violent and nonviolent protestsin Afghanistan and in several Muslim countries. There were

condemnations by heads ofstates. Immediate apologies were offered by the NATO commander in

Afghanistan, General John R. Allen, President Barack Obama, and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

As of mid-March, three distinct boards of inquiry are examining the misstepsthat led to the Koran

burning: a joint U.S./Afghan undertaking, a U.S. military investigation with the authority to recommend disciplinary action and an Afghan investigation supervised by a council of religious figures.

The desecration of the Koran, and recent killings of 16 Afghan civiliansin Kandahar by a U.S.

sergeant, brought relations between the U.S. and Afghanistan to a new low asthe crisisrevealed a

layer of unspoken cultural and religiousinsensitivities and lack of understanding.

Unfortunately, there is a track record ofsimilar incidents. In the recent past, the U.S. military had

been accused of defaming the Koran in Iraq where it was used for target practice, at the Guantanamo Bay detention camp in Cuba, where the holy book was allegedly flushed down the toilet,

and also mishandling it in detention sitessuch as Abu Gharib.

Ten years after 9/11, two warsin Muslim societies, and the unfolding of the Arab civil unrest

in the Middle East and North Africa, there are fundamental questions asto why there remains

basic knowledge gapsin culture, religion, and customs within the U.S. military and government.

The latest event furthermore raiseslarger questions about our analysis on the role of religion in

peacebuilding, and whether conflict resolution operations can be successful without factoring

in relevant attitudes and behaviorsrelating to religion. This USIP Peace Brief is partly a result of a

Qamar-ul Huda

E-mail: qhuda@usip.org

peaceBrieF121
© USIP 2012 • All rights reserved.

The Koran Desecration and the Role of Religion in Conflict

page 2 • PB 121 • March 20, 2012

conversation between experts,scholars and U.S. government officials who discussed the complex

issuesregarding the intersection of religion, peacebuilding, and conflict prevention in conflict

zones during a closed-doorsession at USIP shortly after the Koran incident.

Where is Religion in the Equation? 

Religion’srole in conflict and peacebuilding is complex, varied and occasionally the subject of controversy. Isreligion part of the problem or part of the solution in conflict resolution? Are religious

actorssufficiently taken into account in assessing a conflict? Are U.S. government officials and

policymakers adequately factoring in cultural and religious valuesin assessing the scope of conflict

and violence prevention? The answer is often no. Casting religious actors as villains or insignificant

civilsociety actorsrelegatesthem to the margins, yet mainstream international peacebuilding

efforts are constantly facing obstacles by ignoring the role of religious actors. Religion isintegral

to conflict management, peacebuilding, development and conflict management, especially in

conservative religious-based societies.

Religion remains a strong ideologicalsource for identity and values, including those relating to

nationalism, conflict and peacemaking. In many world regions, religion has a new resonance in

contemporary times. Religious actors and tensionslinked to religiousidentities are playing active

rolesin both conflicts and approachesto resolving those same conflicts. Religion is often associated, correctly or incorrectly, as a central factor in inter-communal violence in places as diverse as

Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq, Egypt, Sri Lanka, Nigeria, India, Northern Ireland and Uganda. Negative

perceptions of religiousfactorsin conflict, a motivating factor for violence and driving communities apart, have tended to predominate. At least asimportant, however, isthe power of religious

ideas and voicesto persuade. Their resonance within communities, the influence of religious

leadersto speak as political orsocial voices and powerful religioussymbols all can be used

constructively to counteract extremist behavior, bringing about resolution and reconciliation.

The recent crisis of the defamation of the Koran exemplifiesthe need to better understand the

vital role of religiousleaders and communities and their multidimensional function in maintaining

peace and stability in their respective communities. There is a need to improve communications

between policymakers, enable coordinating governing bodiesto utilize religious bodies effectively, and ensure that local religious actorsrapidly respond as mediators.

Varied Responses to Defaming Scripture

The desecration of the Koran, or any otherscripture, is an offense to that particular faith community because scripture represents core identity markers and it encapsulates guiding ethical

principlesfor the believer. For Muslims, the Koran is a holy book which is understood as a divine

revelation sent to humankind for guidance; it is memorized, recited regularly in the daily prayers,

recited publically, aesthetically printed in classical Arabic, and a text which is very much integrated

in the life of the believer. Scripture is often the most potentsymbol of unity, transcending ethnicity,

tribe, nationalism and culture. When it is defamed it evokesintense shock and emotions. However,

within Islam there are concise boundaries about refraining from violence and controlling emotions

to prevent the escalation of the conflict. When apologies are offered, it is a religious obligation to

accept the apology with the intention of moving toward mediation and reconciliation.

Some experts asserted that the violent response to the defamation of the Koran was primarily

due to the perception that NATO coalition forces act in a pattern of continued disrespect to local

culture: from night raids of homesto unaccountable detention of prisoners, from bombings of

weddings and funeralsto urinating on enemy corpses, and the constantstressful conditionsliving
© USIP 2012 • All rights reserved.

The Koran Desecration and the Role of Religion in Conflict

page 3 • PB 121 • March 20, 2012

with a foreign military presence. Forsome, the desecration of the holy book wasthe pinnacle of

enduring cultural and religious abuses which could not be contained.

Others claim that violent protests against NATO were more about the presence of foreign forces

and the accumulated frustration ofseeing the disparity of wealth, the dismal economic opportunitiesfor the youth,severe corruption at every level, poor governance and unaccountability of

governing institutions,stymied reformsfor empowerment, and persistent obstaclesto providing

health services, promoting human rights, and effective powersharing. Thisisto say that the

defaming of the Koran ignited a series of frustrations already in play.

An analyst with the Defense Departmentsaid that military personnel receive mandatory training in culture prior to overseas deployment; however, the department needsto improve in the

area of evaluating the effectiveness of these trainings and explore areasto develop and enhance

cultural understanding.

Also, there is ongoing debate within the military whether cultural training needsto be

reinforced based on the period of duty, and how to improve on retaining the knowledge under

stressful conditions of conflict.

Tentative Lessons Learned 

This event is an opportunity to appreciate the potential impact of religiousleaders and their

effortsin peacebuilding. Analysts need to recognize that their ambivalence toward religion is only

contributing to misunderstanding and continued miscalculationsin conflict analysis. Some might

argue that there is no pattern of disrespect or and that thissingle event will not erode Afghan

support for NATO engagement. Yet,such an argument does not fundamentally addressthe fact

that global efforts against terrorism, questionable attacks by NATO on Pakistani forces, and increasing visibility of Islamophobia all contribute to a view that religion is dismissed, or worse, being

targeted to be marginalized.

Below are a few lessonslearned on how to better understand the role of religion in conflict

resolution: 

•	 Since 9/11, the study of religion and international affairs is entrenched within the field

of security studies, terrorism and defeating extremism. Focusing exclusively on acts of

terrorism limits the analysis and understanding of the broader range of issues at work in

any given situation. Using a conflict resolution and conflict transformation framework can

present a broader set of suitable issues, actors and behaviors.

•	 Religious leaders have firsthand knowledge of local issues, and most often they and their

organizations can gain local cooperation easily, and have direct access to disputants. A focused strategy aimed at religious leaders should consist of a clear vision and methodology

to build relationships, implement conflict prevention practices and support post-conflict

development and social well-being.

•	 The chaplains within the Department of Defense have insight, experiences and a network

of religious leadership; they have an invaluable role to broaden the knowledge and skills

of the military and should serve as advisers to Department of State to improve the understanding of religious actors.

•	 Mitigating violence needs to be integrated within the larger enterprises of cultivating a

culture of peacemaking, in which the principles and values of peacemaking are affirmed

publicly and privately. A culture of peace consists of instilling the skills and attitudes
© USIP 2012 • All rights reserved.

USIP provides the analysis, training and 

tools that prevent and end conflicts, 

promotes stability and professionalizes 

the field of peacebuilding.

For media inquiries, contact the office 

of Public Affairs and Communications, 

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About This Brief

This Peace Brief is based in part 

upon a closed-door roundtable 

convened by the United States 

Institute of Peace which drew 

on the expertise of scholars, 

practitioners, U.S. government 

officials, and the policy community 

to discuss the implications of the 

burning of the Koran. The findings 

capture the key perspectives of 

the attendees but do not reflect 

any consensus position. They do 

not necessarily reflect the views 

of the United States Institute of 

Peace, which does not take policy 

positions.

needed to recognize and defuse potential conflicts on personal, interpersonal, communal,

regional, national and international levels. This is a natural fit for religious actors.

•	 Just as with other civil society actors, religious actors contribute to the wider field of

peacebuilding. There needs to be a long-term commitment to a comprehensive approach

that focuses on local community while engaging the middle and top levels of religious

leadership.

As policymakers and U.S. government grapple with the repercussions of this unfortunate

event, there needsto be symbolic acts of reaching out to communities who have been offended

to restore trust, rebuild relationships, acknowledge lapses of proper judgment, and the need to

use collaborative conflict resolution. If the aim isto work toward a culture of peacemaking, then

a revised training in culture should consist of key religious values and customs, with an emphasis

on understanding honor, guilt, empathy, ethics and justice. This oneroustask should not only be

delegated to the chaplains, who are uniquely situated to interface with locals, but rather there

needsto be a wider ownership within the government.

The Koran Desecration and the Role of Religion in Conflict

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