Morale: The Unwanted Dead

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February 16, 2015: The growing international hatred of ISIL has created yet another problem for Iraq. Over the last few months a growing number of Western and Moslem countries have refused to accept the bodies of ISIL men killed in Iraq but then identified as foreigners. This is a delicate matter because Moslem custom encourages respect for the dead and prompt burial. The families of these dead ISIL members want to bury them but their governments do not want to show any respect to ISIL at all. Some Western nations have taken away the citizenship of men who were identified as dying for ISIL and refuse to have anything to do with the deceased non-citizens. Iraq does not want to be responsible for the burial of these men as it would create a shrine for current or future Islamic terrorists. The U.S. suggests burying them at sea, with the proper Islamic prayers and a cleric in attendance. This is accepted by most Islamic clergy and may be the best solution to a problem that keeps getting worse as the number of unwanted corpses increases.

 

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