Richard Littledale's
Views on the News: May 2004

Anyone who has remained unmoved by the shocking images of torture coming out of Iraq in the past week must be severely desensitized. The pictures are brutal, degrading and altogether sickening. Not only the acts themselves, but the desire to record them, shows a depressing side to human nature. Ironically, this is the case even if some of them prove to be fabricated. If the images are in fact untrue, then we are left with the fact that some people will stop at nothing to make a name for themselves or their newspaper - even if it costs the reputation, the job, and indeed the lives of others. A supposedly moral crusade, whether it is for freedom or truth, causes inevitable casualties.

For someone so pure and holy, Jesus showed remarkably little surprise at the cruelty and depravity of mankind. He saw such things as the inevitable consequence of corruption and godlessness. Asked once about the need to maintain purity through a strict pious diet, he commented that it was the evil in our hearts, rather than what we put into our mouths, which makes us unclean (Matt 15:1-20). Soldiers drunk on power and abusing their captives, whatever the colour of their uniform, have fallen prey to the enemy within. Outrage should give way to compassion, as Christians pray for their repentance and forgiveness...and their souls.

When American military planners first announced their intention to send troops into Afghanistan, the name of the plan was "operation infinite justice". This name was subsequently dropped, after Muslim clerics pointed out that infinite justice belonged only to Allah and therefore it was blasphemous for the military to assume such a title. Troops, both American and British, would do well to remember that meting out punishment affords only the temporary illusion of power, and that one day all must account for their actions.