# Obama announcing death of Osama bin Laden \[edited title\] **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 2, 2011, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-announcing-death-of-osama-bin-laden-edited-title/580435 "2011-05-02T02:15:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 19
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2011, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-announcing-death-of-osama-bin-laden-edited-title/580435/361 "2011-05-02T15:02:40Z")
> [@Shayna](#): > > [Sea Burial Services Dignified Memorial Services](http://www.seaservices.com/Muslim.htm) > > 1. > - If a person dies on a ship and if there is no fear of the decay of the dead body and if there is no problem in retaining it for sometime on the ship, it should be kept on it and buried in the ground after reaching the land. Otherwise, **after giving Ghusl, Hunut, Kafan and Namaz-e-Mayyit it should be lowered into the sea in a vessel of clay or with a weight tied to its feet. And as far as possible it should not be lowered at a point where it is eaten up immediately by the sea predators.** > > 2. **If it is feared that an enemy may dig up the grave and exhume the dead body and amputate its ears or nose or other limbs, it should be lowered into sea, if possible, as stated in the foregoing rule.** > > 3. > - The expenses of lowering the dead body into the sea, or making the grave solid on the ground can be deducted from the estate of the deceased, if necessary. Then as far as I can tell, the US has already violated the burial rituals, since the preference is to be buried on earth. He was killed on the ground, not at sea, so they had to either put him on a ship and sail out a few miles, or dump him out of a helicopter. ---
**Author:** ![Shayna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shayna/32/17976_2.png) [@Shayna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shayna)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2011, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-announcing-death-of-osama-bin-laden-edited-title/580435/362 "2011-05-02T15:03:02Z")
[Ghusl](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghusl), [Hunut](http://islamic-laws.com/tawzeh/71.html), [Kafan](http://www.al-islam.org/laws/kafan.html), [Namaz-e-Mayyit](http://www.al-islam.org/laws/namazemayyit.html) ---
**Author:** ![Shayna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shayna/32/17976_2.png) [@Shayna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shayna)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2011, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-announcing-death-of-osama-bin-laden-edited-title/580435/363 "2011-05-02T15:04:08Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > Then as far as I can tell, the US has already violated the burial rituals, since the preference is to be buried on earth. He was killed on the ground, not at sea, so they had to either put him on a ship and sail out a few miles, or dump him out of a helicopter. If it is feared that an enemy may dig up the grave and exhume the dead body and amputate its ears or nose or other limbs, it should be lowered into sea. . . It is perfectly reasonable for the U.S. to claim that there was sufficient fear that his body would be dug up and desecrated in some way, to justify the burial at sea. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2011, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-announcing-death-of-osama-bin-laden-edited-title/580435/364 "2011-05-02T15:07:05Z")
I think the fear was that his fans would turn his grave into a shrine, not that his enemies would defile the body (which I’m sure would happen if he were buried in the US). ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2011, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-announcing-death-of-osama-bin-laden-edited-title/580435/365 "2011-05-02T15:08:36Z")
I also heard a report that we couldn’t find a country willing to allow bin Laden to be buried within its borders. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2011, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-announcing-death-of-osama-bin-laden-edited-title/580435/366 "2011-05-02T15:08:52Z")
> [@buddha\_david](#): > > Oh gee, I am soooo scared…c’mon, what are they gonna do? Blow up subway stations, hijack planes and fly them into skyscrapers, stuff like that? Al-Qaeda’s already done the worst things imaginable to innocent citizens of America and other countries worldwide; it’s not like they can come up with anything new that hasn’t already been done. And since their key sympathizers/collaborators have already been voted out of the White House as of 2008, they’re even more hamstrung than before. > > As for the leaders of Pakistan knowingly harboring the world’s #1 fugitive for ten years, let 'em live with their shame. No need to make an example of them…yet. **AK84** is a resident of Pakistan and his post has legitimate concerns and he is merely pointing out that they are more likely to affect him than they are the majority of us on this board as we are mostly Americans. ---
**Author:** ![Shayna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shayna/32/17976_2.png) [@Shayna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shayna)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2011, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-announcing-death-of-osama-bin-laden-edited-title/580435/367 "2011-05-02T15:13:16Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > I think the fear was that his fans would turn his grave into a shrine, not that his enemies would defile the body (which I’m sure would happen if he were buried in the US). Of course that was the actual fear. What I said was that it’s not unreasonable to make the claim that there was fear of desecration, as well (as I’m sure there was). ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2011, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-announcing-death-of-osama-bin-laden-edited-title/580435/368 "2011-05-02T15:17:54Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > I also heard a report that we couldn’t find a country willing to allow bin Laden to be buried within its borders. I don’t doubt that somebody claimed this, but I’m really doubtful that we asked anybody. Given the time frame of his death, the public announcement of it, and then his burial, I don’t think there was time even if someone thought of it. More likely they decided there wasn’t going to be any possible burial “shrine” a long time ago. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2011, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-announcing-death-of-osama-bin-laden-edited-title/580435/369 "2011-05-02T15:20:42Z")
I think whether this burial is going to be considered appropriate by moderate Muslims will be one of the more interesting questions to be answered over the next few days. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2011, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-announcing-death-of-osama-bin-laden-edited-title/580435/370 "2011-05-02T15:25:16Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > Does any anyone know if there are any acceptable Muslim rituals for burial at sea? The administration said they would obey the appropriate religious requirements for burial. Yeah, geez, I hope we don’t offend anyone with the manner in which we dispose of his corpse. mmm ---
**Author:** ![PlainJain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5daacb/32.png) [@PlainJain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlainJain)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2011, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-announcing-death-of-osama-bin-laden-edited-title/580435/371 "2011-05-02T15:27:04Z")
> [@Sailboat](#): > > Well, _I_ certainly thought his point was “they’ve already been coming for us, this doesn’t make them any likelier to come for us,” which _seems_ to be your point, so it looks like reiteration from here. I guess he could have been clearer; I might have inserted “It’s not like” just before “They’re not going about their lives, ready for bygones to bygones…” just to be more explicit. Well maybe I read it wrong , I’ll concede that. ---
**Author:** ![PlainJain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5daacb/32.png) [@PlainJain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlainJain)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2011, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-announcing-death-of-osama-bin-laden-edited-title/580435/372 "2011-05-02T15:29:28Z")
> [@eleanorigby](#): > > Keeping it classy. :rolleyes: Not up to the Dope’s usual high standards, huh? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![buddha\_david](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@buddha\_david](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddha_david)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2011, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-announcing-death-of-osama-bin-laden-edited-title/580435/373 "2011-05-02T15:37:53Z")
> [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > Yeah, geez, I hope we don’t offend anyone with the manner in which we dispose of his corpse. To be fair, it’s important for America to demonstrate that we’re only at war with al-Qaeda, not with Islam itself. As tempting as it is to dismember OBL’s body and place his head on a pike outside the Rose Garden, to do so would only anger people of the Islamic faith. Disposing of OBL’s remains in a respectful manner (although a secret burial at sea does seem rather suspicious) allows the U.S.A. to take the moral high ground, and may help prevent the moral outrage created by the GWB Administration when they displayed photos of Saddam Hussein’s dead sons on the cover of TIME magazine. Naturally, it’s merely a political maneuver, but that’s a critical factor which we ignore at our own peril. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2011, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-announcing-death-of-osama-bin-laden-edited-title/580435/374 "2011-05-02T15:38:36Z")
This animated gif of Obama is how his speech last night _should_ have gone: [http://www.yasrsly.com/obamas-speech-hes-dead-gif/511331/](http://www.yasrsly.com/obamas-speech-hes-dead-gif/511331/) Fucking badass! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2011, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-announcing-death-of-osama-bin-laden-edited-title/580435/375 "2011-05-02T15:58:41Z")
There’s also this pic of Obama…PRICELESS! [http://www.yasrsly.com/obamas-speech-sorry-it-took-so-long/511336/](http://www.yasrsly.com/obamas-speech-sorry-it-took-so-long/511336/) 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2011, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-announcing-death-of-osama-bin-laden-edited-title/580435/376 "2011-05-02T16:50:15Z")
> [@buddha\_david](#): > > To be fair, it’s important for America to demonstrate that we’re only at war with al-Qaeda, not with Islam itself. > > As tempting as it is to dismember OBL’s body and place his head on a pike outside the Rose Garden, to do so would only anger people of the Islamic faith. Disposing of OBL’s remains in a respectful manner (although a secret burial at sea does seem rather suspicious) allows the U.S.A. to take the moral high ground, and may help prevent the moral outrage created by the GWB Administration when they displayed photos of Saddam Hussein’s dead sons on the cover of TIME magazine. > > Naturally, it’s merely a political maneuver, but that’s a critical factor which we ignore at our own peril. I know, Buddha, I totally get it. It just seems absurd to engage a discussion about being cautious to treat his body with respect and dignity; because we, you know, stormed his compound and put a bullet in his eye and all that. mmm ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2011, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-announcing-death-of-osama-bin-laden-edited-title/580435/377 "2011-05-02T17:01:09Z")
The burial at sea is to prevent his grave from being a shrine. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2011, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-announcing-death-of-osama-bin-laden-edited-title/580435/378 "2011-05-02T17:07:13Z")
So has the Gerald Ford executive order against assassination been formally revoked? ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2011, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-announcing-death-of-osama-bin-laden-edited-title/580435/379 "2011-05-02T17:28:51Z")
CNN is talking to a couple of retired Navy Seals. They put small graphics up with each mans CV. One, Eric Greitens, was just astonishing: BA, Duke Univ Rhodes Scholar MA, Ph.D. Oxford Univ CEO The Mission Continues Awarded Bronze Star, Purple Heart …so that would be _Doctor_ Bad-Ass Killing Machine to you. ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2011, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-announcing-death-of-osama-bin-laden-edited-title/580435/380 "2011-05-02T17:34:03Z")
> [@buddha\_david](#): > > What’s wrong with FedEx? Tom Clancy once said “Of course someone could get an atomic bomb into the country – they’d just have to put it in a big crate marked ‘cocaine.’” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-announcing-death-of-osama-bin-laden-edited-title/580435.md?page=18) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-announcing-death-of-osama-bin-laden-edited-title/580435.md?page=20)