It is quite disturbing that those reports indicated very high-level involvement in the whole process of torturing and prisoner abuse. It is good that the White House has already paid heed to these protests and said that an investigation was going on and this issue had been taken very seriously. We hope the White House will stick to its promise and wade into the task of finding the culprits and punishing them according to law.

Faith is in someway very important for almost 95% people of the world. Therefore desecration of any holy book or scripture is a threat to a very valuable human institution. If the US government does not take necessary action against this heinous crime, then who knows we might see a ripple effect of this incident where people will start desecrating holy books of their enemy as a method of revenge. And we all know what kind of mayhem that might create throughout the world. Therefore, the more we learn to respect and tolerate other people's faith, the more we can create harmony in this world.

This refers to the recent allegations of the desecration of the Holy Koran by American authorities in Guantanamo Bay. I understand that this is a highly sensitive religious issue and the uproar that followed across the Muslim world afterwards is nothing unusual. Many people have died in Afghanistan as a result and Afghan clerics are threatening a holy war against the US.

Of course people express their rage and fury if their sensitivities are hurt. However, I would argue overreactions and national outbursts of such nature over an incident are counterproductive. A similar outburst took place following Rushdie's Satanic Verses, but to what end? The book still exists; its plot still continues to be as blasphemous to the Muslims now as they were when the book was first published.

Words, plots, stories and stories of people desecrating Holy Scriptures are as powerful as the intended audience (in this case the Muslims) want them to be. Do not forget our world contains around six billion people. In an increasingly globalising world, holy texts, scriptures and other religious goods are available at the click of a mouse. This creates infinite possibilities for people to desecrate other people's religious goods, be it in the mind or in practice. Could it not be the case that even as I write this letter there is a religious bigot out there somewhere doing exactly what is purported to have happened in Guantanamo Bay. What is the difference between one incident that is brought to light and another that is not?

I'd like to urge the people of Bangladesh to think before they leap and to reason outside of emotions.

Remember a person who is disrespectful of a holy book no matter of what origin has no one but himself to harm because it is a negative act.

Saadi Chowdhury, On e-mail

Recently Afghans and Pakistanis held an anti American procession for desecration of the Holy Koran at Guantanamo Bay by American soldiers. I think not only in those two countries but also all over the world Muslim communities should have condemned this event. Many religious people live in the world. Nobody has the right to desecrate religious books. American authorities should take necessary action against those responsible for it. Otherwise, it will be proved that Americans do not respect other religions.

Rokon Dhaka