Reply #20: some scholars say one thing some say another

[azurnoir]

as another poster pointed opinions differ

Vanderbilt professor and Islam expert Leor Halevi answered questions on what the funeral means for the world's most famous terrorist in the afterlife.

On May 2, less than 24 hours after his death, Osama bin Laden's body was placed on a flat board and eased into the North Arabian Sea. Before being slid overboard the USS Carl Vinson, his body was washed and wrapped in white sheets in a 40-minute long traditional ceremony, while a Muslim officer read prayers for his soul.

The burial at sea might be unorthodox, but it's not unheard of, says Halevi, an associate professor of history at Vanderbilt. What was stranger was that he was granted the funeral ceremony reserved for the passing of ordinary Muslims under ordinary circumstances. Bin Laden was hardly ordinary and most would agree he died in extraordinary circumstances. Some would even argue he died in battle. (Though this one's up for debate – reports say he was unarmed.) The rituals for those who died in battle according to Halevi are different; they don't require the person be buried in a shroud or someone to say a prayer. And from what Halevi can see, the U.S. did not try to humiliate bin Laden in death.

Read more: http://newsfeed.time.com/2011/05/05/did-bin-ladens-burial-at-sea-follow-muslim-law/#ixzz1LXUa6GRK