Disposal of Bin Laden's Body Departed From Strict Muslim Tradition, Says Philadelphia Religion Expert
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - The body of Osama Bin Laden was buried at sea after DNA confirmed that the Navy Seals had indeed gotten their man (see related story).
One local expert on Islam says that burial at sea goes against Islamic tradition but theorizes that no country would probably have been willing to take the body anyway.
"It's against Islamic tradition to bury someone at sea. There's a very strong encouragement saying that if at all possible, even if someone dies at sea, that their body should be recovered, that they should be put in the ground," says Dr. Jamal Elias (right), chair of the Department of Religious Studies at the University of Pennsylvania.
And Elias says Muslims generally prefer a simple burial, avoiding any process that would slow down the deterioration of the body.
"The body is wrapped in cotton, meaning a natural fabric, and interred so you wouldn't have a grave that is lined with baked bricks and concrete. You dig a hole, you put the body inside, and you basically put dirt over it," he says.
Elias theorizes that timing played a role in how he was buried, because remains need to be buried within 24 hours according to Islamic law.
Reported by Michelle Durham, KYW Newsradio 1060
