Osama Bin Laden’s body: why was it buried so quickly at sea?

By Hao Li | May 02 2011 10:06 AM

After Osama Bin Laden was killed by US forces and his corpse retrieved by US Navy Seals, it was quickly buried at sea in accordance to Islamic practice. (Before the burial, the US took DNA evidence and confirmed that the body indeed belonged to Bin Laden, according to ABC News).

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In a will written three months after the September 11 US attacks, founder of Al-Qaeda organization Osama Bin Laden has apologized to his wives and children for neglecting them throughout their lives.

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This decision was likely motivated by two factors.

One, it respected the Islamic tradition of burying a deceased individual within 24 hours. Two, the US didn’t want his grave to be a shrine to Al-Qaeda members and sympathizers. Therefore, instead of burying it in a location on land, they buried him at sea.

Even after Bin Laden’s death, the US was still wary of the threat he posed the Western world.

He will undoubtedly be painted as a martyr by Al-Qaeda and its sympathizers. If he were buried on land, his grave will likely become a prime recruitment site for Al-Qaeda and suicide attacks.

If he wasn’t buried according to Islamic practice, Islamic extremists would have more fuel to accuse the US of disrespecting Islam and waging a religious war against it.