BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN)
-- A U.S. Marine in
Iraq has been
removed from duty
amid complaints that
he was handing out
coins with Bible
verses at an
American checkpoint,
the military said
Thursday.
A military spokesman
said Iraqis in
Falluja complained
that the Marine was
giving the coins,
which were printed
in Arabic, to people
at an entry control
point in Falluja.
U.S. military
regulations prohibit
religious
proselytizing.
"This has our full
attention," said
Col. James L. Welsh,
chief of staff of
Multi-National
Force, West. "We
deeply value our
relationship with
the local citizens
and share their
concerns over this
serious incident."
At least one of the
coins is stamped
with the words
"Where will you
spend eternity?"
according to a
report published
Thursday by
McClatchy
Newspapers.
The other side of
the coin reportedly
contains a verse
from John 3:16 that
reads, "For God so
loved the world that
he gave his only
begotten son, that
whoever believes in
him shall not
perish, but have
eternal life."
Several Falluja
residents said they
were given the coins
over a two-day
period and
complained that U.S.
troops, whom they
consider foreign
occupiers, were
acting as Christian
missionaries.
"Regulations
prohibit members of
the coalition force
from proselytizing
any religion, faith
or practices," said
Col. Bill Buckner, a
coalition spokesman.
"Our troops are
trained on those
guidelines before
they deploy."
A military statement
said "appropriate
action" will be
taken if the reports
are substantiated.
The reports stoked
religious concerns
in Iraq just weeks
after Iraqi police
discovered that a
U.S. soldier had
used the Quran,
Islam's holy book,
for target practice.
The U.S. commander
in Baghdad took the
unusual step of
holding a public
ceremony and reading
a letter of apology
from the soldier, a
sniper section
leader, to local
Iraqi leaders.
Many in attendance
were members and
leaders of Sunni
militias that the
U.S. military has
courted to help
fight
al Qaeda in Iraq
and other
insurgents. Sunnis
often face criticism
from other Iraqis
for cooperating with
American troops.
Falluja, also a
mostly Sunni city,
was the scene of
bitter and bloody
fighting early in
the Iraq war between
U.S. troops, al
Qaeda in Iraq and
Sunni insurgents
loyal to Saddam
Hussein.
