The United States administration on Thursday deplored allegations of abuse of the Koran at the Guantanamo Bay detention facility.
US Charge d'Affaires Robert O Blake stated in New Delhi that the administration was investigating allegations that a copy of the Koran was inappropriately handled.
'The entire national history of the US is bound together by a fundamental respect for religious freedom. We carry out these principals at Guantanamo,' he said.
The US and India, he said, share a fundamental commitment to the freedom of religion and expression. The desecration of religious texts and objects was repugnant to the common values of the US and an anathema to American people, he said.
Blake said detainees at Guantanamo Bay receive shelter, clothing and meals appropriate to their culture and religious beliefs.
They have the opportunity to worship, he said, adding that inmates get copies of the Koran and prayer beeds, as well as reading material, medical care and other facilities.
The call to prayer is played over loudspeakers at the Guantanamo Bay detention facility at appropriate times every day and stenciled arrows point in the direction of Mecca, he said.
It is US policy to comply with its legal obligations in the treatment of persons held by its forces, Blake said.
'US policy is to treat all detainees and conduct all interrogation, wherever they may occur, in a manner consistent with this commitment,' he said.
The US, he said, took seriously allegations of misconduct and, if the allegations were substantiated, perpetrators of the abuses will be held responsible.
'We reiterate our respect for the Muslim faith,' he said.
