YAHOO NEWS: “A militant preacher in Florida whose Koran burning triggered deadly riots in Afghanistan has vowed to lead an anti-Islam protest outside the biggest mosque in America.
The planned demonstration could further inflame tensions over the Koran burning, which led to two days of protests in Afghanistan that included the killings of UN staff and stoked anti-Western sentiment across the Muslim world.
“Our aim is to make an awareness of the radical element of Islam,” pastor Terry Jones said at the church he leads in the college town of Gainesville, Florida.
“Obviously it is terrible any time people are murdered or killed – I think that on the other hand, it shows the radical element of Islam.”
Jones, a former hotel manager turned pastor who claims the Koran incites violence, said he will go ahead with a protest on April 22 in front of the US’ largest mosque, in Dearborn, Michigan.
US President Barack Obama denounced the act of burning a Koran but did not mention Jones by name.
“The desecration of any holy text, including the Koran, is an act of extreme intolerance and bigotry,” Mr Obama said in a statement released by the White House.
“However, to attack and kill innocent people in response is outrageous, and an affront to human decency and dignity.”
Government officials in Pakistan and Afghanistan have called for US authorities to arrest Jones, however his public criticism of Islam and desecration of the Koran are allowed under US laws protecting free speech.
Jones provoked an international outcry last year over his plan to burn copies of the Koran on the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, with Mr Obama saying it would cause “profound damage” to the US.
He backed down after pleas from the US government and other world officials, but then presided over a March 20 mock trial of the Koran that included a torching of the book.
Internet footage later reverberated across the Muslim world and sparked the latest wave of violence.”
Via Yahoo News
Hhhmm I guess I may not (but not necessarily) boastfully broadcast how I burned a bible so frequently (or not).
Actually this is still ridiculous nad unneriving. The Koran and Bible ae fiction, vey poorly, unsuspenseful, bland, monotonous pieces of literature. There shouldn’t be this type of reaction out of a piece of literature.
I believe in the future religious books will be on the banned list in schools and catcher in the rye and 1984 will be core reading texts!
It’s interesting how paper and print can provoke such emotions when burnt. Let’s have a public “press delete” of ebook korans!
If the US government had any sense they would stop him, but all their marbles have now been lost.
The direct news reports of the burning didn’t incite the riot – it was Harmad Karzai and various mullahs who brought the matter up in the mosques many days after the events. They knew full well that they would directly incite violence as has happened so many times before when locals have fanned resentments against the west.
“America f*** yeah!” – the end is near america, the end is near.
It appears the newly formed, inexperienced Afghani police over reacted to their perceived threat and escalated the crowd by firing on them. This unnecessary situation is most unfortunate.
i disagree with the comment above. The Bible and the Koran are great literature, but the style of writing is not turned into mental pablum for modern audiences. You have to actually THINK about what is being written. While the book is thinly disguised as history, the stories are varied and interesting. Even when you dismiss the existence of the central and minor deities in the books, you still have excellent moral standards being discussed (and sometimes misinterpreted).
Who can argue with ‘Love your neighbor as you love yourself’.
If that one command is FULLY lived NO OTHERS are needed.
>> If the US government had any sense they would stop him, but all their marbles have now been lost.
I think the main thing to learn from this story is that the islamic nations are saying that he should be silenced, but the US can’t and shouldn’t because they have something precious called free speech.
Yes, this man is odious, and I’m amazed he hasn’t been taken out yet, but he’s no more odious that the muslims calling for people to be murdered for drawing a little picture of their prophet. And do they get silenced by their islamic governments?
They are all nutters.
So it’s alright for them to do it, but not us.
Pure double standards.
Nuff said.
It is depressing that the pastor is effectively being proved correct by the reactions of the people he is provoking, but it is also hypocritical of religious westerners to denounce Islam as a violent religion. The Old Testament is just as violent and bloodthirsty as the Koran, yet that seems to be either forgotten or ignored in favour of the much more liberal philosophy embodied in the New Testament. They should remember that, if they stick to the instructions contained in the first half of the Bible, they should stone to death anyone who does work on a Sunday, for example. They don’t, and thus implicitly do not follow the instructions of their faith, but then they look down upon other believers who do adhere devoutly.
I really look forward to the marginalisation of religion.
Does he have the right to express his opinion by burning the book? Does he have the right to shout out, “fire” in a crowded theater? Freedom of speech is a wonderful thing. But with it comes the responsibility of knowing what to say and when to say it. Obviously, this preacher Jones is not taking his right responsibly.
quote:
“…The direct news reports of the burning didn’t incite the riot – it was Harmad Karzai and various mullahs who brought the matter up in the mosques many days after the events. They knew full well that they would directly incite violence as has happened so many times before when locals have fanned resentments against the west…”
I respectfully disagree. If the book had not been burned, Karzai and others would have one thing less to use to incite violence.
They go crazy over the burning of one book, yet how many bibles have they burned and With no repercussions?
It still saddens me that people must attack other peoples right to not believe or their belief in God. As Mike pointed out Mr. Karzai and others spoke of it in their mosques a few days after it happened but if Mr. Jones had not burned in the first place there would have been nothing to say. I hope their will be a day that we can all be kind to each other.
What’s with people taking sides here? We have one idiot that clearly believes Fahrenheit 451 describes an ideal world, and a plethora of other idiots that seem to have decided to kill random uninvolved strangers because of the first idiot’s idiotic acts. ALL OF THESE IDIOTS ARE WRONG. You don’t burn books and you don’t kill people. Neither side is right — both sides are moronic.
People are being PLAYED here, and I’m geting pretty darn sick of watching it. Pastor Terry Jones cares not ONE BIT about the Qur’an, and Hamid Karzai and the Mullahs don’t give a jot that he burnt it.
Both are using events for puely selfish reasons: Jones to callously get fame and noteriety, Karzai and the Mullahs to whip up anger at a common enemy and bolster their own power bases. In the middle of this ordinary muslims – who DO care about blasphemy and are well within their rights to do so – are getting slaughtered.
The misson in Afghanistan is beyond redemption. The west should just pull out now and weep for the mess we have caused to the world.
I need a drink
I can’t believe he has been dragging this out for so long. Why are people still giving him the oxygen of publicity. He wants this level of outrage. Ignoring him and his kind is the way forward.
I don’t agree with his reasoning or any religious reasoning for that matter. However people have a right for free speech but what I don’t feel is correct is the fact he appears to be generalizing all of islam as extremists.
The thing with religion and the attitude is misinterpretation and over-belief with lack of proof and a “because I know its real” mentality, I don’t want to poke holes in peoples beliefs and I think that if dealt with correctly and properly understood then religion could be a positive element in some (not all) peoples lives.
Karzai and co didn’t need Jones’actions halfway across the world to incite violence. The mobs also went and burnt out a girls’ high school because it had been funded by UN aid agencies. Karzai is supposedly the man that the west is supporting in Afghanistan, but he is undermining all efforts.
These people will just make stuff up if it serves their causes. Remember the case of the Danish cartoons which supposedly offended Mohammed (and where Muslims drew more offensive cartoons and attributed those to the Danes) or where a little boy called his teddy-bear Mohammed and more people were killed. It’s simple brain-washing and rabble-rousing. These people are being told to be upset and they act on it.
Equating Jones’ foolishness with the murderous acts in Afghanistan is wrong.
Forgive him Father. For verily, he is not the sharpest pencil in your box.
It’s really rather easy, you have to show the idiot what it feels like to be on the receiving end of his kind of “protest”.
On the day of the protest the mosque should hold a BBQ. First you burn 50 bibles and then cook lunch over the hot coals. And see how the idiots who are protesting react. Do nothing illegal, stay on mosque property, and completely ignore the protesters. But have a nice BBQ right in front of them!
Oh of course they would be outraged and maybe incited to violence.
Don’ cha just love a big steamy bowl of IRONY for breakfast?!
Does anyone else see that this preacher’s actions basically go against what is taught in the Bible? Seriously, how can this guy call himself a “Christian” when he’s ignoring rules such as “treat others like you want to be treated”, “love one another”, “judge not lest ye be judged” etc? How is putting the Qu’ran on trial and protesting a Mosque a representation of Jesus’ love? He’s about as Christian as Obama is a Muslim from Kenya (still waiting for the proof, Birthers). Funny how the most “religious” guys are often the most sinful isn’t it? Maybe someone should read the Bible to him one day. I doubt he does, or if he does read it, he probably didn’t understand it.
P.S. No, not a Christian.
I have to say for all those against the idea grow some, the preacher had a point of which has not really been made clear enough. Actually read the Koran, evenif its the equivelant of “my book of koran stories” lol.
If your not Muslim your not getting in, i care not for any religion but atleast most forms or Christianity will let them in to the pearly gates.
I understadn there are a few factions of which as far as people like chowdry shariah law upholders are concerned they can burn anywhere anytime (but do so quietly)
I have come across and befriended many Muslim people and have to say no matter how nice the person is the belief system is the same.
Non Muslim = Infidel
So lets go build a bunchof Christian churches near mecca or how ever its spelt and see how that goes.
Overall, using western technoilogy is against bieng a good Muslim is it not???
Sorry if your about to disagree but reread the fiction and hen try and say that being a good Muslim can be using western technology.
Tribal trying to use western laws is hallerious, i am all for multiculteralism as i was exposed to it at a very young age being brought up in North London.
So there is no race issue here, its a “If were the bad guys in your fiction then simply F*** YOU!”
Thanks for reading and hopefullynot taking it as seriously as somee do