Florida Pastor Plans to Burn Korans on 9/11/10

It was with a heavy heart that I read the Daily News account of a pastor, Terry Jones from Florida, and his 9/11 anniversary plans. According to the paper, "...a Florida church (has) plans to burn Korans on the anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks."

According to reports, factions overseas have already retaliated to the pastor's idea by burning cardboard effigies of Jones, holding rallies with chants of "Death to America," and many perhaps even reasonable voices in the region equating this pastor's actions as being done "with the blessings of President Obama and the U.S. government."

Voices in American government have come out against this, including local governments who have already denied his request for a permit to hold the rally. Jones has said he's going to do it anyway. President Obama cannot let the 9/11 anniversary go by without speaking about this. While validating any crazy person's ideas by acknowledging him isn't a good idea, this has already stoked a delicate flame which could be set ablaze.

General David Petraeus has come out against these actions; according to the Daily News, it was his interview with The Wall Street Journal that Petraeus:

"...[W]arned that Florida pastor Terry Jones' incendiary stunt could put American troops' lives in danger and drum up support for terrorists. 'It is precisely the kind of action the Taliban uses and could cause significant problems. Not just here, but everywhere in the world we are engaged with the Islamic community.'"

What the pastor is forgetting is that the Koran is the Muslim holy book, not the extremists' holy book. And it was extremists who happened to be Muslim or who happened to take a certain view of the book who were responsible for 9/11, not all Muslims. If Pastor Jones does go through with this, it will only embolden those who hate the US and make others lean in that direction.

As we're reminded from four years ago, US/Muslim relations have been strained for some time, but probably without warrant:

"The entire world was horrified by those attacks, and although it is hard to remember now, the outpouring of grief and sympathy that Americans received was unprecedented. In Jordan, so many people came to pay their respects that the American embassy in Amman was forced to turn them away. The Organization of the Islamic Conference, representing the world's 56 Muslim nations, condemned the attacks as "contradict(ing) the teaching of all religions and human and moral values."

France's Le Monde newspaper ran the banner headline "Nous sommes tous Américains"-'We are all Americans.'"

The fact that an American is trying to make a statement against a broad culture is only damning and shows that he's not thinking with his best brain.

"Islam is a very oppressive religion, and the Koran is definitely a dangerous book," Jones told the Houston Chronicle. "We want to send a clear message to radical Muslims."

Read the Old Testament of the Bible sometime, Pastor; you'll see men who lived for hundreds of years and did horrible things by our modern day standards. How about this example, Pastor? From the King James version of the Bible:

"Numbers 31:17-18

"17 Now therefore kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman that hath known man by lying with him.

"18 But all the women children, that have not known a man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves."

Does that mean that all modern Catholics and Christians should kill every woman that "hath known man by lying with him"? You know, like the very un-wed Bristol Palin? Of course not. It's like Jersey Shore; most of the people on that show aren't even from New Jersey -- and they don't even film in Jersey anymore. Are you going to condemn the Garden State for a few guidos from Staten Island?

In an ideal world, we wouldn't even have to think about garbage like this. Unfortunately for the large majority of peace-loving Americans, we are all held to the standard of our lowest common denominator. If Pastor Jones goes ahead with his planned burning of Korans, he does not act on behalf of this writer or so many other Americans who have felt loss from 9/11 and just want to move on to a better, more peaceful future.

Sources:

(1) http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/2010/09/06/2010-09-06_afghanistan_protests_over_florida_pastor_terry_jones_plans_to_burn_korans_on_sep.html

(2) http://www.worldpress.org/Americas/2491.cfm

(3) http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Numbers+31%3A17-18&version=KJV