Dr.Seussicide

So this is pretty much all over the news and I couldn't believe it when I heard it in past days. But The Dove World Outreach Centre says that it is planning on burning the Qur'an on the September 11th...

This is the news article for more information:

Church plans Quran-burning event - CNN.com

So, what are you guys' thoughts on this?

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duga

I don't think anyone quite realizes the **** storm this will bring. Not only is this incredibly offensive, but it is taking place on one of their biggest holidays (Hari Raya Puasa). This guy is an idiot and makes all Americans look even more like idiots than they already do. If Glenn freaking Beck says this is a bad idea, it really must be. On top of all this, this will be the perfect argument for oppressive governments to restrict free speech even more. All they have to do is point at us and say, "See? Look what they do with their free speech...**** that".

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Confusion will be my epitaph...

right-track

As this is potentially a threat to world peace and people who are alive now could well be soon dead because of it, then it's about time the U.S. government did something to stop this idiot from abusing his rights.
He should be arrested for incitement and transported to Guantanamo Bay with the other religious extremists.
I understand the freedom of speech, but common sense should take precedence here.

Spike*Spiegel

I saw that, too. I think someone should stage a bible burning. Another backwards redneck giving Americans a bad name. >:|

LoathsomePete

Considering America is a nation more than willing to give up individual rights for public safety, I'm a little annoyed by the hypocrisy when it comes to freedom of speech. You can search and seize me at the airport or wiretap my phone, but don't touch our freedom of speech. While I can see their argument, nothing good will come of this and this idiot racist will do nothing but create more anger and contempt from the rest of the world.

I'm also with Right-Track on this issue, this even will create a public safety concern.

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Consolator

...

Does he want the troops in Afghanistan to get bombed? Really? You want to give other Muslim countries more reason to hate us? This is petty at best.

I agree with the previous posters, this is going to create a massive **** storm. I doubt he realizes the ramifications of this. He has the right to do this, but I would strongly discourage him to carry this out.

Am I the only one that thinks this (seemingly) rapidly spreading Islamophobia is unsettling?

Zaqarbal

If the integrists bomb troops or civilians because of this quran-burning, THAT is the main problem. If you don't see this, you're like one of those sexists who make excuses for a rape when saying "she provoked him".

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Let's see the facts:

• In a country of 310 million people, ONE person wants to burn a Quran.
• If you burn a Quran, certain people will try to attack your WHOLE COUNTRY.

Now I ask you guys: Which one is the more morally important to you?

Why the f**k you focus all your attention and energy on the first one and forget the second? Do you have any moral judgement to do regarding the second fact? No? Does it cause any interest to you? No? Really? Nobody has said anything about the huge inmorality of that violence. No one. There only have been mentions to the "strategic inconvenience" of the burning, but no moral opinions about the integrist violence. And that's pretty disappointing, especially considering this third fact:

• The latent threat exists and it will continue existing, whether Jones burns a Quran or not.

Another key point has to do with access to information and democracy (or lack of it). Since some years ago, there are several videos on YouTube showing a Quran burning. Why haven't there been riots and demonstrations due to them? Because regarding access to information, there's a huge difference between developed and undeveloped countries. In Europe, America, Japan, South Korea, Australia, etc. our information sources are very diverse: TV, radio, written press and, especially, Internet. On the contrary, in countries like Pakistan, Iran or Sudan, people receive information "in the old way" and, in addition, there's a strong use of it by the political power.

Thus, in those countries, in the practice it's the rulers who decide what, when and how the socially-influential information is finally received by the population. So they make a selective political use of denunciations, protests and satires against Islam, by choosing a certain case, a certain moment and a certain way to present the information, in order to satisfy their political purposes of the moment.

Think about the last five or four years. Imagine a Pakistani, Iranian or Sudanese journalist strongly connected to the country's Establishment. Imagine that, in a certain moment, for some political reason, some Muslim rulers want to adopt a belligerent position against the West, and they wish to convey the impression of a strong popular anger, in order to put pressure on other/s country/ies. Imagine the journalist receiving a phone call from a high-ranking official: "Man, we need your help; search for some offensive Western stuff there and write about it". Imagine the journalist reviewing hundreds of Western publications, and finally choosing some Danish cartoons depicting Muhammad (although they were published 11 months before). Or, also, imagine the journalist surfing the web and watching YouTube videos, and finally choosing a few of them in which people burn a Quran.

It doesn't matter if Jones does his pyromaniac christo-freak show or not. If the Islamic rulers want to take advantage of this controversy, they will do it, either through Jones or through the existing abundant graphic and audiovisual material ralated to criticism of Islam. If not, this will be forgotten in a few weeks' time. The importance given to this is up to them.


Conclusion: don't torture yourself with self-hatred. Keep in mind what are the primeval causes of all this matter: Lack of liberty, democracy and freedom of the press, absence of media networks, and a poor and easily-manipulated population in the Muslim countries where the tumultuous protests happen.

Don't have a guilty conscience. Regarding how public opinion form its criterion about these events, compare our modern socities with those of the upset Islamic "hotspots". There, it is the result of an oligarchy's will. In ours, we the people are freely and continuously exchanging information and opinions in an international scope. From Japan to Australia, from Alaska to Chile, from Lisbon to Moscow... everybody can contribute. So we are those who are nearest to a true cosmopolitan and rational point of view.

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Consolator

You think there's only one person in the US who wants to burn the Qurans? You should meet my relatives then..

I agree with a lot of what you said. I still urge the pastor (or really anyone) to question their actions. What do you want to accomplish, and are the consequences outweighing the benefits? I especially liked your comment about how that the Muslim governments who do not give their citizens liberty/freedom,etc are the problem. I agree, but again, I ask, why would you want to give somebody more ammunition to use against you?

Edit: I would think the whole idea that violence is wrong would be apparent. I assume (though I suppose I shouldn't) that you all would agree with me. That is why I did not mention it. I think that we're going to simply have to agree to disagree when talking about the big picture of things. And just for the record, I am not for bible-burning, or any sort of Christian-equivalent.

bob.

this guy sincerely believes that god has told him to burn the qur'an (as it is a book of the devil) and that the only thing that will stop him is that god comes down and tells him no!....except this morning when he said he may stop if the president gives him a call he would deeply consider stopping the BURN!

when asked about him getting his 15 minutes of fame he replied....'oh nothing i do is ever about me...it's all about god'....a side note is the his congregation has less than 30 people in it

when asked if he has read the qur'an...he replied 'yes. some of it'....so then when asked what part of the qur'an has upset him...he tried to change the subject...when confronted with the same question he replied 'the part that says they don't accept jesus as their personal saviour'

yeasterday he stated that he an overwhelming support from the citizens of america having received 200 qur'ans to burn

this guy is a complete idiot and i honestly feel he may not have any intention to actually burn these books....but at the last minute will have some divine vision or phone call form the president....and will stop the burn....this seems to me to more about publicity and his own personal ambition....just like this

its a real shame that imbeciles like this get press

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Spike*Spiegel

I woul be interested to hear the American Christian community's reaction to this guy. He's violating the very precepts of his religion by staging this thing. "The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no greater commandment than these." -Mark 12:31 This verse is mentioned multiple times throughout the Bible. This man is obviously deeply offended by the Muslim religion, but he is choosing to blatantly ignore his Lord's command to "Turn the other cheek". So many things wrong with this situation :\