He finally did it. http://www.usatoday.com/news/religion/2011-03-21-quran-burning-florida_N.htm
Pastor Fred Jones at the Dove World Outreach Church (a tax-empt organization) certainly reached out to Muslims around the world. He presided as a (fake) judge in a mock trial that ended up with a burning of the Quran. Now I'm not against book burnings, it is an act of free-speech; Atheists could easily burn the Quran, the Bible, Bhagwad Geeta or even Dianetics if they so desired, but what is the point? All it does is stir the hornets nest of fanaticism that exists in all religions. It is only a symbolic act of ones desire to iradicate ideas that they don't like, it doesn't stop the ideas themselves. In fact it will breed resentment and then galvanize resilience for the offended party.
Several of my progressive friends were all up in arms about Jones' childish act, while at the same time they defend the 'Danish' Cartoons, which you can still find all over the internet (the greatest perveyor of free-speech known to humankind), and supporting Salmon Rushdie's 'Satanic Verses'. In what way is free speech in writing form different to a non-violent act of a book burning, or the burning of the star-spangled banner?
Because of Jones' action, people in Afghanistan have died (and been beheaded) at the hands of mobs, the Taliban and other crazies. Fundamentalist leaders of any religion always use these moments as an excuse to rile up their mindless base: You know the ones, every religion has them. They'll think anything their religious leaders tell them to think.
Though diplomatically Pastor Jones made a terrible choice to show his distaste for a competing religion, I support his right to burn the book. We cannot be held hostage by fanatics. The irony is that a religious fanatic burned the Quran, and incited other religious fanatics to respond with even worse atrocities. Reasonable people do not do this, they understand and measure the consequences of an action, and on the if on the other side of an non-violent offensive act they respond in a appropriate manner. In the USA American Muslims are disproportionately affected by religious persecutions, and this book burning is making it worse for them.
Finally, I think progressive Muslims should tolerate Jones' non-violent behaviour, especially in this country where the first amendment is considered sacrosanct (for the want of a better word). The Center for Islam Relations (CAIR) sent out a press release condeming the book burning and the fundamentalist Muslim response to it, but have not yet defended Jones' free-speech rights. That might go a some way in the repair of the tenuous relationships between members of both Abrahamic Religions.
I'll leave you with this relevent quote:
"Books won't stay banned. They won't burn. Ideas won't go to jail. In the long run of history, the censor and the inquisitor have always lost. The only weapon against bad ideas is better ideas." ~Alfred Whitney Griswold, New York Times, 24 February 1959
Pastor Fred Jones at the Dove World Outreach Church (a tax-empt organization) certainly reached out to Muslims around the world. He presided as a (fake) judge in a mock trial that ended up with a burning of the Quran. Now I'm not against book burnings, it is an act of free-speech; Atheists could easily burn the Quran, the Bible, Bhagwad Geeta or even Dianetics if they so desired, but what is the point? All it does is stir the hornets nest of fanaticism that exists in all religions. It is only a symbolic act of ones desire to iradicate ideas that they don't like, it doesn't stop the ideas themselves. In fact it will breed resentment and then galvanize resilience for the offended party.
Several of my progressive friends were all up in arms about Jones' childish act, while at the same time they defend the 'Danish' Cartoons, which you can still find all over the internet (the greatest perveyor of free-speech known to humankind), and supporting Salmon Rushdie's 'Satanic Verses'. In what way is free speech in writing form different to a non-violent act of a book burning, or the burning of the star-spangled banner?
Because of Jones' action, people in Afghanistan have died (and been beheaded) at the hands of mobs, the Taliban and other crazies. Fundamentalist leaders of any religion always use these moments as an excuse to rile up their mindless base: You know the ones, every religion has them. They'll think anything their religious leaders tell them to think.
Though diplomatically Pastor Jones made a terrible choice to show his distaste for a competing religion, I support his right to burn the book. We cannot be held hostage by fanatics. The irony is that a religious fanatic burned the Quran, and incited other religious fanatics to respond with even worse atrocities. Reasonable people do not do this, they understand and measure the consequences of an action, and on the if on the other side of an non-violent offensive act they respond in a appropriate manner. In the USA American Muslims are disproportionately affected by religious persecutions, and this book burning is making it worse for them.
Finally, I think progressive Muslims should tolerate Jones' non-violent behaviour, especially in this country where the first amendment is considered sacrosanct (for the want of a better word). The Center for Islam Relations (CAIR) sent out a press release condeming the book burning and the fundamentalist Muslim response to it, but have not yet defended Jones' free-speech rights. That might go a some way in the repair of the tenuous relationships between members of both Abrahamic Religions.
I'll leave you with this relevent quote:
"Books won't stay banned. They won't burn. Ideas won't go to jail. In the long run of history, the censor and the inquisitor have always lost. The only weapon against bad ideas is better ideas." ~Alfred Whitney Griswold, New York Times, 24 February 1959
