Rev. Jones, a Florida pastor, has made headlines with his intention to burn copies of the Muslim Quran (Koran) to mark the anniversary of the 9/11/01 terrorist attacks. He hasn't obtained the necessary permits required, but Rev. Jones has vowed that he'll go through with the burning nonetheless, regardless of the consequences that other Americans will face here and abroad.
General David Petraeus, President Obama, & Secretary of State Hillary Clinton have all denounced Rev. Jones' actions, and there are reports today of similar warnings coming from Afghanistan. I've said before that the Quran, like the Christian Bible, teaches peace, and that "radical" Muslims, such as Osama bin Laden, have subverted the Quran's teachings to further a personal vendetta against the US. None of this matters to Rev. Jones, and while he may well be protected under the First Amendment right to free speech, he is putting an untold number of innocent people at risk, such that 9/11 could happen all over again. Rev. Jones has said that the only way he'll cancel the bonfire is if he gets a message from God telling him not to go through with it.
Rev. Jones has admitted that he has been in prayer all along, and firmly believes he's doing the right thing. As a Christian, I'm not so sure he is. What I do know is that if Rev. Jones goes through with this, and innocent lives are lost as a result, the media will place the blame at his doorstep. It's enough that for years the Muslims have waged their war with us over perceived slights against them. Burning the Quran will give them an all too real reason to continue.
How well protected is Jones this week? I ask only because it occured to me that it shouldn't be impossible for a motivated American Muslim to prevent the day of burning before it takes place, by one means or another. My regretful suspicion is that the extremists want this event to happen so they can reap the benefits of the whirlwind.
ReplyDeleteIndeed they would, Sam, but as of now, it's not happening. Yahoo! is reporting that Jones has cancelled the book burning, claiming he's reached a deal with the Muslim cleric in New York in charge of the "Ground Zero" mosque to have that site changed, something the cleric denies. The mere threat against the Quran, however, may move some extremists to action anyway, be it against Jones or innocents.
ReplyDeleteBy invoking the "Ground Zero" mosque, Jones may have actually revealed what his true intentions were all along. Not exactly a smart move, either.