Rev. Terry Jones is the pastor at a Gainesville, Fla. church, one that is the center of controversy and debate all over America. Jones and his small group of followers, who have espoused anti-Islamic sentiment in the past, are commemorating the ninth anniversary of the 9-11 tragedy by holding an "International Burn a Quran Day".
Unfortunately, there's no way to stop Jones and whoever else decides to join him as he is protected by the First Amendment and is not breaking the law in any way. What people are concerned about, however, are the ramifications of a Quran burning both at home and overseas, especially with the situation in Afghanistan being as volatile as it has become since President Obama declared an end to the Iraq War. The Quran burning poses such a danger for deployed troops in the Middle East that the White House, world leaders and other organizations have tried to convince Jones to call the burning off, to no avail. They feel that if Jones decides to go ahead with the burning, that the lives of troops deployed in the Middle East would be in danger.
Even President Obama weighed in on the issue, calling it a "recruitment bonanza for Al Queda" and expressing great concern over how this burning will affect the situation in Iraq and Afghanistan. Jones, while expressing concern for the troops as well, argued that America has "lost its backbone" and needs to stop backing down against Islamic extremists.
But how far is too far? And is burning the Quran a way to protest Islamic extremism, or is it another way for people to exercise their hatred against all Muslims? Either way, it's wrong.
Now other people are following Jones' lead. Another pastor, this time in Tennessee, is planning a Quran burning for Saturday as well. He plans to do it in his backyard and post it online for everyone to see. Rev. Bob Old, of Springfield, Tenn., doesn't believe Muslims belong in America.
"If they want to have their religion, they can have it somewhere else," Old said in an interview with The Tennessean.
Ironically, the Quran burning is being done in protest of religious extremism--by religious extremists--a group in which many Muslims don't belong. Christian groups, such as the National Association of Evangelicals, the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue and Southern Baptist leaders have all decried the Quran burning, stating that it is wrong for Christians to burn other religions' sacred texts.
This controversy comes in the midst of a heated national debate over an Islamic community center that's slated to be built near Ground Zero in New York City. Over 70 percent of Americans feel that an Islamic community center (not a mosque) built near Ground Zero would be an insult to those who died in the 9-11 attacks. And, what's scarier, many mosques that are nowhere near New York City are being threatened as well.
According to a survey conducted by Time magazine, open racism toward Muslims in America is both shocking and heartbreaking at the same time: 28 percent believe that Muslims should be barred from sitting on the Supreme Court, and 33 percent believe that Muslims (born in America) should be barred from running for President. But an ABC/Washington Post poll finds that only 40 percent of people in America know a Muslim personally.
It's blatantly obvious, then, that peoples' opinions are colored by the Muslim extremists they see on TV and by the actions of the Muslim extremists who are responsible for the atrocities commited in America almost nine years ago. And it's because of this view of Muslims (and it being the only view of Muslims that many have) that Quran burnings are happening. Combine this with the relatively recent nature of the 9-11 attacks, and we see a level of prejudice and bigotry not seen since the Civil Rights era.
America won't let 9-11 die. That's a good thing; we never want to forget it. But maybe keeping it so fresh in our minds, especially this time of year, is the problem. We never forgot Pearl Harbor, either; just ask the thousands of Japanese-Americans, most of whom were hard-working, upstanding members of society, with no connection to the extremists who carried out the deed, whose lives were uprooted because of our fear and paranoia over what they'd do next,
Sound familiar? History does have a tendency to repeat itself. And, with the Quran burnings scheduled for Saturday, history may be starting to repeat itself once again. So, the question is, Reverend Jones: "Where do we stop?"
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