Estimated reading time: 12 minute(s)
(Originally Posted on August 4, 2010)
Usually I would look past ignorance such as this but I believe this was worth posting here in the “Upper Situation Room†because while America touts freedom of religion and tolerance, Muslims continue to face daily attacks. You can’t argue with that.
Well, here is the latest anti-Islamic foolishness.
I was skimming through CNN.com and came across a very interesting headline: “Church plans Quran-burning eventâ€.
The CNN article reads:
In protest of what it calls a religion “of the devil,†a nondenominational church in Gainesville, Florida, plans to host an “International Burn a Quran Day†on the ninth anniversary of the September 11, 2001, attacks.
The Dove World Outreach Center says it is hosting the event to remember 9/11 victims and take a stand against Islam. With promotions on its website and Facebook page, it invites Christians to burn the Muslim holy book at the church from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
“We believe that Islam is of the devil, that it’s causing billions of people to go to hell, it is a deceptive religion, it is a violent religion and that is proven many, many times,†Pastor Terry Jones told CNN’s Rick Sanchez earlier this week.
Jones wrote a book titled “Islam is of the Devil,†and the church sells coffee mugs and shirts featuring the phrase.
Muslims and many other Christians — including some evangelicals — are fighting the initiative.
The church launched a YouTube channel to disseminate its messages.
“I mean ask yourself, have you ever really seen a really happy Muslim? As they’re on the way to Mecca? As they gather together in the mosque on the floor? Does it look like a real religion of joy?†Jones asks in one of his YouTube posts.
“No, to me it looks like a religion of the devil.â€
Wow. This is the best way to remember 9/11 victims? Correct me if I’m wrong, but didn’t people of all faiths die in 9/11?
Also, I don’t know what mosques he is talking about because I know thousands of happy Muslims. Matter of fact, I am one! Islam is a beautiful way of life and I am a witness that it is a religion rooted in peace not violence. And it is definitely not of the devil. Mr. Jones you’re only fooling yourself to think that by burning the Holy Quran you’re minimizing its value. That’s impossible to do! All opposition to truth will fail. There’s over 1.5 billion Muslims around the world and is growing. You will not be able to stop people from accepting this beautiful religion.
I have many Christian friends who have taken the time to read the Holy Quran for themselves and they even bear witness that it is a beautiful book filled with some of the most beautiful prayers and divine guidance. My friends have also extracted principles from this book and they believe all of humanity can benefit from it. One of them was even surprised to see that Surah (Chapter) 19 is actually named after the mother of Jesus. But you want to burn it? What would Jesus do? Would Jesus burn the Quran?
Another part of this same CNN article reads:
The Islamic advocacy group Council on American-Islamic Relations called on Muslims and others to host “Share the Quran†dinners to educate the public during the monthlong fast of Ramadan beginning in August. In a news release, the group announced a campaign to give out 100,000 copies of the Quran to local, state and national leaders.
“American Muslims and other people of conscience should support positive educational efforts to prevent the spread of Islamophobia,†said CAIR spokesman Ibrahim Hooper in the release.
The National Association of Evangelicals, the nation’s largest umbrella evangelical group, issued a statement urging the church to cancel the event, warning it could cause worldwide tension between the two religions.
“The NAE calls on its members to cultivate relationships of trust and respect with our neighbors of other faiths. God created human beings in his image, and therefore all should be treated with dignity and respect,†it said in the statement.
I would never burn the Bible and mine is actually on the same bookshelf as my Holy Quran. I study both daily. Mr. Jones said in the video below that he would not like it if Muslims burned the Bible yet he feels its okay to light a match to our sacred book. America the beautiful, huh?
I am eager to know your thoughts: Do you support the “International Burn a Quran Day� Or do you oppose it?
