The internet has been abuzz about the plans of a Christian church in Florida to burn copies of the Quran on 9-11. The debate got even hotter when General David Petraeus chimed in, saying that burning these Qurans would endanger our troops in Afghanistan. Considering my husband is currently in Afghanistan, I don’t take that threat too lightly.
The top U.S. and NATO commander in Afghanistan warned Tuesday a Florida church’s threat to burn copies of the Muslim holy book could endanger U.S. troops in the country and Americans worldwide.
“Images of the burning of a Koran would undoubtedly be used by extremists in Afghanistan — and around the world — to inflame public opinion and incite violence ,” Gen. David Petraeus said. “Were the actual burning to take place, the safety of our soldiers and civilians would be put in jeopardy and accomplishment of the mission would be made more difficult.”
His comments followed a protest Monday by hundreds of Afghans over the plans by Gainesville, Florida-based Dove World Outreach Center — a small, evangelical Christian church that espouses anti-Islam philosophy — to burn copies of the Koran on church grounds to mark the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
Petraeus warned images of burning Korans could be used to incite anti-American sentiment similar to the pictures of prisoner abuse at Iraq’s Abu Graib prison.
“I am very concerned by the potential repercussions of the possible (Koran) burning. Even the rumor that it might take place has sparked demonstrations such as the one that took place in Kabul yesterday,” Petraeus said.
… “It could endanger troops and it could endanger the overall effort in Afghanistan. It is precisely the kind of action the Taliban uses and could cause significant problems. Not just here, but everywhere in the world we are engaged with the Islamic community,” he said in a statement provided to Fox News.
To the idiots at this retarded church: whose side are you on, exactly?? I can understand the desire to burn the Qurans and piss the perpetually-offended Muslims off. I really do. But wouldn’t the Christian thing to do be to, I don’t know, not be hateful? It doesn’t sound like they are trying to be very Christ-like.
That aside, what Petraeus is saying makes perfect sense. Part of what we are doing in Afghanistan is trying to convince Afghans that we are the good guys. We are trying to earn their respect, and show them that we are better than the Taliban. But, as Petraeus pointed out, burning these Qurans plays right into the hands of the Taliban. The Taliban will use images of Americans burning Qurans against us. They will use the images to convince Muslims that Americans can’t be trusted and that we don’t respect them. It’s an easy way to push Afghans off of the bench and into the game. It’s easy propaganda for extremists to use to convince other Muslims to join in the jihad.
All of this is really not that difficult to figure out. So, again, exactly whose side is this church on? They’re not on the side of America. They’re certainly not doing the Christian thing.
Frankly, they sound more like Muslim extremists than Christians to me.
“We are using this act to warn about the teaching and ideology of Islam, which we do hate as it is hateful. We do not hate any people, however. We love, as God loves, all the people in the world and we want them to come to a knowledge of the truth,” the blog reads.
If they don’t hate anyone, then why are they going out of their way to piss a bunch of people off? They aren’t going to get any Muslims to convert to Christianity by offending them. If anything, they’ll just make them more entrenched in Islam and more anti-Christian than they were before. This is quite possibly the stupidest idea I have ever heard.
Matt says: I agree, Cassy, but it did occur to me how ironic this is: here we have the “religion of peace”, and we’re pretty convinced, and rightly so, those people are going to be violent if you burn their book. I wonder if this church is really just calling them out. That takes balls, doesn’t it? Look what happened to that Dutch cartoonist!
How many Christians declare holy war every time a Muslim burns a Bible? Last I heard, there were still many regions of the world where revealing that you’re a Christian will get you killed. Can Muslims say that about predominately Christian countries/regions?
Just as an aside, the use of the word “retarded” is seen as a pejorative against persons with intellectual disabilities. These disabled individuals cannot but help who they are and strive to be the best that they can be. On the other hand, those at this so-called church are a group of moronic imbeciles who choose to be asshats. Just for the future my dear young lady, don’t insult the disabled by comparing them to their inferiors.
Otter says: First off… Getting offended at the word “retarded” is retarded. It’s a valid English word being correctly used. Hijacking the language for any motives other than expressing thoughts as words are dishonest and truly offensive (New Speak ala 1984).
As for the Quran burners. Yep. Asshats. Constitutionally protected asshats. Building a “victory mosque” at the world trade center. Asshats. Constitutionally protected asshats.
Just because we can do something doesn’t mean we should.
It should be noted Islam is the only ideology that gets excused for it’s actions. “Christians” wanna burn some books Muslims get to blow people up. Muslims (not the lack of quotes) behead little girls, the west is asked to be tolerant.
Ironwolf32 says: I don’t see any point in this book burning. Islamic nation still stone “adulterers”. Should we adopt their evil act or should we follow the Book of John, Chapter 8?
The USA invaded Afghanistan to hunt down Al Qaeda and overthrow the Taliban for their military attack on us. 9-11 was no criminal act… It was an act of war. The head of our military there, Gen Petraeus, advises not do it. That would be good enough for me.
As for the Christian way, Proverbs 3:31 (New English Translation) states “Do not envy a violent man, and do not choose to imitate any of his ways;”
Maybe they’re the unholy spawn of a union of the Westboro “church” members and a dung beetle? That can’t be right because dung beetles are actually useful.
As a Jew, the very notion of burning books does not sit well with me. As Heinrich Heine observed, those who burn books will eventually burn people.
There surely are better ways to counter the threat of Islamic terror!
It is sad that there are persons so devoid of intelligence that they do not understand nor do they see beyond their own immutable stupidity. Otter is exactly why there is intolerance in this world and intelligent persons understand that just because a word happens to be in the english language does not mean it is not offensive and does not mean it should not be avoided. Tell me Otter do you regulrly use the “N” word or perhaps the “K’ word to describe Jews. It appears quite readily that Otter and his ilk were the bullies that found fun in tormenting those with disabilities and is an embarrassment to himself.
alaskan says: ATTENTION ALL PEOPLE OF A PLACE DIFFERENT FROM AMERICA: Otter does not represent us all, he is clearly lacking a brain. Thank you for your time.
We already KNOW that the “religion of peace” is hardly that. There’s no surprise there. They’re the religion of the perpetually offended, and we don’t need further proof of that.
This “pastor” is nothing more than an attention whore, trolling for attention for his drooling congregation. He has no point. He doesn’t even fully understand why he’s doing this. When Hannity mentioned yesterday in his radio interview that Gen. Petraeus – the most respected flag officer in the nation – has said this would be detrimental to the troops, Jones stammered that they were “taking that into consideration.”
TAKING IT INTO CONSIDERATION? Their petty little attempt to start a squabble is more important than our troops’ mission? The lives of our service members? Jones is a shitbag.
We have thousands of informants in Afghanistan – tribal elders, ordinary Afghans, children – who risk their lives and AQ and Taliban retaliation to inform our troops about weapons caches, IEDs and attack plans! We’ve spent a lot of time and resources on cultivating their trust and friendship. He’s going to intentionally offend them too.
He’s not a Christian. He’s an assbag.
Nicki
Otter says: Just as an aside, the use of the word “moronic” is seen as a pejorative against persons with intellectual disabilities. These disabled individuals cannot but help who they are and strive to be the best that they can be.
Just as an aside, the use of the word “stupid” is seen as a pejorative against persons with intellectual disabilities…. Just as an aside, the use of the phrase “lacking a brain” is seen as a….
Surely, a person who has taken up the standard to rid the world of hurtful words would never use the word “moronic” as an insult and a slight. Why would being born with less intelligence than average be a word to be used as an insult? I’m offended!
You don’t seem to have a problem with using moron as a hurtful word and yet a moron was once defined as a person of mild mental retardation having a mental age of from 7 to 12 years. Of course the medical profession got rid of that word the same time as they did away with retard.
Never fear though, even someone as “devoid of intelligence” as I can see that you did not mean to make fun of those individuals, only me and my comments. Just as, I’m sure you will agree, that Cassy meant no offence when she used the word “retarded”. I’ll go so far as to say 95% of those who use the word never use it in the context of someone who is handicapped. IT NOT MEANT TO BE AN INSULT, therefore it isn’t (unlike the other words you assumed I throw about).
My problem is that there is an attempt to change the world through forced change of language. I think it is insincere and dishonest. There is no “right not to be offended” and as a nation we need to be less sensitive to perceived slights. Changing words to make people “feel” better accomplishes nothing.
Should those born of diminished stature be offended by phrases such as “short changed” or “short sighted”. Of coarse not.
Mike the undocumented resident is the same guy as Mike the illegal alien.
The utility access portal is the same hole in the ground as the man hole.
The Earned Income Tax Credit, which is neither earned or a credit is still welfare.
You can change the word, that doesn’t change the message and the meaning.
By saying I’m a moron instead of a retard, you pulled the same linguistic trick as calling me an “A-hole” instead of an “asshole”… We all know what you meant though.
Also, Cassy, I apologize for my part in starting this off topic side conversation.
Tony Fiano says: My first instinct concerning the burning of the Quran’s was to say screw them, these are the same people who take joy and pleasure on dragging dead american soldiers through their city streets, kicking and spitting on these American Heros, and on a daily basis burn the American flag, and also have hung dead American Heros from a bridge and burnt Their bodies, as a former Marine, getting incited and ready to fight is an understatement, so I initially said “screw them, lets have a Quran burning party across America”, then I read my daughter’s blog, and I came to my senses, what she says makes perfect sense, and makes me proud to say she is “MY” daughter, and a “Great American” …..
Mom says: Cassy, you are right on track with this one. Couldn’t have said it better. And I can tell you that I plan to be nowhere near Gainesville tomorrow! What a sad way to commemorate 9-11.
From the torching of the ancient library at Alexandria, to the Qur’an burning during the Spanish Inquisition, to Nazi Germany’s book burning, this has been the method of choice for people who quail in the face of inconvenient information. Rather than to oppose that information with rational and factually accurate refutation, they simply want to hide it from scrutiny.
Members of the Dove World Outreach Center are generally provincial and believe in a literal interpretation of the King James Version of the western bible. They are convinced that their view of a Supreme Being is the one true belief, much in the manner of some fundamentalist Muslims. Both groups seem guilty of selfishly trying to determine how others must live.
14 Comments