Burning the Qur'an

There is currently a bit of a controversy about a church in Florida that is going to hold "International Burn a Qur'an Day" on the ninth anniversary of the attack on the World Trade Center - this coming Saturday, 9/11/10. A lot of folks are calling for the church to cancel their event, which they describe as a protest against radical Islam, so I wanted to weigh in with both my opinion and what I think is the more interesting story behind this controversy.

To start off, let me say that this sounds like a very un-Christian thing to do. The Bible tells us to "Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you" (Matthew 5:44), and this does not sound like a good way to show love. However, with that said, they certainly have the right, under US law, to burn any book they want. Folks have burned the Bible in protests in the past, and while I don't like it they have the right to do so.

Most folks, at least here in the US, seem to agree that technically these folks have a right to do what they are doing. The argument I have heard voiced a lot is that it is in poor taste, with which I agree, and that it is going to put our troops overseas in danger of attack from Muslims who are angry over the burning of their holy book.

I agree that it is likely that if this goes forward some attacks will be carried out against Americans, both military and civilians, who are residing in Muslim countries... but that is *not* because these people are burning some books. It is because many Muslims, particularly the more radical among them, see murder as a fitting reaction to someone burning copies of a book that is important to them - even though it isn't their own property or even happening in their region, and the folks they will likely target are no more responsible for the burning than I am responsible for folks who have burned Bibles or crosses here in the US.

That is what I see as the principle problem here: the over-reaction of many Islamic people the world over. Do they have the right to voice their opinion, and protest against the Qur'an burning? Yes - and many are already doing so! In fact, many are burning US flags. That is their right, just as these folks have the right to burn some books. However, if they go a step further and start hurting or killing folks then it isn't the book-burning that has gone wrong, it is the folks doing the killing!

Why should we have to tell someone here in the US that they shouldn't do something which they have a legal right to do because someone else might react in an illegal, immoral, and murderous way? That sounds to me like cowering before terrorism. Do I think those supposed Christians in Florida should burn Qur'ans? No - again, it isn't a very Christ-like thing to do. However, I think they have the right to do as they want under the law and I will not hold them responsible in the least for any reactions by overzealous Muslims. If Muslims want the world to see that their religion is peaceful, as many of them claim, then they need to call on their own adherents to react in a non-violent manner to the Qur'an burning. I guess we'll see on Saturday, and in the days following, what the true nature of Islam is...