Should Koran burning be stopped?

A radical Florida preacher plans to burn a Koran to protest 9/11, even though he has been warned by military and religious authorities his actions could spur violence, and endanger allied troops in the Islamic world. Should he be stopped from burning the Koran, or allowed to go ahead?

Comments

[Return of the Ricko]

After 5 months in Europe, it's good to see some of the old school commenters!

[Ed2]

I still think and feel that the religions and areas of the world where beheading is accepted and stoning is in place, and where children are recruited for human bombs needs to have an attitude adjustment and fast.

A complete and total ban, from communication satelites to food to fuel to machines of any kind. It will or would be amazing when the Media could not report archaic propaganda and the misfits have a small circle of reference instead of world wide attention.

Since I was a child it has been the only garbage to make it onto the media. Hijackings, suicide bombs, self-burnings, archaic justice, and their leaders seem to profit and become billionaires.

The Western World has to stop selling arms to these areas, stop providing monetary aid, ban emmigration from these areas, that is until they are ready to join the human race and respect life.

I am fed up with the entire rhetoric and there is a solution but in the name of profit and politics it will foster and fester.

[Paul]

He can express himself without resorting to such hateful actions. It serves nothing but a reminder that we really have not progressed very far. This includes some of the rather hateful generalist statments I have read here. Would their be such leniency to the man if it was the Bible or another religious item. We already know there are extremists on both sides no need to feed the hate of either one.

[Agricolae]

This preacher has changed his mind about Koran burning after he visited New York. The reason is never really mentioned in a specific way; just that he's changed his mind and that no Koran or any book will be burned.

It looks like some one got to him. He sounds like an attention grabbing crackpot anyway, desperate to attract attention for his little, cash-strapped church.

[Erin]

This is a difficult scenario because what this pastor is doing is wrong and ignorant, but it is also protected by his "freedom of speech". While it's true that some afghans are evil, that same is true for every other race, ethnicity, religion and every other possible group in the world. Would the reaction be different if this pastor was doing something blantantly discriminatory towards black people? Or asian people? People with mental disabilities? Women? When it comes down to it, discrimination is discrimination, no matter who it's against. And while some people like to say that this has been a harmless threat, people have already died because of this pastor's idiocy (http://www.thespec.com/community/faith/article/255363--afghans-protest-koran-burning). This pastor has caused much more trouble that he has attempted to and overall people need to know that what he has done is wrong.

[Jeremy]

I think its the medias fault , they should have let him burn it ; who cares . No one would have even knowen about it , but thanks to the media it recieved world wide attention ; WAY TO GO MEDIA . The media needs to be stopped , to much freedom of the press is bad for all . We should burn the news paper .

[Erin]

This preacher should not be allowed to do this. While he should be allowed to have his own freedom to express his opinion, this is offensive to an entire religion, when only a small group of the people he is discriminating against are responsible. This is extremely misguided and will only cause more hate between religions. What this preacher chooses to do is his own choice, but it should not be so publicized. What he is doing is ignorant and rude and causes more issues than it is attempting to resolve.

[Eden]

even tho there is a freedom of speech, you are only allowed to discuss your opinion freely as long as it doesnt discriminate or harm anyone. that's just really rude and ignorant. sure there are many copies of the Quran but do you honestly think that it's right for him to do this ? They should stop him from doing this. It all just causes even more hate between religions all around the world. Obviously if he's a christian or something he wouldn't agree with Islam, or else he would have been a Muslim. but you don't have to go around the world showing that you hate the religion and the people who follow it. He obviously wants to make the muslims all around the world to get angry and do something about it and be violent. That's the point he wants to prove to make Muslims look bad. Honestly..people these days are messed.

[David Will]

I would remind the "preacher", that Hitler's Nazi Germany used to burn books too.

[Ed2]

I'll worry about burning a book when I see Muslims protesting and denouncing an innocent victim being beheaded for propoganda. Death threats over naming a Teddy Bear, or over a cartoon make a book burning look pale.

If as Obama has stated that U.S. is truly a free country then doesn't this person have the right to do this as long as no one is in danger or harmed. Troop safety aside, I don't see how the war can become more fanatical that it already is.

My praise goes out to all coalition troops.

[Owl700]

I agree with the other poster that the burning of the library at Alexandria and the Shaolin temples in China was a way to destroy the accumulated knowledge of the time,but today we can cheaply and easily print millions of copies a day.Why anyone would think this is a weapon that should even bother anyone else? It's just ridiculous to believe the world could be held hostage by some paper and ink.

[Lawrence King]

What a bunch of crap - Muslims all over the world torture, rape and kill men, women and children everyday, all in the name of Allah. WAKE UP AND PAY ATTENTION. What will we do in 20 or 30 years when there are 50 million potentially violent Muslims living here and they don't get what they want. Don't listen to what people say, both Muslim and Non-Muslim, see what they do. Islam is at war with the world. Islam has an agenda to make this a Muslim world and that's what they are doing. Anyone who is not Islamophobic is a fool

[nate smith]

I dont agree with what this guy is doing but at the same time he should be allowed to express his thoughts.
As far as his actions spurring violence..isnt that kinda irrational. Isnt that also terrisim? wouldnt stopping him be bowing down to terrorist threat? For that reason alone I would alow him to do it.

[Barbara Argent]

Why?? its only a book!.
Would there be such a reaction from Western world if Muslims had done this to the Bible.......or our flag!! Think not!!!
Over reaction or what!

[John Locke]

Organized religion is ridiculous. Would a supreme being of any kind actually care about a book being burned? About what you wear or eat? About what time of day or which direction you may face when you pray? Think about it.

[Hamilton34]

Pat, Canada has 30 million people. The USA has a population of 300 Million. This issue is news because it puts our troops in harms way. I know one thing and that is if any soldiers are hurt because this man wants to make a statement, those families are going to go straight to that minister who thought up this whole brain dead idea.

[ernest]

I'm trying to think of a time when the burning of books actually made a difference.I can only come up with the the burning of the library at Alexandria and the Shaolin temples in china.The burnt books all but erased long histories now forgotten. Then there's Fahrenheit 451.

[bob]

Religion continues to suck up way more oxygen than should ever be allowed by this day and age. It's time we put a moratorium on the lot of them, right up to the point where we can figure out which one's the "real" one. Then, those so disposed would have to go with that one. Makes much too much sense, no?

[Caledonia Boy]

Crying foul before the act is just a propaganda move.
A small little church in Florida gets international attention on an act not committed.
Where were all the media hounds when Canadian flags were being burned and residents were being terrorized in Caledonia?

[Pat]

A preacher and his congregation of 50 in a country of I think 30 million people. He should never have got one second of media attention. This subject should not result in the critism of Muslims, they have nothing to do with it. It's about a red neck and his followers getting all this press.

[mitch1]

I think that it is interesting to note that under the US constitution there is no provision for hate speech or incitement to violence or persecution of any minority or group of people while in Canada we do have provisions to stop such activities.

[Concerned]

We either have free speech or we do not. I do not agree with what is being done, but I could never agree to forcing him to stop.

This not an attack on a person or an individual but a statement against an "organization" which is something as democracies we consider more important than anything else.

Personally I find the reaction of "certain" muslim communities completely hypocritical! How many American Flags have been burned at the hands of Muslims? ... the same ones complaining about the burning of the Koran.

At some point hopefully the maturity level of everyone will get to the point to be able to differentiate between what is important and what is but a symbol and only a symbol.

[kandnh@gmail.com]

Yes, he should be stopped from burning a Koran. This is just a way for this misguided fellow to spout hatred and incite others to violence.

[John]

Sure he should run, in my opinion, Mayor Fred is inept and the former Mayor was corrupt. Go for it BOB>

[Robbie]

Whatever the preacher decides to do will be a reflection on him alone. I've always been confused as to why religion creates so much hate in people.

[ed]

Might be a little over the top. I will say this though, muslims love to say how they hate the ways of the west and our institutions, yet they're here enjoying the benefits while refusing to accept our laws, culture and religous freedoms. They love to piss and moan about THEIR freedom of speech and THEIR rights to be muslims here. Like the muslim spec writer whos always whining about how THEIR culture is under attack here. Funny though, he said nothing about the jihad editorial right beside his column, I guess he like his job.