Whatever else you might think about the Revd. Terry Jones's decision/threat to burn copies of the Koran on the anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks, you have to say that he is not himself advocating violence against Muslims. You also have to say that a similar threat by Muslims to burn copies of the Bible would be most unlikely to produce the sort of violence and worse among Christians that everyone fears so much will result in the Muslim world as a result of Pastor Jones's provication.
What does this tell us about the respective status and merits of the two great religions? There is no easy answer to that question, but it is a question that should not be shirked either.
Greetings Barnaby,
ReplyDeleteThe BBC had a good take on this recently to the effect that a generation ago a silly stunt by a small village religious fanatic, would have made news only in his small village.
The internet and 24 hour news broadcasting today give such people absurdly wide platforms for their fire and brimstone type religion.
President Obama has simply amplified news of the nonsense and he should have known or been advised, better imho.
Hello Jerry,
ReplyDeleteI agree with the BBC (and you!) up to a point. But in 2008 another renegade pastor and members of a Baptist Church in Topeka, Kansas, set fire to a Koran at a street corner and took care to capture the event on film. It and they were completely ignored by the media.
So what has happened between 2008 and now? Obviously, a lot of things can explain the different reaction this time, the ultra-provocative and self-publicising attitude of Terry Jones himself not least among them, but I am convinced that the crucial new element concerns the proposed building of a Muslim community centre near the World Trade Centre site. Rightly or wrongly, a sizeable majority of Americans are against such a project.