Obama urges Fla. pastor to call off Koran burning

Obama urges Fla. pastor to call off Koran burning

By William Branigin

Thursday, September 9, 2010; 1:57 PM

President Obama urged a Florida pastor Thursday to call off a plan to burn copies of the Koran on Sept. 11, warning that such a "stunt" would amount to a "recruitment bonanza for al-Qaeda" and would endanger Americans.

Obama added his voice to a chorus of criticism of the proposed Koran-burning in an interview broadcast Thursday on ABC's "Good Morning America" program. Amid continuing protests in countries such as Afghanistan, he urged Terry Jones, pastor of a small evangelical church in Gainesville, Fla., to listen to his "better angels" and cancel his plan to burn copies of the Muslim holy book on the ninth anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

"If he's listening, I just hope he understands that what he's proposing to do is completely contrary to our values as Americans; that this country has been built on the notions of religious freedom and religious tolerance," Obama said. "And as a very practical matter, as commander in chief of the Armed Forces of the United States, I just want him to understand that this stunt that he is talking about pulling could greatly endanger our young men and women in uniform who are in Iraq, who are in Afghanistan. We're already seeing protests against Americans just by the mere threat that he's making."

Obama added: "Look, this is a recruitment bonanza for al-Qaeda. You know, you could have serious violence in places like Pakistan and Afghanistan. This could increase the recruitment of individuals who would be willing to blow themselves up in American cities or European cities."

The State Department later issued a worldwide travel alert, warning U.S. citizens "of the potential for anti-U.S. demonstrations in many countries" in response to the planned Koran burning.

"Demonstrations, some violent, have already taken place in several countries, including Afghanistan and Indonesia, in response to media reports of the church's plans," the State Department said Thursday. "The potential for further protests and demonstrations, some of which may turn violent, remains high."

Obama said he hopes Jones "listens to those better angels and understands that this is a destructive act that he's engaging in."

Asked whether he feels helpless or angry about having to deal with the fallout from the actions of a single pastor with a few dozen followers, Obama acknowledged, "It is frustrating." He noted that "we are a government of laws, and so we have to abide by those laws. And my understanding is that he can be cited for public burning, but that's the extent of the laws that we have available to us." The interview with "Good Morning America" was conducted Wednesday.

Jones told USA Today that he had not been contacted by the White House, State Department or Pentagon about his plan, the paper reported Thursday. If he were, "that would cause us to definitely think it over," he was quoted as saying. "That's what we're doing now. I don't think a call from them is something we would ignore."

By weighing in on the controversy, Obama joined critics from across the political and religious spectrum in condemning Jones's plan.

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), Obama's opponent in the 2008 presidential election, said Thursday on Twitter: "Pastor Jones' threats to burn the Koran will put American service men/women in danger - for their sake please don't do it!"

Gen. David H. Petraeus, the top U.S. and NATO commander in Afghanistan, and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton also have made similar pleas in recent days.


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/09/AR2010090903014.html?hpid=topnews

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Obama Speaks Out Against Pastor’s Plan to Burn Koran

Obama Speaks Out Against Pastor’s Plan to Burn Koran

By HELENE COOPER

Published: September 9, 2010

WASHINGTON— President Obama sharply criticized a Florida pastor’s plan to burn copies of the Koran on the anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, calling it a “stunt” that threatens the lives of American troops in Afghanistan and Iraq and violates American principles of religious tolerance.

“If he’s listening, I just hope he understands that what he’s proposing to do is completely contrary to our values as Americans,” Mr. Obama said in an interview shown Thursday on ABC’s “Good Morning America,” referring to Terry Jones, a pastor from Gainesville, Fla.

“As a practical matter, as commander in chief of the armed forces of the United States, I just want him to understand that this stunt that he is pulling could greatly endanger our young men and women in uniform who are in Iraq, who are in Afghanistan,” the president said.

Mr. Obama said that the Koran burning would be a “recruitment bonanza for Al Qaeda” and other terrorist groups looking for people willing to “blow themselves up” in American or European cities.

Mr. Obama is the strongest voice so far among a long list of prominent political and religious leader who have condemned Mr. Jones’s plan. General David H. Petraeus, the American commander in Afghanistan, said this week that the burning would put American troops there directly in harm’s way, a warning echoed by the F.B.I., which has said that Islamic extremists would likely retaliate.

The reaction in the Muslim world, many Islamic experts said, could be as bad, or perhaps even worse, than the reaction after a Danish newspaper published a cartoon in 2005 depicting the prophet Mohammad with his turban turning into a bomb. The cartoon ignited huge protests around the Muslim world. The United States stayed largely out of the controversy, with riots and burnings directed toward Danish and European entities. But a burning of the Koran — Islam’s most sacred text — in Florida would unleash that anger directly at the United States, Muslim scholars warned.

The pastor, who heads the Dove World Outreach Center in Gainesville, has said he is still praying about his plan, but has not indicated any willingness to back down so far. He has also said that he won’t be responsible for any deaths that may occur as a result of his church’s actions.

“He says he’s someone who is motivated by his faith,” Mr. Obama said. “I hope he listens to those better angels and understands that this is a destructive act that he’s engaging in.”

Later in the day, in a statement marking the Muslim holiday of Eid-ul-Fitr, Mr. Obama again urged religious tolerance and unity.

“It is a time of self-reflection focusing on the values that Muslims and people of all faiths share — charity, community, cooperation and compassion,” the statement said. “This year’s Eid is also an occasion to reflect on the importance of religious tolerance and to recognize the positive role that religious communities of all faiths, including Muslims, have played in American life.”

Mr. Obama also said that “those devastated by the recent floods in Pakistan will be on the minds of many around the world” and urged Americans to donate to the Pakistan Relief Fund.


http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/10/us/10obama.html?_r=1&hp

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The Quran burning: sign of things to come?

The Quran burning: sign of things to come?

Director, Islamic Studies, U. of Delaware

Muqtedar Khan

Associate professor, political science and international relations; Fellow of the Institute of Social Policy and Understanding.

"Where books are burned in the end people will burn." - Heinrich Heine
On May 10th, 1933 the Nazis burned 25,000 books -- including those written by Jewish poet Heinrich Heine, who had predicted in 1820 that "where books are burned in the end people will burn," - and eight years later the Holocaust began.

The connection is not too difficult to discern. Books are repositories of histories, of identities, of values. They are the soul of civilization. A society must abandon basic decencies in order to muster the immoral courage to burn books as a celebratory act. Once it starts burning the souls of civilization, human souls will not be left behind.

On September 11, 2010, some misguided Americans plan to burn the Holy Quran, the only book in the entire heritage of humanity that claims to be solely the word of God. This dastardly act is the brainchild of Terry Jones, a Christian Pastor from Florida. This act is not just some symbolic gesture of defiance. It is an act of egregious violence against the beliefs and the sacred symbols of one fourth of humanity. The act will scorch Muslim hearts everywhere. The searing pain will never be forgotten.

Along with the idea of God and prophets, the Quran is the thing that Muslims hold the dearest. My children have been listening to it since even before they were born. I use to recite it to them while they were still in the womb. Their children will be reciting it to them when they will be lowered in to their tomb. Believe me, there is nothing more precious to Muslims than the Quran, and watching people toss it into fire, will be horrifying. I would rather burn in fire myself, than watch a Quran burn.

I am amazed at how millions of Americans who are decent and honorable can watch this happen. No matter how ugly the act the Constitution permits this, is not an acceptable excuse. The Constitution does not permit this. The Constitution forbids cruel and unusual punishment. For Muslims this is worse than torture.

I have been agonizing over this since I heard about it. My feelings are mixed. Sometimes I feel dismayed at having to suffer this. At other times I feel betrayed, for I think Muslims may have invited this through their own hateful zealotry. In the past few years alone so many churches have been desecrated in the Muslim World, many missionaries were murdered, nuns stabbed to death and the worst of all, the 1500 year old Buddhas of Bamiyan were intentionally dynamited. It was an ugly blow against not just religion, but also a major landmark of human history. I can now begin to imagine how millions of devout Buddhists must have suffered.

The Quran explicitly forbids all such acts. They merely chronicle the savagery and meanness that Muslims these days display towards others and now it is unfortunately our turn to get a taste of our own medicine.

As a reminder to those Muslims who still appreciate what the Taliban did, let me quote the relevant Quranic source: "Do not insult their Gods, lest out of ignorance they insult Allah" (6:108).

Those determined to burn the Quran are doing so as a way to either hurt or get even with Muslims. They however are laboring under the illusion that Quran belongs to Muslims. Yes, Muslims attach unimaginable value to it, but the Quran belongs to all people, it is part of the human treasury and the Quran attests that it was sent, not to Muslims, but to the entire humanity: "It is nothing less than a message to all nations" (Quran 68:52). It belongs as much to Terry Jones as it does to Muslims. The only difference being, some have built great civilizations on its basis others may burn their own values along with it.

When images of Quran burning will be flashed around the globe, it will excite Muslim anger. I want Muslim leaders everywhere to council their communities. Recognize this provocation for what it is and ignore it. And remember do not let this become a source for anger and hatred towards Christians. Remind your congregations what the Quran tells Muslims about Christians:

"...Forgive them and overlook their misdeeds, for Allah loves those who are kind (Quran 5:13).

If Muslims react with anger and indiscriminate violence then one of Terry Jones' goals will be fulfilled. He would have shown the world that some Muslims are more barbaric than even he is. Be patient, encourage everyone to be patient, let Terry Jones enjoy the monopoly on barbarity for a while.

"True believers are those who show patience, firmness and self-control (Quran 3:17) and indeed God is with those who are patient (Quran 2:153)."

Dr. Muqtedar Khan is Associate Professor at the University of Delaware and a Fellow of the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding.


http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/panelists/muqtedar_khan/2010/09/the_quran_burning_sign_of_things_to_come.html?hpid=topnews

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