Terry Jones must have noticed the fame clock was about to strike 15 minutes. The Florida pastor at Dove World Outreach Church who last year gained international fame when he vowed to burn copies of the Quran on the anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks is at it again.
Jones shelved the Quran burning plans when everyone from Sarah Palin to Iraq war veterans, and even Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, basically told him “You’re not helping” our anti-terrorism efforts and you’re putting our soldiers at greater risk.
For his latest stunt, Jones — get ready for this — is putting the Quran on trial for the “murder of millions of people.” That’s right, on March 20 Jones is holding a public trial for the book of the Muslim faith complete with attorneys and judges. The International Judge the Quran Day website makes no mention of a jury, but this being America we’re imagining a jury of the Quran’s peers. Picture it, there in the jury box will sit the Old and New Testament, the Talmud, the Book of Mormon, the Vedas and maybe even Dianetics.
But wait, it gets better.
Jones’ website will live stream the trial and will poll users to choose the punishment if the book is found guilty. Voters will get to pick from burning, shredding, drowning or firing squad. Stoning — that old favorite — is strangely absent.
We’re making light of this latest clownish publicity stunt by Jones because it deserves it. But these kind of stunts are also concerning because the political climate in this country makes it easy for the religious right to stigmatize entire groups of people due to the actions of a few. And it’s not just the Terry Joneses or the Westboro Baptist Churches of the world who are adding to the anti-Muslim hysteria. It’s also elected politicians like U.S. Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., who last week held hearings to single out Muslim Americans for what he calls religious radicalization. And elected politicians like some of those on the Texas State Board of Education, who last September passed an anti-Muslim resolution that absurdly claims social studies textbooks are anti-Christian and pro-Islam.
Jones’ website notes that the Quran is facing only an “accusation,” so maybe it will at least get a fair trial. Ah, who are we kidding? That Quran is done for. Let’s hope Amarillo’s Jacob Isom happens to be in the neighborhood for this show trial.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3KCnWdiO1k&w=480&h=390]
I’m up for a class-action suit against the Book of Leviticus. Who’s with me?
Sure, just as soon as I’m done washing my mixed linens.
I would support this if they brought the Bible to trial too, as well as the Book of Mormon and “Dianetics”.
not sure why its only the pagan-left that can’t see under the veil of Islam.
Muslims all over the globe are killing people for not holding to the practices of Islam.
there is only one religion (man made ideas) in the world that has suicide bombers(in EVERY coountry) to promote their religion.
is it
a)evolutionism
b)mormonism
c)Islam
Truth,
You are talking about Muslim extremists. The overwhelming majority of Muslims are not extremists.
I could cite many examples of Christian extremism, including killing people for not holding to the practices of Christianity.
And, Nazis. Don’t forget Nazis. It is a religion/cult in and of itself, you know. How could anyone forget Nazis, for crying out loud?!
Truth,
1) “evolutionism” is not a religion, it’s a scientific theory/fact
2) as ben points out, muslim extremists are the ones killing people, not “muslims” as a whole. that’s like saying christians all over the world are killing people because timothy mcveigh was one. most of the major religions in the world (if not all) have blood on their hands, usually because they were trying to force their beliefs on people who don’t adhere to them (like a little series of wars called the crusades).
3) suicide bombers in EVERY country? really? that’s extremely illogical and has no factual basis.
4) way to add “pagan” to “left” to make it seem more evil. if you get to know a real pagan, i hope you’ll understand what it’s really about (lesson #1 – harm none)
5) how would you classify the IRA when they were blowing up buses and killing civilians? not terrorists? not christians? what about christian zealots in america plotting to kill cops and government officials (hutaree)? why have you conveniently forgotten about them?
it’s far easier to dismiss an entire group of people who believe different things than you as “terrorists,” rather than trying to understand what is a deeply complex and diverse belief system. i believe the christian bible says you shouldn’t point out the ember in another person’s eye without first looking at the flaming log in your own.
I want to add something else: There is no doubt that the Koran is a brutal text, and that extremist Muslims can and do use it to justify horrific behavior. Fortunately, again, most Muslims don’t behave that way, much the same way most Christians don’t support the “laws” contained in the Old Testament. If they did support those laws, I would’ve been stoned to death a long time ago, as would most people reading this comment.
Of course Ben’s right. The whole New Testament perspective on the Old Testament law is that it was instituted just to show the Jewish people that no one could comply with it.
The problem is not religion, because religions have sent down from God Almighty and God Almighty does not make mistakes so religions that descended from God by the words sacred and is wrong but the problem is people who believe in religions do not practice Macalth religions really honest and apply it radically and, of course, not all people as well as
“because religions have sent down from God Almighty”
Citation needed.
The history of Christianity is one of intolerance, suppression, war, torture and murder. (Just think of the Crusades, The Spanish Inquisition etc.) In the past some Christians were just like Muslim extremists are today.
Fortunately most democratic countries now have laws outlawing discrimination on the basis of religion, race and gender. The US appears to value freedom of speech more than this and so is unable to do anything about Terry Jones and his mob. Is it not time for the US to introduce strong laws outlawing incitement to violence which should be implemented equally against wrongdoers of all religious extremes?