Is This the most Idiotic Event of the Year?

[Guest fountainhall]

Terry Jones, the pastor of a tiny 50-member Florida church, the Dove World Outreach Center, says he will go ahead with his plan to burn copes of the Koran on the anniversary of 9/11.

 

On Monday General David Petraeus, the top US commander in Afghanistan, warned troops' lives would be in danger if the church went through with its bonfire. US Attorney General Eric Holder called the idea "idiotic and dangerous".

 

But the organiser, Pastor Terry Jones, said on Wednesday that his plan to burn the Islamic holy book is intended to draw attention to his belief that "something's wrong. It is possibly time for us in a new way to actually stand up, confront terrorism," Mr Jones told reporters outside his church.

 

He acknowledged Gen Petraeus's concerns, but claimed to have been contacted by a special forces officer who told him US troops were supportive of his plan . . .

 

The Vatican, the Obama administration and Nato have also expressed concern over the plan. Nato chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen told reporters that burning Korans violated the alliance's "values".

 

An interfaith group of evangelical, Roman Catholic, Jewish, and Muslim leaders meeting in Washington on Tuesday condemned the proposals as a violation of American values and the Bible."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-11238062

 

So whilst this idiot is alarming most of the civilised world, wait for Islamic nations to review many of their commercial contracts with the USA and for terrorists to get a new boost.

[Guest GaySacGuy]

I think it wins the prize. Even Sarah Palin has joined to opposition to the burning. Among others are The President, the Secretary of State, The Secretary of Defense, and even John Boner (I know that is not his real name!!) but he had to compare it to building a mosque at ground zero (idiot!!)

[daddydawg]

GROUND ZERO....

I am curious what are the physical boundaries of Ground Zero? Where does it begin? Where does it end?

[Guest lvdkeyes]

This idiot should be jailed for inciting a riot, because that's what may happen if he goes through with it.

[Guest GaySacGuy]

This idiot should be jailed for inciting a riot, because that's what may happen if he goes through with it.

 

What is sad to me is that the idiots are using our rights under the Constitution against the very force that is protecting us...that is the US military in the Middle East. I HOPE that something stops this before it actually take place!!

[Bob]

There are limits to the freedom of expression (i.e, you can't yell fire in a crowded theater due to safety issues) but sometimes I wonder if we Americans or westerners shouldn't be willing to add a few more mild limits. Why that asshole Reverend Phelps and his wacky followers should be allowed to disrupt funerals or why Koran burners such as these are allowed to affect our national interest is beyond me. I guess all we can hope is that there are some saner heads in the middle east who understand that most Americans don't support this crap at all.

 

We pay too much attention to the "rights" of people who want to act and speak as idiots and too little attention to the "rights" of other people affected by it. For example only, I can understand the right to protest in a public area but I absolutely detest it when those protesters block the paths of others using the same public area or, as has happened to me, invade my personal space by getting 6 inches from my face and screaming and spitting their epithets of ignorance (which caused me to exercise every bit of self-restraint I had as I felt personally threatened and wished to knock the living shit out of them).

[Guest lvdkeyes]

I couldn't agree more.

[Guest Astrrro]

GROUND ZERO....

I am curious what are the physical boundaries of Ground Zero? Where does it begin? Where does it end?

 

IMO it is the area bounded by Vesey, Church, Liberty, and West Streets.

 

However 7 World Trade center was outside this area but that was more a ploy to increase the real estate value.

[Guest]

Their hosting company: Rackspace has an "Acceptable Usage Policy" which includes a promise by people renting web hosting from them that they will not post hate speech. This religious organization has posted hate speech and thus were in violation of their contract, so Rackspace canceled them.

[Gaybutton]

I wonder if he is any relation to the good reverend Phelps.

[Guest YardenUK]

It is very worrying indeed - I just saw thet intelligence agencies have said there is a heightened terrorist alert. Clearly the pastor's timing is worrying with the burning due to coincide with Eid al Fitr, which celebrates the ending of the holiest month of Ramadan. Something Muslims will find even more distastful, and frankly he is just providing more ammunition to the radical Islamist elements in the world.

 

Even in "moderate" Muslim nations like Malaysia, they are planning protests outside the US Embassy:

 

http://news.malaysia.msn.com/regional/article.aspx?cp-documentid=4322605

 

Interestingly, Tony Blair was on this evening's news here in the UK pointing out that UK (and EU law) would ensure such an event wouldn't take place, as the Pastor would be planning to commit a criminal offence in inciting religious/racial hatred.

 

I find it strange that the leader of the free world, the USA, doesn't have similar legislation in place......Bob, any chance of your thoughts on this as I found your post above very interesting?

 

Most commentators here are suggesting that this is a small town pastor with a tiny congregation, and this "stunt" is simply a cynical way of increasing his congregation and by default his church's (and indeed his own), bank balance..........but at what greater cost?

[Guest lvdkeyes]

Florida Pastor Calls Off Plan to Burn Qurans

 

AOL News

(Sept. 9) -- A Christian pastor today canceled his controversial plan to burn copies of the Quran, saying he had received a "sign from God" when a Muslim cleric agreed to move an Islamic center planned for a site near ground zero in New York. But the cleric said there was no such deal.

 

Terry Jones, head of the Dove World Outreach Center in Gainesville, Fla., sparked an international uproar when he announced his church would burn copies of the Muslim holy book on Saturday, the ninth anniversary of the Sept. 11 terror attacks. President Barack Obama condemned the plan and Gen. David Petraeus, the U.S. commander in Afghanistan, warned it could endanger American troops. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates telephoned Jones earlier today and urged him to reconsider.

 

Jones announced this afternoon he had decided to call off the Quran burning and would instead fly to New York on Saturday to meet with the Muslim cleric who wants to build an Islamic center a few blocks from the site of the former World Trade Center.

 

"Our thought was the American people do not as a whole want the mosque at ground zero. If they were willing to cancel the mosque at the ground zero location or if they were willing to move that location, we would consider that a sign from God," Jones told reporters today.

 

"We have been in contact with the imam in New York City. I will be flying up on Saturday to meet with the imam at the ground zero mosque. He has agreed to move the location," Jones said.

 

Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf said in a statement that there had been no such agreement and that he had not been involved in any negotiations with the Florida preacher.

 

"I am glad that Pastor Jones has decided not to burn any Qurans. However, I have not spoken to Pastor Jones," he said, adding that he was "surprised" by the announcement.

 

"We are not going to toy with our religion or any other. Nor are we here to barter. We are here to extend our hand to build peace and harmony," he said.

 

The property developer also denied any deal had been reached.

 

"The Muslim community center called Park51 in lower Manhattan is not being moved," said a statement issued by SoHo Properties that was obtained by ABC News. "The project will proceed as planned."

 

Meanwhile, real estate mogul Donald Trump said he had offered $6 million to buy out a major investor in the planned Park51 Islamic center -- 25 percent over the $4.8 million purchase price of the location, the New York Daily News said.

 

"I am making this offer as a resident of New York and citizen of the United States, not because I think the location is a spectacular one (because it is not), but because it will end a very serious, inflammatory, and highly divisive situation that is destined, in my opinion, to only get worse," Trump told the investor in a letter released by his publicist.

 

 

The investor, Hisham Elzanaty, rejected the offer. "This is just a cheap attempt to get publicity and get in the limelight," said his attorney, Wolodymyr Starosolsky, according to The Associated Press.

 

Imam Muhammad Musri, president of the Islamic Society of Central Florida, appeared with Jones at his news conference but later hastened to say he had never given any guarantee that the Park51 Islamic center would be moved. Jones, however, stuck to his assertion that the New York imam had promised to move the mosque.

 

"I was told exactly the imam would move the mosque from ground zero," Jones said. "I have his word he will move the mosque to a different location."

[Guest GaySacGuy]

The associated press is reporting that the minister Terry Jones has CANCELLED Quran burning on September 11. This is reported by Politico early this morning.

 

I guess someone or something must have finally gotten through to him.

[Bob]

Interestingly, Tony Blair was on this evening's news here in the UK pointing out that UK (and EU law) would ensure such an event wouldn't take place, as the Pastor would be planning to commit a criminal offence in inciting religious/racial hatred.

 

I find it strange that the leader of the free world, the USA, doesn't have similar legislation in place......Bob, any chance of your thoughts on this as I found your post above very interesting?

 

We yanks owe the vast bulk of the form of our statutory laws and common law to the mother country but we do differ in some respects. Inciting religious/racial hatred is not in itself an offense here although sometimes the people doing it jump over the line of a recognizable offense (such as creating a public disturbance, trespassing, or some such thing). In a way - given some of the colonists were here for more religious freedom - a bit strange that we would be the ones not to have such a law.

[Bob]

The associated press is reporting that the minister Terry Jones has CANCELLED Quran burning on September 11. This is reported by Politico early this morning.

 

I guess someone or something must have finally gotten through to him.

 

I saw the idiot give his press conference. What a fool (he somewhat reminded me of a strange mixture of Pat Robertson and Warren Jeffs). He said he gave up the event because he was assured that the moslim center in NYC would be moved farther from the "ground zero" site. Twenty minutes later, the NYC Iman said he had no contact with the Florida minister and made no such agreement. I believe the Iman.

 

This fringe lunatic got what he wanted - press coverage.

[Guest GaySacGuy]

Now he is changing his mind....again???? From the Associated Press

 

GAINESVILLE, Fla.

[Guest lvdkeyes]

He is just another example of the religious right wing nuts.

[Guest MonkeySee]

He is just another example of the religious right wing nuts.

 

These preachers are nuts as are many of the fundamentalist. I wonder how Reverend Phelps and Jones would react if an Inman would burn the bible?