You’ve no doubt heard by now that Terry Jones finally made good on his threat to burn the Koran. You’ve probably also heard how reaction in Afghanistan to Jones’ stunt led to the deaths of at least seven people and perhaps many more. Apparently two people were beheaded.
Is it just me, or does anyone else think this should be an eye-opener for the world and it’s largely being missed again? The real story isn’t that some idiot in Florida burned the Koran and Muslims are angry. It is, rather, that in spite of the outrage and mayhem that is committed daily in the name of Islam around the world, Islam routinely is given a pass. Yet when one act involving the destruction of an alleged holy book (which is, after all, a bundle of paper) takes place, more mayhem breaks out…and people die.
I realize that it was a calculated act intended to insult Muslims. So what? My faith (Christianity) is trashed daily in my own culture. If somebody burned a truckload of Bibles today I don’t know that it would make the evening news, and if it did Christians wouldn’t even consider an act of violence against those involved.
The point here is simply that the reaction we’ve seen to the Koran burning should tell us something of the religion we’re dealing with here as well as its adherents. And, once again, I’m not sure we’re getting the message.