Open Thread Week of August 16, 2010
August 16th, 2010
Another storm headed our way, another day of 90 plus degree weather, more killed by drunk driving, No BOCS meetings until Sept. 14. I will pin this to the top for a couple of days. That seemed to work out.
Is everyone able to navigate this blog ok?
Categories: Open
Yeah, haven’t heard squat about it. One-fifth of the country is under water. I think bin Laden lives up in the Mountains, so he’s OK.
‘Burn Quran Day’ an outrage to MuslimsBy Akbar Ahmed, Special to CNN
August 20, 2010 — Updated 1318 GMT (2118 HKT)
Editor’s note: Akbar Ahmed is professor and Ibn Khaldun Chair of Islamic Studies at American University in Washington. He is author of “Journey into America: The Challenge of Islam,” Brookings Press 2010.
(CNN) — In less than a month, Pastor Terry Jones of the Dove World Outreach Center in Florida plans to host “Burn a Quran Day” to mark the ninth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.
The pastor, author of the book “Islam is of the Devil,” is using the burning to urge American Christians to “stand up” to what he describes as a monolithic Muslim threat. A Facebook page for the event has accrued thousands of “likes” and Jones has said people have been mailing him Qurans to burn.
As a Muslim scholar, an adherent of one of the Abrahamic faiths — Judaism, Christianity and Islam — and as someone committed to interfaith understanding, I urge Jones to cancel this event. Not only are the actions of Jones contrary to the life and teachings of Jesus Christ, but they are also against the ideals of the American Founding Fathers.
The planned burning has already caused alarm in the Muslim world, with the pre-eminent Sunni university, Al-Azhar in Cairo, Egypt, condemning it as “stirring up hate and discrimination.”
At a recent dinner in Washington, a host for one of Pakistan’s top TV channels confided in me that he “didn’t dare” report the story because if he did, “not a single American would be safe in Pakistan.” He and the cameraman were quivering with anger as they asked me to explain why Americans hated Islam.
I tried my best to explain this was not the case, but Jones’ burning will have great symbolic significance to a Muslim world already feeling under attack by the United States. It will cause undue harm to U.S. relations with the Muslim world and particularly the war effort.
Gen. David Petraeus, the head of American forces in Afghanistan, has repeatedly expressed the need for winning the “hearts and minds” of local people by treating them with dignity and respect. When Afghans see that their holy book is being burned, it will cause riots and attacks that will put U.S. troops further at risk. There will be similar riots and attacks in neighboring Pakistan and Iran. It will inflame the entire Muslim world and fuel acts of terrorism.
http://edition.cnn.com/2010/OPINION/08/20/ahmed.quran.burning/index.html?hpt=C2#fbid=OCZDcP9t5zO&wom=false
This pastor is anti-American. He does not respect our Constitution or the founding fathers. His actions are going to put Americans around the world, including our troops, in grave danger.
How to win the “hearts and minds” of the Afghans….two in the heart, one in the mind.
American radicals are using the same tactics as Islamic ones — paint
all the “others” as pure evil and sworn foes to the death.
@Slowpoke Rodriguez
Love the new avatar.
You see there is a difference here. If people burned the bible I don’t think they would then have to fear for their lives. However, burn the Quran and fanatics will want to start killing people. Doesn’t that point out the insanity of their mind set, or am I missing something?
@Lafayette
He looks how I occasionally feel!
@Slowpoke Rodriguez
How to win the “hearts and minds” of the Afghans….two in the heart, one in the mind.
Astute!
LOL!
Its good to see Team Ambassadors here and hard at work.
Yes.