Burning the Quran

A congregation led by a Pastor Jones is planning to burn copies of the Quran on September 11, 2010 - the same day as the feast of Eid ul-Fitr, which marks the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. I find it surprising that the plans of a 50-person congregation from somewhere in Florida are being reported around the world. Why would the actions of such a small group cause so much commotion?

1. This is not news.

   It should come as no surprise to anyone that there exists somewhere in the world a small group of people who are prejudiced against one or more other groups. If the media were to report on every such collection of people, they'd run out of room in every broadcast and in every newspaper. Had the news media not made a "story" out of these plans, no one would likely have even noticed it happened; as an event, it's especially uninteresting because there's no threat to anyone's safety or welfare. Sadly, by shining a spotlight on this insignificant group, and by making its leader famous enough to appear on television, the news, and in print, the media inspires them and others to even more outrageous acts in the future.
   

   This is a great example of where the phrase "nothing to see here, move along" is applicable.
   

2. They have the right to burn copies of the Quran.

   Speech of all sorts is protected in the United States under the First Amendment to the Constitution. There are some types of speech which can be controlled or punished, but for the most part, the tension between (1) protecting others and their reputations, and (2) encouraging discourse about the government, officials, and important issues generally ends up protecting most types of speech. In particular, as long as you're not causing a danger to anyone (arson) you're generally allowed to burn anything you want. That goes for flags, books, pop albums, etc.
   

3. Anyone who responds to this is responsible for their own actions.

   A number of U.S. officials have attempted to warn the group that their planned event will end up endangering the lives of U.S. citizens and troops around the world. I don't think this is a reasonable or relevant observation.
   

   To begin with, any response by a member of the Muslim faithful to the burning of a copy of the Quran is their own responsibility, not the fault of the members of this congregation. No one has the right to respond with violence to what amounts, at most, an insult. It's useful to keep this in perspective: the books this Florida church plans to destroy are mere copies of the text; burning these books will not make it impossible for others to continue to teach or worship as they did before. This is not an impediment to anyone else's free exercise of their religion. And no one's health or welfare will be directly harmed by the book burning.
   

   That said, people will respond in various fashions, and some will be incited to violence. Some of the violence may happen where U.S. troops are currently stationed. Frankly, the best way to prevent violence against the troops is to move them to somewhere safe, especially home. By referring to the potential danger to U.S. troops, General Petraeus and President Obama seem to be trying to use guilt to stop the book burning; the implicit suggestion is that any subsequent violence around the world will amount to "blood on [this congregation's] hands." These statements come across as nothing more than an indirect way to pressure this group to cancel their plans.
   

   Sadly, there are also likely to be responses from those who support the views of Pastor Jones and his church. If the event goes forward, it might instigate copy cat burnings in other communities, or may inspire other groups to grab media attention with even more outrageous activities. If the burning is called off, sympathizers may act out against those whom they believe worked to shut down the event. Again, anyone who responds violently on either side should be held responsible for their actions, in accord with the law.
   

4. What this group is doing is insensitive and an inappropriate response to 9/11.

   Of course, the purpose of the protection of speech in America is to encourage reasoned discussion and debate in our community. To that end, it's welcome to have public officials, ecumenical leaders, and generally everyone else point out that burning copies of the holy book of any group is simply a manifestation of hatred toward the members of that group. Such an event adds nothing to our understanding of the causes and/or effects of the events of 9/11; instead, it acts to rend the ties in their community (and in any others which respond).
   

   I understand and defend their right to express their ideas in this fashion, but I can't say I appreciate or support it. While the government and elected officials have no right to tell them not to go ahead with their plans, I wish they would choose on their own to cancel their event, and I really wish I'd never heard of them at all in the first place.