Bishop of Saint Augustine, Jacksonville Writes to Local Paper Re: Dove World's 9/11 Qu'ran Bonfire

[Turborama]

Letters to the Editor - August 28

Published: Saturday, August 28, 2010 at 6:01 a.m.
Last Modified: Friday, August 27, 2010 at 12:05 a.m.

A reprehensible act

I view with great dismay the plan to burn copies of the Quran on the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks by members of the Dove World Outreach Center. Out of respect for those of the Muslim faith, members of our faith community should consider the proposed desecration reprehensible.

Now more than ever we must work toward a mutual understanding and respect between people of differing faith traditions. That means respecting those texts that are considered sacred.

The burning of another faith tradition's sacred texts is diametrically opposed to the Catholic Church's ongoing commitment to improving interreligious relations. Furthermore, it presents a counter-witness to the Gospel message by engendering fear and hatred rather than the commandment to love our neighbor as ourselves.

The proliferation of negative stereotypes in the media, distorted information, and caricatures of Muslims and other faith traditions must be addressed at every level of society.

Most Rev. Victor Galeone

Bishop of Saint Augustine

Jacksonville

BTW I've been saying that these loons are doing this to provoke another 9/11 on President Obama's watch so they can say, "See!! He couldn't keep us safe!!911!!". But now, as I'm an expat living in Indonesia, this is starting to get very worrisome for me, personally...

International Protests Begin Ahead of Sept. 11 Koran Burning Event in Florida

Published August 27, 2010


Terry Jones, pastor of the Dove World Outreach Center in
Gainesville, Fla.

International protests have begun -- with some demonstrators threatening jihad -- in advance of a Florida church's plan to burn copies of the Koran on Sept. 11.

Roughly 100 Indonesian Islamists protested outside the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta on Friday, Agence France-Press reported, with some threatening holy war if the plan to burn Korans on the ninth anniversary of the Sept. 11 terror attacks comes to fruition at the Dove World Outreach Center in Gainesville, Fla.

"No one will be able to control this reaction," Roni Ruslan, of Hizbut Tahrir, a radical organization than advocates Islamic law, told Agence France-Press. "We urge the U.S. government and Christian leaders to stop the crazy plan from this small sect. It's an insult to Islam and to 1.5 billion Muslims around the world."

Protesters at the U.S. Embassy shouted chants of "God is greater" while holding signs that read "Destroy Burners of the Koran," among others, according to AFP.

More from the same channel broadcasting a http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x8976871#9031651">Propaganda War On Islam Unfiltered ALL OVER THE WORLD here...

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2010/08/27/international-protests-begin-ahead-sept-koran-burning-event-florida

Also http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x4520049#4520518">in LBN

Local Faux news report on this, including a false equivalence flag burning at the beginning and an interview with Jones: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dj7NtgE6Kqc

[Dorian Gray]

1. He is right

It's reprehensible and meant to inflame passions.

[Turborama]

2. Oops! I forgot to add the link to the letter, tried at the very last minute to add it but too late

Here it is: http://www.gainesville.com/article/20100828/OPINION02/100829566/1017?Title=Letters-to-the-Editor-August-28&tc=ar

[mmonk]

3. Recommended.

[mwb970]

4. In what crazy world can a single mentally ill person cause an international crisis?

This one, apparently.

:eyes:

[Obamanaut]

5. What a peace-loving religion it must be, threatening jihad in retaliation

for burning a book. "...International protests have begun -- with some demonstrators threatening jihad..."

Book burning is dumb, 'jihad' because of it is more so.

[sabrina 1]

14. Sort of like Pat Robertson calling for the assassination of

Chavez or the bombing of the State Department. Not even sure why he called for that 'jihad'. Far as I recall no one was burning the Bible anywhere. Christianity, a religion of peace.

[Turborama]

15. Publicly burning 100s of copies of a book that's revered by 1.5billion people & thereby purposefully

provoking a Jihad (IOW violent retaliation that is going to cost lives), is one of the dumbest things I've ever heard of.

Not being a follower of any particular religion means that I can watch this war between Christianity and Islam with a great deal of objectivity, apart from carrying a huge weight of worry about the innocent human lives that it will inevitably cost.

[wookie72]

6. Derek Smalls called

he wants his mustache back.

(ask your parents)

[Dappleganger]

7. Something good from my part of the state...

it's a relief to see someone coming out to tell those nutcases they are WRONG.

[OhioChick]

8. K&R n/t

[ihavenobias]

9. # 14 n/t

[Fumesucker]

10. Separated at birth?

[sabrina 1]

11. First of all why is the media covering these lunatics in any way

other than as an example of how insane they are? Same thing with Beck. There are more threads on the stupidity that is Glen Beck, a clown and a phony than there are of any other important issue even here. Every time they get publicity they make money and it encourages more fools to join them.

The media never covered the anti-war rallies, some of them huge, the way they cover these idiots.

I agree that this insane radical hater probably would love another 9/11. For them all 9/11 was was an excuse to come of the closet with their hatred. And I hope that no one obliges them.

I would love never to see the name 'Glen Beck' or 'Sarah Palin' ever again, and if I had never heard of this idiot, I would be a lot happier.

All the attention they get is why they can rally so many people. If they were ignored, they would stop after a while.

Just my opinion and it's not worth very much as our media appears to have little interest in real news, but can spend hours and hours on people like Beck and his ilk. No wonder it is not difficult for him to find a following here.

[Turborama]

12. As far as I can tell, it's Faux who are covering them

And for reasons that are obvious.

That's what scares me. I know I've mainly been talking about how many companies broadcast Faux in Pakistan, that's mainly because of the sheer number of them (84) and the geopolitical importance of Pakistan.

However, Indonesia has Faux broadcast all over by the main satellite provider (Indovision) and hearing about the protest in Jakarta in the article above showed me that my predictions were true. If this public Qu'ran burning takes place, certain parts of Indonesia are going to be a very dangerous place for Westerners to be.

"The media never covered the anti-war rallies, some of them huge, the way they cover these idiots." That is so true, in 2003 I was in London for the Jesse Jackson speech in Hyde Park. There were 2,000,000 people (even though the police said 750,000) and it hardly got any coverage.

BTW the reason I started the Beck photo thread was to expose the lie of how bigger than it really was the media are making it out to be. I haven't watched it and don't want to know anything about what went on in it but I hate it when anti war/G20/Global Warming protests are diminished and reich wing rallies get exaggerated and blown out of proportion, it's a pet peeve.

[sabrina 1]

13. But what is the audience for Faux in Pakistan or Indonesia?

I can't imagine, unless their programming is different, that it would have much of an audience anywhere where there there no bigots to give comfort to.

I can understand why you are worried Turborama. I wonder how people here would react if Muslims staged a Bible Burning event?

Maybe that's what should be done, on the same day at the same time.

It might alleviate some of the anger and make a mockery of the whole thing. I mean if everyone's holy books are being burned, this one would not be such a big deal.

I think you have a point about them wanting to instigate another 9/11. And as I wondered about yesterday, could this kind of speech be prosecutable or at least actionable in a civil court?

I guess it would but if only after something bad happens.

Stay safe. I hope this dies down or someone talks some sense into this nutjob before it's too late.

Re the photos, I thought they were great. A lot grass at that rally lol!

[nadinbrzezinski]

16. Good for him

and the most effective protest would be a serious counter protest.

Yes, legally they can... morally... ethically...