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Jack Rabbit Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Sep-09-10 03:39 PM
Original message
To my Muslim Brothers and Sisters around the World
Edited on Thu Sep-09-10 03:57 PM by Jack Rabbit
The Rev. Mr. Jones is a vile, hateful man. Few Americans condone what he will do Saturday.

There is nothing we can do to stop him. There is nothing Mr. Crist, the Governor of Florida, can do to stop him. There is nothing President Obama can do to stop him. The American Constitution guarantees the Rev. Mr. Jones free speech to say any idiotic, hateful thing he would like and to express it as he pleases as long as he violates no law. It is not against the law to burn a book. We Americans believe that a government that could stop vile men like the Rev. Mr. Jones from burning the Koran could prevent Muslims or people of any other faith from worshiping as they choose.

If you think that this is a dark underbelly of American freedom, then I agree with you. So do many Americans. However, we believe that it is best for government to keep away from religion, even if that allows the Rev. Mr. Jones to insult a billion and half Muslims and, indeed, all people of good will anywhere and everywhere.

We, as a people, have pleaded with the Rev. Mr. Jones not to go through with this act. We have presented him with good reasons why he should not go through with this act. Unfortunately, he is deaf to reason and common standards of civility.

Please be aware that when this ignorant man pours gasoline onto a pile of copies of your sacred text and throw a match on it Saturday, more Americans of all faiths or no faith at all will be standing with you than with him. Let us together raise a cry against this act that will be heard in Heaven Itself. To burn anyone's sacred text -- Koran, Bible, Torah, Upanishads, the Tao Te Ching or the most sacred Sutras of Buddhism -- is an act of sacrilege. Let us together join hands in brotherhood, with our hearts linked in a chain so long that is will be seen even beyond Heaven. Such an act of human brotherhood is the greatest praising of God we can do together.

EDITED for my devilishly bad typing.

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lapislzi Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Sep-09-10 03:43 PM
Response to Original message
1. This atheist says "amen."
Despite the fact that I deplore the paper, ink, labor, and resources squandered on the printing of religious texts, I deplore intolerance more.

Burning books is infantile at best, hateful at worst.
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malaise Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Sep-09-10 03:48 PM
Response to Reply #1
6. This one too
Rec
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madmax Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Sep-09-10 03:44 PM
Response to Original message
2. Beautifully written Jack nt
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Warpy Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Sep-09-10 03:44 PM
Response to Original message
3. Well, we Buddhists don't recognize sacrelige
so you can go ahead and torch copies of the Sutras if you think it will make you feel better. It won't, but we won't stop you from trying.

However, I agree with the rest of your statement wholeheartedly.

There is one thing that can stop this man: humiliation. I sincerely hope the Gainesville Fire Department will be on hand to drench the fire, Jones, and all his silly followers the second that match is lit.
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Blue Meany Donating Member (986 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Sep-09-10 03:46 PM
Response to Reply #3
5. Does he have a burn permit? n/t
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Warpy Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Sep-09-10 03:50 PM
Response to Reply #5
7. No, the Gainesville FD wisely refused to issue one
so they'd be on firm legal ground to spray the lot of them back into their joke of a church, then remove the "kindling."
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Jack Rabbit Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Sep-09-10 03:51 PM
Response to Reply #3
8. For example
I read a story where once, many years ago, a Zen monastery ran low on fuel during a particularly cold winter. Two monks each picked up an ax and, without a second thought, chopped up three large wooden carvings of the Buddha and used it to keep the fire going.

The symbol is not the thing for which it stands, no matter how sacred the thing is.
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Booster Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Sep-09-10 03:53 PM
Response to Reply #3
9. And a whopper of a bill from the fire department and police
department for every cop in Florida who has to come and protect his stupid ass.
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Control-Z Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Sep-09-10 03:54 PM
Response to Reply #3
10. I wonder if they (the Gainesville Fire Department)
Edited on Thu Sep-09-10 03:58 PM by Control-Z
could accidentally jump the gun and douse the entire area, including people, matches, lighters and Qur’ans, before the fires start. It would be an accident, after all.

Edit: to spell Qur’ans correctly (I think)
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ClayZ Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Sep-10-10 03:32 AM
Response to Reply #10
25. I hope every fire dept in Florida shows up! Soak the idiot!
K and R
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haele Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Sep-10-10 04:01 PM
Response to Reply #25
33. Heck, if I were there, I'd get a bunch of friends with super-duper soakers...
I'm sure that any "free speech" perimeter isn't out of range of one of the big soakers.
If burning a book is considered free speech, I'm sure using a super-soaker to put out a symbolic "fire" and express distain for ignorant fools is free speech, too.
As long as you don't aim directly at them, it's not assault...

Haele


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wookie72 Donating Member (675 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Sep-11-10 08:56 AM
Response to Reply #3
38. Wouldn't even a buddhist
work to save the Sutras if they were the only copies left?
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The Northerner Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Sep-09-10 03:45 PM
Response to Original message
4. K&R
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jwirr Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Sep-09-10 04:34 PM
Response to Original message
11. Amen
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Swamp Rat Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Sep-09-10 04:36 PM
Response to Original message
12. As Salaam Alaikum!
:hi: :grouphug:
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JerseygirlCT Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Sep-09-10 04:36 PM
Response to Original message
13. Beautifully said, Jack Rabbit. nt
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roguevalley Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Sep-09-10 04:51 PM
Response to Original message
14. agreed. enough already
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TygrBright Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Sep-09-10 04:53 PM
Response to Original message
15. May it be YOUR words that are heard. In'sh'allah. n/t
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yellowwood Donating Member (550 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Sep-09-10 05:10 PM
Response to Original message
16. I apologize
for Jones' ignorant behavior.
And for Fox media's ignorant propaganda
I am so embarrassed by it.
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Bragi Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Sep-09-10 05:54 PM
Response to Original message
17. Save this for next time. /nt
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Scurrilous Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Sep-09-10 06:26 PM
Response to Original message
18. Great post Jack Rabbit.
K & R :thumbsup:
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Jack Rabbit Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Sep-09-10 06:43 PM
Response to Original message
19. On the news that the Rev. Mr. Jones has canceled the book burning

(Jones) is deaf to reason and common standards of civility.

Perhaps I owe the Rev. Mr. Jones an apology and I am delighted to be wrong.

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Jack Rabbit Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Sep-09-10 07:49 PM
Response to Original message
20. For those on the Pacific Coast
!!
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bemildred Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Sep-09-10 08:42 PM
Response to Reply #20
21. Hi Jack, nice to see you around.
:hi:
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Jack Rabbit Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Sep-09-10 09:03 PM
Response to Reply #21
22. Back atcha; and how about that Magnus Carlsen?
:hi:
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bemildred Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Sep-09-10 09:17 PM
Response to Reply #22
23. I allus like Bent Larsen, but OK. nt
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Jack Rabbit Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Sep-10-10 12:25 AM
Response to Original message
24. TTT
ttt
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RFKHumphreyObama Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Sep-10-10 06:47 AM
Response to Original message
26. Very good post Jack Rabbit
:thumbsup:
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babylonsister Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Sep-10-10 06:55 AM
Response to Original message
27. Recommend and AMEN! Thanks! nt
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Jack Rabbit Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Sep-10-10 10:03 AM
Response to Original message
28. Another time around the block
!!
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Saboburns Donating Member (690 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Sep-10-10 12:32 PM
Response to Original message
29. Salaam Alaikum
From me, a red neck atheists.

But I still will always wish you Peace.
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Mimosa Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Sep-10-10 12:44 PM
Response to Original message
30. Excellent message! n/t
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N_E_1 for Tennis Donating Member (437 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Sep-10-10 02:31 PM
Response to Original message
31. Your Karma will be your Friend
Thank you for this post. Well said.

For your great deed,

The blessings, karma will be returned to you many times.

Open hearts and open minds.

Namaste.

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DesertFlower Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Sep-10-10 03:43 PM
Response to Original message
32. K&R. nt
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Marr Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Sep-10-10 04:02 PM
Response to Original message
34. One of our radical religious lunatics wants to tweak their radical religious lunatics.
Edited on Fri Sep-10-10 04:03 PM by Marr
Reasonable people will see this incident for what it is; an expression of a bigotry that's got a broad appeal here in the States-- particularly amongst devout Christians. Let's not pretend that isn't so.

Let's also not pretend that the Islamic faith isn't similarly infested with bigotry and in-group/out-group thinking. That's what this stuff is all about.

It seems the best we can do is work to keep the religiously insane away from political power as much as possible. They'd like nothing more than to kill each other off.
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AspenRose Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Sep-10-10 04:06 PM
Response to Original message
35. Absolutely.
.
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DinahMoeHum Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Sep-10-10 07:49 PM
Response to Original message
36. An Iraqi Muslim sister wishes to concur with you at this link. . .
Edited on Fri Sep-10-10 07:52 PM by DinahMoeHum
http://121contact.typepad.com/my_weblog/2010/09/today-a-lot-of-people-gathered-in-the-dawood-mosque-different-people-different-sects-different-religions-just-like-our-wo.html

(snip)
Normally there is a reaction for any action. So it is natural for the Muslim to be hurt by such an action. But I want to tell these people, who intend to burn the Quran, that one of the principles about Muslims is not to be weak, and not to bow to any except Allah. What they have to know is that Muslims are very courageous, and brave when it comes to their dignity.

Unfortunately, as Muslims, we cannot do the same actions. We cannot burn the bible. We cannot destroy the Torah, or any other holy book. Not because we are too weak, but the Quran forbids us. One of the conditions to be a Muslim is to believe in 'the holy books,' and to believe in all the prophets and messengers that are in them. So we respect all religions and we believe in them.

What I want to tell that priest is even if he burns millions of copies of the Quran, he is only burning books with words. The Koran is an idea and a belief. His fire cannot burn the heart of Islam.

(snip)

The blog, BTW, is run by a 9/11 family member who is also a member of September 11 Families For Peaceful Tomorrows.


www.121contact.typepad.com
www.peacefultomorrows.org
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Jack Rabbit Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Sep-11-10 10:48 AM
Response to Reply #36
39. Thank you for the links
!!
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Fire1 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Sep-10-10 07:52 PM
Response to Original message
37. Absolutely. n/t
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Cherchez la Femme Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Sep-12-10 05:35 PM
Response to Original message
40. Beautifully put
too late to Rec but :kick:
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