Burning the Koran

By       Que  Clingerman   

Much in the news lately, the pastor in Florida set a date for burning the Koran.  It received far too much attention by the Media.  Of course, even the White House became involved when the Muslim World reacted so vehemently, threatening violence!  Fortunately the pastor backed down under all the national and international pressure.

As a Christian, it appears to me, that burning the Koran is the last thing one would think of doing!  Jesus taught that we are to love our enemies and do good to those who persecute us!  That is not the world's way of thinking.  Burning the Koran would be such an act of hostility as to cause serious reprecussion. 

However,  the whole episode is again another piece of clear evidence that there is a large, as in huge, number of Muslims who hate us and would do us harm with or without an excuse.  Did you see all those news clips of thousands and thousands of Muslims in other parts of the world demonstrating against the United States over the "book burning" by a congregation of fifty members?   It is clear that they do not believe in freedom of speech or of religion! 

It Imam who is supporting the Muslim Center building in NYC has now threatened the United States with violence from the hatefilled Muslims if it does not allow the ungoing building of the Center.  That is religious and political blackmail!  

While the Muslims have every right to build the Center, perhaps they need to be as sensitive to its opposition as they are to the threat of "book burning" in this country.

If the United States does not take an unequivocal stand against such blackmail we are going to see much more of not only threats but violence against US citizens here and around the world.

It would be most reassuring to hear the moderate and peaceful Muslims in this country, including the Imam, denounce the violent Muslims strongly and speak up for freedom of religion and of speech guaranteed by our Constitution.

In many countries where Muslims are very strong, Christians and others are routinely persecuted and even murdered in the name of Allah.  Our govenment needs to speak out against these atrocities.  There is a huge constituency of extremists Muslims who even kill other Muslims who do not think as they do. Look at all the killing of Muslims by Muslims in Iraq!  Look at the Hamas (a Muslim organization)!  They have been killing Israelies for decades!  A recent news clip showed thousands celebrating in Palestine the killing of Israelies when the "peace talks" were started here in the States between the Prime Ministers of Palestine and Israel.

These violent  Muslims are not a few radical extremists but a very large population of the Muslim world.