When I read that there was an International Burn a Koran Day Facebook group in an MSNBC.com article, I had to see it for myself. I couldn't even bring myself to log into my Facebook account to view this group. It would make me sick to my stomach if this group could be traced back to my account name somehow. Instead, I managed to view it without having to login to my account. The group's homepage stated that the event would take place at the Dove Outreach Center at Gainesville, FL from 6-9 PM on September 11. Their mission stated:
"...to bring awareness to the dangers of Islam and that the Koran is leading people to hell. Eternal fire is the only destination the Koran can lead people to so we want to put the Koran in its place-the fire!"
As of 1:50 on September 9, the group had 14,382 fans.
The leader of the Koran burning ceremony, Reverend Terry Jones, preaches an Anti-Islamic philosophy and has even written a book Islam is of the Devil to help spread his message to the public. In a CNN interview, posted in a previous post, Jones said that the constitution gives him the right to publicly set fire to the Koran. Also, the CNN Wire Staff said that while Mayor Bloomberg finds the ceremony 'distasteful,' he believes that Reverend Jones has the right to hold the ceremony due to the right to Freedom of Speech.
Due to Government pressure, public pleas, and heavy fees, Reverend Terry Jones has decided to cancel this event. The New York Times reports that Reverend Jones even has plans to meet with Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, the Imam who proposed the building of the mosque/community center.
I understand that everybody in this country has a right to free speech, but they also have a write to freely practice their religion too. A formal ceremony to burn the Koran on September 11 is a violation of the right to freedom of religion. A ceremony of this proportion instills fear in and berates Muslims. They may fear practicing their religion in public, and no Americans should be fearful of practicing what they believe. If a group has the will to reach 14,000 people and motivate them to help burn Korans, then what else are they capable of doing later? What if the mosque/community center near Ground Zero does get built? What backlash would ensue after that? There has to be a line drawn between exercising one's freedom and taking away others' rights to their freedom.
Although I do not agree with Reverend Jones' beliefs at all, I understand that he has a right to state his opinions. If he wanted to hold a three hour event to preach why he thinks that Islam is evil, government and citizens do not have the right to stop him. However, burning Korans is an attack on a religion and prohibits Muslims from freely practicing their religion. If the Koran burning ceremony did occur, it would not be the exercise of a right to free speech, it would instead be the removing of a right to religious freedom. Also, if a group of Muslims publicly burned Bibles, many Christians would try to take legal action against them. And I guarantee that they would believe that their rights have been violated. It's time we learn to put ourselves in others' shoes; we'll be able to see things much more clearly that way.
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