Petraeus is right

Christian Science Monitor:

The United States' top commander in Afghanistan has warned that a planned Koran-burning event in Florida could put US troops in danger.

Gen. David Petraeus added his voice to mounting protests from both the US and abroad over the Dove World Outreach Center's plans to burn Korans on Saturday to mark the anniversary of the September 11 terror attacks. His comments ratcheted up the pressure on once-obscure pastor Terry Jones to call off the event.

The controversy comes as some 120,000 US and allied troops are waging a counter-insurgency campaign against the Taliban in Afghanistan, a campaign whose goals include winning support for the US-backed government from the largely Muslim population.

General Petraeus said that burning Korans "is precisely the kind of action the Taliban uses and could cause significant problems – not just here, but everywhere in the world we are engaged with the Islamic community," according to CNN.

"It could endanger troops and it could endanger the overall effort in Afghanistan," Gen. David Petraeus said in a statement issued Monday ...

"Even the rumor that it might take place has sparked demonstrations such as the one that took place in Kabul yesterday," he said. "Were the actual burning to take place, the safety of our soldiers and civilians would be put in jeopardy and accomplishment of the mission would be made more difficult."

Mr. Jones, the pastor of the center in Gainesville, Florida, has touted the activity as "International Burn the Koran Day." Jones also authored a book titled "Islam is of the Devil," which has a Facebook page and Twitter account.

In remarks published by Florida radio station WOKV on Tuesday morning, Jones insisted he would not be deterred.

Regular readers know of my issues with Islam.  I've been hard on the faith and will likely continue to be.  It seems the more I learn about the religion, the more issues I'm finding with the belief system... but a mass burning of Korans is as problematic on a number of levels.

The first is simple and seemingly obvious.  Burning the Koran is a provocative act that goes against the grain of Christian thought.  I can't find a single tenet upheld by this sort of action.  I cannot imagine Christ exhorting His followers to do this under any circumstance.  It is stooping unnecessarily to a level matching that of the Islamists.

The second is as important, perhaps more so. Mass burning of Korans is offensive and provocative and will do more to inflame the ignorant than it will to persuade them to change their ways.  Although I continue to believe that the extremists will have to be dealt with in the extreme, there is the hope, albeit slight, that moderates within Islam would do what is necessary to reform the faith, to live up to this rather weak notion that they practice a religion of peace.  This will do nothing to embolden the so called moderates to step up and assume some responsibility.  Quite the contrary.  And in that respect, I believe Petraeus to have nailed this.

This brand of Christianity, if it can even be called that, needs to go.  Quietly and quickly.

Crossposted at Wizbang.

Comments

[tim aka The Godless Heathen]

I would think this would be a good time for the followers of Islam to teach us about tolerance that they keep telling us we need to be taught.

Also, I’m more than a little confused and tired of Muslims being so offended by people they consider infidels. They take to the streets in large numbers for the slightest perceived transgression against their faith. Be it Mohammed cartoons, Koran burning…whatever. But yet, I’ve never seen any similar demonstrations against the people who have “hijacked” their faith by slaughtering people, including Muslims, blowing up buildings, etc.

Considering the often repeated mantra that the Islamists are truly a tiny minority that would leave the majority to speak out. And I just don’t see it.

So does burning a Koran indeed put our troops in danger? Who knows? What offended those that blew up our Marines in Lebanon, the USS Cole, our embassies in Africa, the WTC, buses in London, a discothèque in Thailand …or any of the thousands of other instances? Should we stop doing what they were offended by?

Do I care if Muslims are offended. Not in the least. I’m offended by the death and destruction caused by the followers of the Koran. Fix that and I’m more likely to poo poo the Koran burning.

[Amazed]

You and Tim aka both make good points. One cannot deal effectively with a religion based on pure emotion rather than reason. No matter what is done or said, they will react, and not reasonably. It seems to be a mass mental illness. A Christian who sees a bible being burned (I'm talking normal peeople here, not people who are already mentally challenged) will most likely try and talk you out of doing it reasonably, if loudly. An average Muslim will, at least cry heathen and foul, sue you into next week and bully everybody into passing hate crime legislation for defying them. At most, they will shoot you or blow you up. Not reasonable on either account in America.

I do disagree with our most excellent host however in one thing. These people in Florida who are perverting Christianity do need to go away, but not quietly. They need to be denounced loudly and often by Christians of true faith until they go away disgraced and defeated.

Thanks very much for your fine dialog.

[Morgan K Freeberg]

Well, I agree with Rick and Gen. P.

I would hope, within our ranks, there are no Victory Mosque supporters since that would be truly hypocritical. Of course, I know better. Maybe they should wear distinctive hats. Something that says "Yes to Victory Mosque, no to Koran burning -- ask me why (see if I have a decent answer)"

Needlessly provocative is needlessly provocative.

[Dan Gill]

Why create more anger? Why desecrate what a very large number of people consider sacred? There is nothing gained, and much to lose.

[Bernie]

I do not believe in "the Religion of Peace" and I believe it is a cult and very dangerous. But, I think it is wrong to act like they do. As a Christian it is wrong and As a Marine I will turn my cheek if you hit me so I will not get blood on my face as I rip you head off. It is so hard to love your brother when you see the hatred and satanic way they act and treat there own people. To these radicals kissing our wife and saying I love you is cause enough for them to kill us.

[chuck aka xtnyoda]

The said pastor and leadership of the Florida congregation are... what we used to call... "glory-hounds."

It's not a good description. Their moment of "fame" honors not Christ.

[Shifty1]

While I tend to agree with Tim regarding my overall level of concern that my actions may offend the "arab street" and whole-heartedly agree with Amazed that no matter WHAT we do, the Muslim will be enraged and offended out of all proportion, I have to ask myself exactly how burning a bunch of books will give ANY glory to God? I can't see any way this could happen.