My take on "Burning The Koran"

I have to note that while this is a topic that has been in the news for many days, I did not see the need to jump in on it as I was hoping that the people involved will use due diligence and common sense in resolving the situation. At the heart of all this is the need for tolerance. Issues like this brings out the good, the bad, and the ugly in people's opinions.

That one person is taking an extreme position does not necessarily mean that the others will follow suit. I say this because I am deducing (and I may be wrong, and this is why I do not like talking about what I have no facts to support), that the pastor is fed up with muslim extremists' action and intolerance. However, in trying to make his point, he was so close to doing the same thing he condemns. I know that there are many good muslims just as there are many good Christians. There are also many people who adhere to extremist doctrines of intolerance.

What would Jesus have done in this situation? I think that for those who support the building of the Islamic Centre near ground zero, it may seem like a good idea as it is being sold to the people as a place where people may come to see and understand the other side of Islam - the peaceful and loving side; and not the one being portrayed frequently by the news media. For those who oppose it, it may be a sign of intolerance and showing no respect to the thousands of people killed on September 11th by Muslim extremists. From each one's point of view, she or he may seem right! It may be the best decision.

The biggest problem in this situation is that the inability of both sides to dialogue has resulted in each side building this very fortified brick wall such that it seems like each side is talking to the brick wall and not the other person. I think that the two sides ought to have sat down to dialogue this situation. The disaster of September 11th is so fresh in the minds of people whose loved one's were senselessly killed by extremists, and on the minds of most people who felt the pain of watching the two towers of the WTC crumble, and the shocking realization that this was not a Hollywood drama, this was REAL. Lives were lost, lives were destroyed! The prudent thing is for their to be a dialogue so that the pains of what happened may not be constantly scratched.

The Koran is not the problem, just as the Bible is not the problem. How would one feel to have what she or he cherishes destroyed? I would not want the Bible being burnt by anyone and I will not subscribe to anyone burning any holy book or any book cherished by another. Tolerance means acknowledging our differences and respecting each other's feelings. I think this is what is called for at this point in the history of America and the world in general.

As a Christian I always ask, what would Jesus do in this istuation? The suggestion would be to honour the dignity, life, and memory of all those killed in the attack. Buildings can be built in many other places and they can help as centre for understanding and tolerance. At this point, it seems like neither the building of the Islamic centre near the Ground Zero, or the proposed burning of the Koran will achieve tolerance and peace.