Friday 10 September 2010

BURN A BIBLE DAY?

It took two thousand years before the Roman Catholic Church issued a retraction. The Pope admitted that all Jews were not guilty of Deicide. Although St Paul had a bit to say on the matter, it was Melito, the bishop of Sardis, his feast day April Fools Day, who nailed it in 167 AD, giving bigots across the ages an excuse for anti Semitism that peaked with Hitler’s ‘Jewish Solution’ and continues today.

Now we have another idiot, Terry Jones of Gainsville, blaming all Muslims for 9/11. His “Dove World Outreach Centre” (that is really funny) could become the symbol of a new era of religious violence. What does he want? ‘Ethnic cleansing’ of America?

Jewish leaders, Christian leaders, leaders ‘of no faith’ have all denounced ‘Terrible Terry’, and of course, Muslims are outraged. So what can be done to douse the fuse?

Sure, many people are anti Muslim, maybe as many as those who are anti Semitic, anti war, anti any race or religion not their own and some are anti being anti, but there are millions of American Muslims who were as appalled as anyone when Bin Laden’s gang of criminals brought down the Twin Towers, killing thousands of Christians, Jews, Muslims and people of a dozen other faiths.

It had nothing to do with religion but everything to do with resentment growing from US pre-eminence in the world economy. Like the Jewish joke says: “Please God, tell me. If we are your Chosen People, how come the Arabs got the oil?”

The antidote may be the veiled woman behind the glass. If she is Muslim, her moment has come.
Now, like no other, is the time for American Muslims to yell to the world that Terry Jones and his fifty fevered fools is not America. Muslims must speak to Muslims if this self serving mischief maker is to be negated.

No matter that the US (and her allies) may have gone into Iraq and Afghanistan with the best of intentions; poverty, hopelessness and resentment are being used to polarise huge populations against America. The story they are selling is that Christian America is waging war against Islam and Terry Nobody, hate pedlar of the pulpit has given them the big one. He has insulted their god and when God is under attack, anything goes. Speak up Muslims!

Sorry guys, there is nothing funny here. I had not intended to post this today, but Willow's Magpie Tales arrived a day early in the antipodes and this is urgent!

33 comments:

  1. Extremism of any sort is wrong, and can only lead to conflict. Terry Jones does not represent America, just as fanatical terrorists do not represent Islam. I truly fear the things that could occur as a result of this planned Koran burning...he is putting real lives at danger by going ahead with this insane stunt. What is he thinking?! It will only succeed in exacerbating an already tense situation.

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  2. Agree wholeheartedly Stafford. PS You don't seem to be on the Magpie list of names for this one yet. Our North American cousins might resonate with this one.

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  3. He no more represents Christianity or America than Jim Jones and Bin Laden does not represent Islam. All these crazy people are frightening me.

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  4. We will never inhabit a safe world until we all care about what happens to people who are different from us, be it by religion, race or sexual identity.

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  5. A ridiculous and terrible thing.
    I agree with Jen.
    I thought you made a profound tie to this week's Magpie.

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  6. I also agree with Jen; the extremists do not and cannot speak for everyone, it is so wrong.

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  7. I'm betting Terry Jones of Gainesville would be the first to condemn someone who burned a Bible...

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  8. What we seem to be missing here is one question: Why did Terry Jones become news? One idiot with a match, and he's all over the media. Now THAT is scary.

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  9. There are 50 members in Terry Jones' congregation. What does it say about the power of the few that he should get so much international coverage over this! Several things upset me. First, of course, is that any adult would want to carry out such an insensitive and stupid stunt. But equally upsetting is the attention Jones is getting from the world at large, when there are so many more important stories that need to be told. And what's especially worrying to me is that Muslims can't ignore or simply denounce a publicity stunt by a screwed-up extremist, and get on with life. After all, Jones is only showing how much HE values the Koran as a Holy Book. But for both sides, personification of the Koran (or the Bible, for that matter) shows only too well how religiosity too often leads believers to substitute superstitious claptrap for rational thought. How much better off the world would be if only we could learn the proper role of fairy tales.

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  10. GO STAFFORD GO ..
    GET THE ** MESSAGE ** OUT THERE
    KEEP IT GOING
    ON BEHALF OF US ** ALL **
    SHOUT! SHOUT! SHOUT!!!!!!

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  11. I just want to know if in my lifetime human beings can evolve toward respecting and loving one another in spite of our differences?

    Great job with this weeks Magpie.

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  12. Stafford- good and timely post. The idiot in Gainsville doesn't represent America any more than the idiots that burn bibles represent the peaceful Muslims. When will we ever learn?
    Thank you for speaking out.

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  13. Love this post! I have to say that even friends of mine who are very conservative Christians are condemning this action - What Would Jesus Do? Not this!

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  14. Ah, the house of crazy. Out of the woodwork do these maroons creep. Good post -

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  15. A very thought provoking and powerful post Stafford. Though I'm neither an American nor a Muslim, but I def agree that extremists don't represent either side. They have an agenda of their own which they fulfill by raising one religion against the other... V. nice post.. I hope we human being come to terms to being human first and religious leaders later

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  16. This will be my favorite magpie for #31, no matter how many I read following yours. Hurray for you for speaking up and I think it's wonderful that the image provoked this commentary. My favorite columnist is Leonard Pitts, Jr., and this post reminded me of his most excellent style and definitive sanity!

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  17. Everybody else has said it all - as you know my sister is married to a Muslim, a man I both and admire and respect. This nutter is unbelievable.

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  18. why a guy like him is getting so much attention? Why none is stopping him?

    A very poignant post Stafford - I'm glad you touched this very important issue.

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  19. Truth is so refreshing to hear. Thank you for your post. You know we have freedom in the States, and we are free to be stupid, uninformed, mean and hateful. There are no boundaries. I think we all have to speak out.

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  20. Too many peddlers of hatred..too many egos wanting their 15 min of fame. Why shine the spotlight continuously on trouble makers? The free media could make better choices...thanks..

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  21. I wrote about this very same thing yesterday. I wish that the media would shut up, people would pay it no mind, then it has no power... Great write. Bisous, Love and Light, Sender

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  22. Excellent post, Stafford. The idiots of this world never cease to amaze me.

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  23. Lyn, I note the date of your post as 9/11 and agree there are many 'peddlers of hatred' and will put into words what you already know.
    We can't blame the media. 'The media' survives by attracting readers/viewers and the more putrid the meat the more flies it attracts.

    Unfortunately here, we recently lost our only news digest magazine, The Bulletin. It died from starvation while magazines like New Idea, Who, then a step up to Cosmopolitan and a dozen others romp ahead, offering images of multiple mountains of implanted mammarian titillation and breathless gossip about which pathetic publicity tragic is sleeping with which and who has cellulite! Any wonder a story featuring a deranged deist who spends his Sundays ranting to his fearful flock of fifty about the ‘evils of Islam’, making all Muslims the fall guys for 9/11, (a fairly common activity here too) and tries to grabs headlines with a book burnin’, the Koran no less! Holy Smoke!

    But, unfortunately, most people around the world do not understand freedom of speech. As Annell so well expresses it, ‘…we are free to be stupid, uninformed, mean and hateful. There are no boundaries’. Here we have a crime of “Incitement to commit violence” as does Britain. The US does not and I understnd why. But wherever we are in the free world, the press is out to sell product and they are guided by what we buy. So as Annell also said, ‘I think we all have to speak out’.

    And you have. Thank you for that, but you can go one further. In everyday conversations you can make a difference by 'speaking out' whenever you come across bigotry and prejudice. You will hear some today and your choice will come.

    Just one more thought. Have you realised that whenever you strike up a conversation with a person who is different, you open a door into their lives, but be aware, it is also an invitation for them to enter yours. I went all soggy then when I thought of you opening your hearts, as you do and how special you all are. Then I almost wrote ‘I love you all’ but that would be a bit over the top, wouldn’t it!

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  24. Stafford this is the perfect time for this post....your words are full of wisdom and truth....and i believe i can speak for all of us....when i say we totally agree with you. Thank you for sharing this...:-)

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  25. This post is bang on, sir, and what a strong
    and magical segue to Willow's image over
    at Magpie. So many ways to go with the
    challenge, her poem, one's understanding
    of the subject semi-suggested, or her
    image, her photo, which can lead us off
    in many directions; as it did with you.
    By the by, wasn't Terry Jones one of the
    original MONTY PYTHON gang?

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  26. Yes Glenn, Terry Jones was indeed a Python and of course produced The Life of Brian the movie.
    But to be a Python required intelligence, sadly lacking in his namesake, the fuzzy faced fool from Florida!

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  27. So he's a little off balance, but isn't he entitled to do whatever he wants? It seems that some in Muslim countries have no problems burning up all kinds of "stuff" they don't like about americans. I do not propigate violence, but I think the man is entitled to do whatever he wants. I don't think he would be restrained by the US government to have a Bible burning session...I guess we're just not allowed to burn the Qu'ran. What would Allah think about this? I'm just trying to see the other side. Of course, I don't think he should do this, but I don't think the Government should bully him into not doing this.

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  28. hate peddlers no matter what religion or country are just that Hate Peddlers -- and never does mankind or the world any good... nice post...bkm

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  29. During the ancient Chinese era of Qin Dynasty, an emperor burnt all books except the Mandarin. Confucious books too did not escape. All the knowledge of the Middle Kingdom gone.

    On more book burning, see here - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_burning.

    Many instances of hate, many instances of rampant ignorance.

    It is not whether the Quran, the Bible, the Tohrah is burnt. This is our collective history, knowledge and what makes us human.

    As a person, I thank you Stafford. I will speak up too.

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  30. Dear Stafford,
    I have posted your post on my FB as I feel the way you have spoken up really goes a long way. I hope you don't mind.

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  31. One of my son's closest friends is from the Middle East. She made it to Scotland for a visit recently. Something's she's seen and lived through he wouldn't tell me. I hate misguided blame. In any instance.

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  32. All the hatred is terrifying. The crazies are being given a voice they don't deserve. What worries me is that so many people are prepared to actually hear them and believe their nonsense. I sometimes fear where it will all end.

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  33. Terry Jones is stone cold fuck crazy. The end.

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