This just makes my hair hurt. Since when does a general of the US military, in the field, express concern about protests against the ENEMY that are being conducted at home?
I don't care whether Terry Jones' "burn a Koran Day" idea is a "good" one or not. He and his church are not committing censorship or preventing anyone from obtaining their very own copy of the Krayon. Assuming they bought those Korans and didn't cat-burgle a mosque, this protest of theirs falls under acts of free speech, period. (It doesn't get anywhere near "yelling fire in a crowded theater" because there is no rational reason for anyone to react to it by rioting and killing.)
This is so infuriating that if I weren't going to be in NYC at the GZ protest -- NOT holding a sign for some reason -- I'd be down there in Florida holding Terry Jones' coat for him.
If some moron decided to stage a "Burn Atlas Shrugged Day" I'd say meh, the more fool he, and ignore him. The fact that Muslims are hysterical immature savages with no concept of individual rights is no concern of General Petraeus. His job is to KILL THE TALIBAN BASTARDS, not to worry about whether their feelings are hurt.
And while we're at it, General, would you like us to destroy all remaining prints of those old Donald Duck anti-Nazi WWII cartoons? I suppose it might have been feared that such "offensive" expressions would "endanger" General Patton's Third Army. Care to guess what General Patton would have had to say about that?
Petraeus Warns Against Church's Koran Burning
Published September 06, 2010
FoxNews.com
A Florida church's plan to burn Korans on Sept. 11 isn't doing the troops in Afghanistan any favors, Gen. David Petraeus said Monday.
Hundreds of Afghans protested Monday in Kabul over the decision by the Gainesville, Fla.-based Dove World Outreach Center's decision to burn copies of what Muslims consider the word of God.
Petraeus said he's concerned that the protests could spread across the country.
"It could endanger troops and it could endanger the overall effort in Afghanistan. It 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," Petraeus said in a statement provided to Fox News.
Though Dove World Outreach Center has been denied a permit to hold a bonfire, the Koran burning is still scheduled to proceed on Saturday. The burning -- set to mark nine years since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks -- follows a campaign last year in which the church distributed T-shirts that said "Islam is of the Devil."
In a blog on the church's website, writer Fran Ingram offered the groups’ reasoning for burning the Koran, arguing that it is not God's word and denies Jesus is the son of God, that Islam is totalitarian and that the religion teaches idolatry, paganism, rites and rituals.
"We are using this act to warn about the teaching and ideology of Islam, which we do hate as it is hateful. We do not hate any people, however. We love, as God loves, all the people in the world and we want them to come to a knowledge of the truth," the blog reads.
Other writings by the same blogger include headlines like "Islam is Cursed by Cursing Israel" and "The Koran: A Sorcerer's Scroll."
The U.S. Embassy in Kabul issued a statement condemning the church's plans, saying Washington was "deeply concerned about deliberate attempts to offend members of religious or ethnic groups."
But outside the U.S. Embassy, where as many as 500 protestors chanted "Long live Islam" and "Death to America," demonstrators argued that the church isn't acting of its own will.
"We know this is not just the decision of a church. It is the decision of the president and the entire United States," said Abdul Shakoor, an 18-year-old high school student who said he joined the protest after hearing neighborhood gossip about the Koran burning. [Get your sorry ass into a Taliban gang, Abdul, the Marines need you for target practice.]
Burning a Koran is considered by Muslims among the most offensive actions taken against Islam. In 2005, 15 people died and scores were wounded in riots in Afghanistan sparked by a story in Newsweek magazine alleging that interrogators at the U.S. detention center in Guantanamo Bay placed copies of the Koran in washrooms and had flushed one down the toilet to get inmates to talk. [Can't make up their effing minds, can they? Which is it that's offensive, burning them or tossing them in the toilet to put them out?] Newsweek later retracted the story.
Fox News' Mike Emanuel and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
24 comments:
If I buy a Koran and tear it up privately, will somebody find out and issue a Fatwah for my death?
My point is that Allah might be that very fly on the wall.
(haha)
Obama secretly emailed me on the weekend and asked me to burn a Quran for him. They're all in on this. Reid, Pelosi, Clinton.
I got this from official sources, so I can tell you it's good to go.
If anyone (like a Muslim) asks why I'm burning a Qur'an, I will tell them, 'Obama sent me an email saying I should.' Simple.
Excellent idea, Dag. Pass it on...
Hi revereridesagain.
I can understand his reaction as a soldier his tought go out to his soldiers in the field they will be the first to suffer the reaction on burning these Korans.
But You don't hear Petraeus speak up when they forbid an Colorado High School student flying an American flag on his truck Cause they're worried it Would Make Others “Feel Uncomfortable”…?In America...?Do You......?
About the burn the Koran day :I believe Spencer at Jihadwatch has a point. All it will do is inflame the hatred even more.
I would rather like to see all the verses who call for violence towards non believers being printed off, bundled and burn these as an outcry that such violent teachings have no room in our 21 st century society.
I once suggested we burn the Koran back in 2005. I still haven't received my fatwa.
As I said, if they can burn our flag why can't we burn their Koran? How about they try to win our hearts and minds? How about our becoming inflamed?
By the way, the proper way to desecrate the Koran is with bacon fat. But that's another story.
I am so tired of deciding that this or that leader of ours has gone so far beyond the pale as to have become a liability to our cause, destructive of our own ends.
Every leader is that now. We don't have any real leaders in this war. None.
And, please don't tell me Gringrinch is a leader. He's not.
Sue Myrick really understands, but she does not have the power to do anything, nor does she have the charisma to be a long-term leader. She's a voice in the wilderness.
It simply is NOT acceptable for a general on the field of battle to concern himself with whether something will "inflame" the enemy. His job is to KILL the enemy, period. If he wants to complain about something, he should start with those Rules of Engagement.
And if General Petraeus really has to be concerned about the effect of a preacher in Florida tossing some cheap copies of the Koran in the incinerator, something has gone terribly, terribly wrong.
And what a surprise that is.
WILL, what difference would it make to the hysteric fanatics if only the violent parts of the Krayon was burned instead of the whole thing? Is that supposed to shame them into peacefulness? The only thing we can do to avoid "inflaming the hatred" is to SUBMIT and surrender.
Hope Jones has thought to throw some bacon fat in that incinerator.
Set it on fire, then pee on it to put it out. Whatever. There is no difference between this and burning copies of Mein Kampf in 1942. (Equally inane and useless responses, but that's not the point.) That would "inflame" the Nazis, against whom we were already at war?
Hi revereridesagain.
The difference might be that the so called "Moderates" who are "on" the coalition side,will join the Taliban in their hatred towards the Infidels.The whole presence of these troops is based on "Respect" for the Muslim values while they are there.That's according to me the difference he doesn't want an enemy in his back also.Many off us don't like Islamic extremists to put it mildly but that's no excuse for behaving like idiots.
Ps:
The charge of the light brigade during the Battle of Balaclava was very heroic ,but an utter waste of good men.
I've had mixed feelings about the burning but it dawned on me that the Quran is actually one of the weapons in the islamic arsenal. It's used from early childhood to train a zombie army, to prepare little children for the jihad, to become suicide bombers if need be, it's used in the mosque to rev up the hate frenzy,and then in this situation it is used as a weapon to threaten innocent people around the world, and also our troops. But if it weren't this it would be something else anyway. They have 1400 years of excuses for what they do.
Maybe this would work-
Why can't Petraeus just use the Islamist line- "well it's just a few extremists...don't blame all Americans for the actions of a few".
revereridesagain: "And if General Petraeus really has to be concerned about the effect of a preacher in Florida ... something has gone terribly, terribly wrong."
Ain't that the truth.
I don't think we're behaving like idiots. It is our right, just as they burn our flag.
Petraeus is a shame. He does not deserve his stars.
Patton would be resigning instead of writing such a piece of tripe. All BO's cabinet members and the military's top brass, if they had any love for their country, should resign. That would galvanize the turnout we need in November.
Sorry Will, we don't accomodate them when it comes to our freedoms.
just read Blackfive-he's siding w/ Patreaus' take--this is one time I don't agree w/ Patreaus --I don't know UJ at Blackfive that well -so have no reference to his overall views except he supports our BEST...
I say what goes around comes around--I'm done worrying about the 'feelings' of US hating - flag burning-islamists!!
I hold with Spencer and Black Five and Petraeus ('tho I agree the General should have stayed out of it). Burn the Koran day is stupid, spiteful and hateful just for the sake of it. It proves nothing, accomplishes nothing.
Not because it will inflame or offend muslims, beause I don't give a fuck about their feelings. Nor because it will endanger the pastor and bookburners. they're the dumb fucks burning the book they should know the risks.
But because it will be used against the counter jihad by the media and the libs and the muslims to make us all look rabid bat shit crazy. And may well turn away the very people we are trying to get to see the truth.
And because I am against burning ANY book ANY time, whether it's the Koran The Bible The Tanekh Mein Kampf The Ginger Man or fucking Run SPot Run (ok, there I may make an exception).
HOWEVER just as the Right for the Koran to exist or the burning of The American Flag are protected by the First Amendment (and both are) so, too, is the right of these morons to burn it.
Now go ahead, make hash of what I think and wrote. I really don't care anymore.
MR has a point:
it will be used against the counter jihad by the media and the libs and the muslims to make us all look rabid bat shit crazy.
However, they already keep sending the message that the counter-jihad is crazy and dangerous, anyway. Note the recent editions of Time Magazine, and that same crap is reflected throughout all the mainstream media.
RRA said in a comment:
And if General Petraeus really has to be concerned about the effect of a preacher in Florida tossing some cheap copies of the Koran in the incinerator, something has gone terribly, terribly wrong.
Here we are, nine years after 9/11, and Petraeus is worried about offending Moslems. Would anybody have thought we'd see such dhimmitude from our military just two years ago? I wouldn't have.
Here's a thought....If high-ranking officials are going to be so damned concerned about Moslems' sensitivities, how long will the blogosphere be the arena of free speech. As I said in a comment to Jason's essay back in 2005, when I first started blogging:
If Westerners constantly strive not to offend Islamists, how far away are we from denying our Western heritage and losing our First Amendment rights? The only way to keep from offending islamists and to "repair our image in the Muslim world" is to become a caliphate.
These islamists are damn "sensitve" people, but they don't seem to mind sawing off heads or flying planes into buildings or from practicing many other barbaric customs.
I agree with everything MR wrote AND I agree with what RRA wrote.
It is none of Petraus fucking business frankly. He is not a domestic politician. He's not a fucking politician at all. His fucking job is to command troops. Command fuckwad, and shut your fucking mouth.
It's the fucking first amendment.
You won't see me burning a Krayon, because I agree with MR, burning books is a bad precedent. But, Petraus needs to shut his mouth on issues that are none of his business. Frankly, if the President said they same thing, I'd say it's none of his fucking business either.
Am I right? I think I am.
Like the mosque.. their right, but an atrocious idea FOR OUR MEN and WOMEN on the ground. But I wonder how those men and women feel about that aside from the risk itself.
But this is NOT Petraus first foray.
Everyone remember his remarks that the actions of Israel were doing the same thing as these guys in FL?
If he uttered words critical of "O" anyone want to bet the reaction would be swift?
Petraus has reduced severely my respect for him because of HIS RESPECT for the tradition of military men in a civilian govt.
Salute and carry out your orders.
If you don't like your support and cannot carry out your mission because morons in Florida need to exercise the RIGHT you defend -
Q
U
I
T
Otherwise you have your mission.
I rally DON'T CARE about your opinion on anything else, and if your need to express exceeds your respect for the FAR MORE IMPORTANT place you occupy in American military history ..BYE BYE. Quit and yap away
AOW's right. It starts by demanding respect for the Koran, no pictures of Mohammad, etc. Like giving in to blackmail, it never ends. They'll continue until we submit to Sharia.
This is killer. Whoever RRA is, I owe you a beer, friend. My post on this was rated G compared to your "R" version. I like how you lay it on the line. And, along with your commenters too. This makes my blogging day, big time. We need more blogs like this. Too bad I can't link this post to my facebook page though. Make your links hot so they can be plastered in Facebook!!!
1400 comments at WSJ on this story
Epa,
That's awesome. There are a lot of people who know what is going on, aren't there?
It seems most of the commenters know better than our leaders.
Burning any book but especially a book such as the Koran is not only a bad idea but a stupid one. This will surely cause a backlash against the US. The sponsoring "pastor" is a backwater publicity hound.
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