Anger seethes over Quran allegation

[PropStop]

Interesting food for thought...

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/1E234ADC-F6A4-4681-94AD-53BE322B7125.htm


Uh, don't these guys burn our flag on a daily basis?

 

[esday1]

Interesting food for thought...

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/1E234ADC-F6A4-4681-94AD-53BE322B7125.htm



Uh, don't these guys burn our flag on a daily basis?

Uh, who exactly do you mean by "these guys?" Kind of a broad generalization there, maybe?

 

[PropStop]

Uh, who exactly do you mean by "these guys?" Kind of a broad generalization there, maybe?

…the guys the story is reporting on...the ones who are protesting the US actions (which i'm not defending). How many protests have you seen in the Middle East included a burning of the American flag? I'm going to go with quite a few. Yes, i know there have been many protests here where the flag was burned.

I've not seen footage of the protests referred to in this article, but I suspect that the flag is being burned at those too - nearly every middle east protest I have ever seen reported has a US flag burning.

The flag means a great deal to me, but it really doesn’t irk me too much when they burn it or disgrace it, it is merely a piece of cloth in the hands of those that disgrace it. If those who disgrace it feel that is how they can best display their angst – well then, whatever crumbles their cookie. But if we disgrace a symbol that is as important to them as the flag is to me, they demand an apology? That strikes me as terribly ironic.

 

[esday1]

But if we disgrace a symbol that is as important to them as the flag is to me, they demand an apology?

This is basically assuming that the groups of "Middle eastern protesters demanding an apology for desecrating the Qu'ran" and "middle eastern protesters who burn the American flag" are identical. I'd guess that most of the second group fits within the first, but the reverse isn't necessary true. There are probably plenty of people in the region who might get pissed off at us for one thing or another but aren't reflexively anti-American. I don't really want to spend too much time on the soapbox here, but I do think that this is an important distinction given that a lot of the success of the war on terror depends on the outcome of internal political struggles within that region.

 

[nittany03]

Also, within Islam the Quran is revered as the actual, unadulterated Word of God. If in Christianity, Jesus is the Word made flesh, Muslims consider the Quran to be the Word put into a book. It is usually covered when not in use and must always be placed on the highest shelf, etc.

It would beyond the flag as a symbol to a Muslim (not one myself so speculating here), as the flag has nothing to do with one's immortal soul. So I think that desecrating the Quran, to a Muslim, is about as blasphemous as you can get. Imagine if our country got invaded by a military, some of whose members then proceeded to desecrate Christian churches or Jewish synagogues "in the line of duty." Think about the reaction from the devout of those faiths. That's the image that is being projected by this. And given the amount of nutty conspiracy theories running around that part of the world, I'm afraid that this news may have confirmed some peoples' suspicions about us . . .

 

[Chris Hill]

Also, within Islam the Quran is revered as the actual, unadulterated Word of God. If in Christianity, Jesus is the Word made flesh, Muslims consider the Quran to be the Word put into a book. It is usually covered when not in use and must always be placed on the highest shelf, etc.
. . .

Very good insight. I've spent some time in Muslim countries and the Quran holds extreme value. But I see PropStop's point about the US flag...

The question I have is how can you flush a book down the toilet? In reality, I wonder if these allegations are true. A lot of the Arab world still thinks that 9-11 was a Jewish plot! There's a lot of misinformation over there...

 

[A4sForever]

I wonder if The Noble Qur'an is being desecrated when a Muslim terrorist blows up a Mosque containing many Noble Qur'ans ... ???

 

[nittany03]

Well the interesting thing is that there are also reports of a detainee who ripped up his Quran and used it to stop up a toilet, apparently in some kind of protest. Methinks these two stories may be related. Don't forget that this is the same area of the world where fake pictures of the rape of Iraqi women (actually lifted and photoshopped from a porn site), are taken at face value by many people due to lack of education, much less computer-literacy. As I said, I think many nutty theories get much credence over there because the people just don't know any better.

I wonder if The Noble Qur'an is being desecrated when a Muslim terrorist blows up a Mosque containing many Noble Qur'ans ... ???

There's a point . . .

 

[TurnandBurn55]

Yeah... the guys who burn the flag and the guys who protest the flushing of the Qu'ran may not be one and the same... BUT...

You hear US leaders saying "This isn't a war against Islam.. we deplore random attacks against Muslims... we respect your beliefs"

Ever hear the guys who protest injustices against their religion say "We don't have a problem with Christianity/America/Western values... we're appalled by those who burn the American flag... we respect your beliefs too... just don't like your disrespect of us"

Hrmm... no?

 

[danthaman]

how do you flush a whole koran down the toilet?

 

[Grant]

Even if these allegations are true (which I doubt they are), they're gonna start hating us... Oh yeah, whoops I forgot, they ALREADY hate us and want us all to die.

I have a feeling that the whole story is just a fabrication, meant to further inflame Arab hatred and distrust toward Americans and the US as a whole.

how do you flush a whole koran down the toilet?

Hahaha, good point. You'd think that a Quran would clog it up... Someone grab the plunger.

 

[sirenia]

A4sForever: I wonder if The Noble Qur'an is being desecrated when a Muslim terrorist blows up a Mosque containing many Noble Qur'ans ... ???

Often during times of war, the imam of the mosque will remove Qur'ans and other spiritual documents from the mosques to safeguard them elsewhere. And while Muslim terrorists do blow up Islamic religious institutions, it is not necessary that their actions are predicated by faith or its defense. The term "Muslim" is not only a reference to those who practice Islam's tenets, but also serves as a social identity marker, that is one could be of Muslim heritage yet not be a practicing Muslim. But your point is well taken.

danthaman: how do you flush a whole koran down the toilet?

Qur'ans come in various sizes. Some can be as small as a post-it note. But you are right. It seems highly unlikely that any of them have post-it note sized Qur'ans, which could be flushed down the toilet.

 

[vegita1220]

how do you flush a whole koran down the toilet?

Simple...page by page.

For example, with the Bible, you would start with the sleep inducing ones like Numbers(begat so and so...), then work your way to the New Testament.

It's like sending people piece by piece. If they don't comply immediately, you start with the non essentials, then work your way to the big stuff.

 

[nittany03]

Vegita, that is so wrong, yet still funny . . .

 

[A4sForever]

And now Newsweek Magazine is reporting that it "may have gotten the deatils of the original story wrong". Their "source " may not have seen the Qur'an flushed down" ..... anything.

If so, who will be held responsible for the many lives lost as a direct result of this piece of "responsible journalism"??? I think the answer is no one ....... I'm all for the First Amendment, no question there, but when does accountability responsibility for things like this come into play ... ???