Burn Quran on 911: 2 Ministers Burn Quran in Tennessee backyard, United Stated

Burn Quran on 911: 2 Ministers Burn Quran in Tennessee backyard, United Stated

Tennessee Pastors Burn Qur’an in Backyard

Rev. Bob Old and Rev. Danny Allen burned two copies of the Qur’an in Old’sbackyard in Springfield. Old said “This is a book of hate, not a book of love. It’s a false book, it’s a false prophet and it’s false Scripture,” before igniting the lighter-fluid soaked holy books, according to the Tennessean. The incident took place before a small gathering of journalists.

The pastors are not affiliated with any mainstream church and they admitted to having little support. Three protesters stood out front of Old’s home. They carried signs reading “My husband fights terrorism and your actions perpetuate it” and “Proud of my country but ashamed of my neighbors.”

A Florida pastor’s threat to burn Islam’s holy book on the anniversary of 9/11 set off a nationwide furor and incited Muslim anger as far away as Afghanistan, but the incendiary plan ended quietly in the backyard of a home in Springfield.

After a week that included warnings that burning the Quran would endanger American troops overseas, a personal phone call from Defense Secretary Robert Gates and an appeal from President Barack Obama to listen to “those better angels,” the Rev. Terry Jones of Gainesville, Fla., relented and canceled his plans.

But the Rev. Bob Old vowed to stick with his plan to burn the Quran.

On Saturday, despite the national tempest and opposition from conservative Christian leaders including Middle Tennessee pastors, Old carried out his plan.

But for all the controversy and hype, his Quran burning took place in front of just a handful of people, most of them from the media.

Old and the Rev. Danny Allen stood together in Old’s backyard, answering what they say was a message from God.

The pair soaked two copies of the Quran and one other Islamic text with lighter fluid, ignited them and watched the books disintegrate into ashes on the ninth anniversary of the terrorist attacks carried out by Islamic extremists that killed nearly 3,000 Americans.

Old acknowledged that aside from Allen he had little other support, even from his family.

“I do this without the blessings of others,” he said.

Old did not address his critics directly, but he said that the Christian church has failed the people.

“The American people have a great deal to gain and a great deal to lose in supporting the Muslim faith,” Old said. “My belief is that we as a nation are in dangerous territory.”

“This is a book of hate, not a book of love,” Old said, holding the Quran, before setting it afire. “It’s a false book, it’s a false prophet (Muhammad) and it’s false Scripture.”

Then the two conducted what Old called a “peaceful demonstration” with little fanfare. Eight journalists gathered in Old’s backyard during the burning.

Burned Qur’an Left at Door of Michigan Mosque
A burned Qur’an was found on the doorstep of the East Lansing Islamic Center in Michigan Sunday. Pages of the holy book, smeared with feces, were scattered on nearby streets. The Michigan chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations–the premier Muslim civil rights organization in the United States–called on the FBI to investigate the hate crime.

Demonstrator Burns Qur’an at Anti-Mosque Rally Near Ground Zero

Thousands of pro- and anti-Park51 demonstrators gathered at the site of the proposed mosque and community center, according to the New York Post.. A strong police presence kept the noisy demonstrators apart and no arrests were made.

But a lone man, who refused to identify himself, tore pages from a Qur’an and burned a few at a distance from the main demonstrations. Police quickly escorted the man from the scene.

CAIR Decries Incidents

“They have a profound misunderstanding about Islam. And if they are Christians, they have a profound misunderstanding of Jesus Christ,” said Dawud Walid, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations.

“The American public should not take the burning of the Qur’an so lightly. It is equivalent to burning a cross at a Black church or the spray-painting of a swastika at a synagogue. It is an act of intimidation and goes past the First Amendment.”

Anti-Muslim Atmosphere Largely Political

Walid believes the anti-Muslim atmosphere is attributable, in part, to politics. “A lot it has to do with the mid-term elections. One in four Americans believe Obamais a Muslim. During the Bush administration, when President Bush said Islam was peace, there was not all this ant-Muslim fervor. Now that President Obama is in office, we see anti-Muslim hysteria like you never have before and this is during mid-term elections. ”

A Way Out of the Quandary
“Muslims should reach out to their politicians and to interfaith leaders and pray for peace during these very difficult times”, said Walid.

“We as Americans need to engage in a national dialogue about the role of religion and race. It is a broader discussion that needs to take place. It is not just confined to Muslims and Islam. There have been a lot of anti-Black sentiments expressed during Tea Party rallies and anti-immigration sentiments have been invoked.”

“Our nation is more sharply divided and polarized than it has ever been since the 1960s. So we need to have a very candid and open discussion about race and religion in America. The best person to lead this discussion would be the President of the United States of America. Other leaders in this conversation could include national civil rights organizations like the NAACP and organizations like the Catholic Church and like-minded groups and institutions,” said Walid.

Sources

Dawud Walid, executive director, CAIR, telephone conversation, 9/12/2010

“2 ministers burn Quran in Tennessee backyard,” Tennessean.com

“Mosque rallies mar solemn 9/11,” Nypost.com

Read more at Suite101: Qur’an Burned in Michigan, Tennessee and New York http://islam.suite101.com/article.cfm/quran-burned-in-michigan-tennesee-and-new-york#ixzz0zRck8Y9W