Burning the Qur'an - The Right Statement Made in the Wrong Way?

The proposed Burn the Koran Day being held by the Dove World Outreach Center is drawing a great deal of attention and correctly placed criticism not only in Florida and America, but worldwide.

I understand the intent of Pastor Terry Jones and his determination to express his view that “Islam is of the Devil”, which is the title of his book on the subject. But there are other things to consider as well, such as the overall goal of this action.

The Qur’an is probably one of the most respected holy books of any religion and it also has the distinction of being probably the most reviled as well. Islam is becoming more of a polarizing subject as Americans ponder the building of an Islamic community center near ground zero and the building of an Islamic-shaped crescent memorial at the site of the Flight 93 airplane crash site.

Muslims go to great lengths to express respect for their book. Their hands must be washed and clean before it is handled and some have been imprisoned in Islamic countries for not treating it respectful enough. A Christian minister had a hand and foot cut off because he spoke about the Qur’an with disrespect. Muslims take this symbol of Islam very seriously.

However, the greatest mistake that Jones’ Church will make is not the actual burning the Qur'an. It is that by doing so they are placing themselves in a position where their exposure of Islam will not be heard or respected after this.

In effect, the truths about Islam that the Dove World Outreach Center will seek to make people aware of will not be heard by those who need it the most. Pastor Jones’ ministry will be forever shaded by perceived bigotry and religious intolerance. In that, Dove World Outreach is aiding the cause and advancement of Islam instead of hindering it.

Anyone that knows me understands that I believe the truth of Islam should be exposed. The fact that it is more of a political system rather than a legitimate religion is one of those truths that we must face in order to effectively confront the threat of Islam in America, although we as a country have yet to do so.

My fear is that the burning of the Qur’an will be counterproductive and do more harm than good. I would imagine that the last thing Pastor Jones wants to do is to aid in the advancement of Islam in the United States.

But this action of burning the Qur’an, even though protected by freedom of speech, isn’t the wise thing to do. It has been said that just because someone has a ‘right’ to do a thing does not mean that doing that thing is the right thing to do.

Much more exposure of Jones’ ideas would be accomplished by a devoted promotion of his book, publication of his sermons on the subject, and the mass distribution of tapes, DVDs and CDs which would disseminate his convictions in far more detail. In effect, his truest expression of his freedom of speech would be to promote more of that – actual speech.

American General David Petraeus, in saying that burning the Qur’an will be used as a possible tool for justification of further attacks upon American troops abroad, is certainly true. The idea that Islamic radicals need a reason to harm Americans is a bit naïve though. Admittedly, burning Islam’s holy book does add more fuel to the already blazing fire.

We should also consider the ramifications of allowing the threats of violence by Muslims around the world to curb free speech where Islam is concerned. Stopping the burning will add to a feeling of victory felt by Islamic radicals but that is the lesser of the two evils, especially in light of the fact that burning the Qur’an will have no positive effect in the fight against the philosophy of Islam.

Promoting the fight against Islamic ideology in a dignified and effective manner is far more important than a single sensational expression of free speech. In this case, not exercising free speech may be the greatest example of free speech after all. Just because someone has a right to say something does not always mean it needs to be said, especially when it is said in inflammatory ways.

All adults who are married learned a long time ago that even the right thing said in the wrong tone will get us into hot water. Burning the Qur’an is an example of the right thing being said in the wrong way.

There are many more effective, valid and dignified ways to expose Islam. After the Qur’an go up in flames on 9/11 in Gainesville, Florida a statement will certainly be made by Dove World Outreach Center. However, the many other statements they could have made in the future will not be possible as they will not be heard nor received, and that is the biggest tragedy of all.