President Barack Obama on Thursday offered strong words of condemnation against Gainesville Pastor Terry Jones' planned Quran-burning event to mark the ninth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.
Speaking on ABC's "Good Morning America," Obama agreed with the assessment by General David Petraeus, commander of American forces in Afghanistan, that the event at Jones' evangelical Dove World Outreach Center could lead to reprisals against American troops and civilians. He added that he fervently hopes Jones will call it off.
Talking about what Jones has in mind, Obama pulled no punches about the consequences the Florida pastor could unleash.
"I just want him to understand that this stunt he is talking about pulling could greatly endanger our young men and women in uniform who are in Iraq, who are in Afghanistan, said Obama. We're already seeing protests against Americans just by the mere threat of it.
"This could increase the recruitment of individuals who'd be willing to blow themselves up in American cities or European cities, said Obama.
Some conservative leaders have taken Jones to task -- but wonder why Obama and members of his administration have been silent on other matters involving religion in the public square.
Gary Bauer, chairman of the Campaign for Working Families and a candidate for the Republican presidential nomination in 2000, sent out an email to supporters late Tuesday touching on recent events -- including Jones plan to burn Qurans.
The Florida pastor has been denounced by White House spokesman Robert Gibbs, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Gen. David Petraeus, wrote Bauer. Muslim leaders are insisting that Attorney General Eric Holder speak out against the incidents and prosecute the people involved under federal hate crime laws. It would have been gratifying to see a similar outpouring of concern about hate when unarmed Christian medical workers were brutally murdered a few weeks ago in Afghanistan by the Taliban, which claimed (falsely) that the workers were promoting Christianity.
The Florida pastor needs a lecture on why book burning is offensive and unlikely to win hearts and minds. continued Bauer. It is worth pointing out, however, that burning a Quran or a Bible is legal, and the Supreme Court has ruled that burning the American flag is legal, too. But in many Islamic countries, there are no Bibles to burn because they are banned, and burning a Quran would earn you a death sentence.
Our children are not being taught to hate Muslims, added Bauer. In fact, in too many U.S. textbooks the bloody history of Islamic expansion over the centuries is being white-washed. Muslims are not being attacked on the streets of Americas cities. In fact, hate crimes against Muslims have declined since 9/11, while attacks on Jews in America and across Europe are increasing.
Finally, a tip of the hat to the Christian leaders speaking out against the Quran burning, concluded Bauer. But we will know progress is being made when we see Muslim leaders in the U.S. and worldwide condemn with the same passion not the burning of the books but the burning, bombing and beheading of actual Christians, Jews and other infidels. Until then, I dont need religious liberty lectures from CAIR, the Muslim Brotherhood, the ACLU, Mayor Bloomberg, Hillary Clinton, Attorney General Holder or Barack Obama none of whom have shown much interest in religious liberty until now.
Jones has shown no indication that he intends to call off the event scheduled for Saturday night though he has added that he is praying over the matter. Jones claims to have received more than 100 death threats after announcing the event.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or at (850) 727-0859
