Quran burning is bad for America

Recently in the news, we have seen many Americans speaking out against building a community center and Mosque near Ground Zero, but now comes an even greater form of ignorance that just might cause an international crisis. Pastor Terry Jones from Gainesville, Fla., is holding a burn a Quran day on the anniversary of 9/11.  Does this make any sense?

As an American Muslim, just the thought of burning the Quran or any holy book makes me furious. I don’t know how much respect Christians give to their Bible, but Muslims are not supposed to sit or stand on, throw, and definitely not burn the Quran, and that actually goes for any book with words in it.

This act not only makes Muslims from around the world angry, but it makes us all, as members of society, ask the more important question — why would someone do such a thing? How much backlash would there be if some Muslims got together to burn the Bible? What makes Pastor Jones and his congregation different from any other radical regime? .

Gen. David Petraeus, the top U.S. general in Afghanistan, issued a strict warning that “images of the burning of a Quran would undoubtedly be used by extremists in Afghanistan — and around the world — to inflame public opinion and incite violence.” Patraeus also believes this act of burning the Quran “could cause significant problems for American troops overseas.”

The viewpoint of the Founding Fathers did not mean one should dishonor another religion, but just the opposite.  We must respect all religions that coincide within our borders, and as we move to a more global economic world, we must respect all forms of religion.

The ultimate question then is will the burning of the Quran cause more hatred and negative feelings regarding the U.S. and its government?  With a doubt, yes it will.  We as Americans believe we live in the most civil society on the planet, but we forget to mention the fact that this country had years of slavery. The burning of books is nothing new to us, and maybe this is the problem.  The problem is that racism has evolved past skin color and reached a new plateau which includes religion.

As a Muslim, it would be a humiliation to watch someone desecrate the Quran or any word of God. As an American, it would be an embarrassment to see this.  And as a global citizen, it would only confirm the fact that we have yet to find any kind of honor in our own belief systems.

Omar Mohammad is a finance senior and may be reached at [email protected].