Thursday, September 9, 2010

Burning the Koran?

It is an ill omen that the action of a small-time backwoods preacher compels the President of the United States, our top generals, and our Secretary of State to speak out. Much ado over nothing, if you ask me.

Whether someone decides to burn the Koran in public does not seem worthy of notice to me. In the past, fundamentalist preachers have burned greater works of literature than the Koran. Works by Charles Darwin have been burned along with other tracts deemed homosexual, atheist or socialist. Record albums by the Beatles have been burned that are of greater merit than the Koran.

If someone decides to attack America based upon the independent actions of a small-time preacher, then they would probably attack America anyway, and are just looking for an excuse.

I never burned a Bible, but many years ago, I did deface a Gideon's Bible in a hotel room by sticking used chewing gum in Leviticus, which has been used by fundamentalist preachers to condemn homosexuals. They had persuaded me that the Bible was an anti-gay hate book. Later in life, I encountered moderate Christians, which changed my perspective. I had been ashamed of my book-defacing for years until I read an interview with a famous gay actor, who confessed he ripped out the chapter of Leviticus in a Gideon's Bible in a hotel room, while leaving the rest intact. I was relieved that such a great man committed the same minor sin as I did. It was a childlike expression of anger, but caused no great harm I think. Few Christians find their favorite passages in Leviticus, which is a boring list of dietary and cultural rules that the vast majority of Christians do not follow.

I never burned or defaced the Koran, but that is probably due to lack of opportunity more than anything else. I would not burn the Koran today, for one good reason--I would have to buy one, as I don't own one at present. Buying a book just to burn it seems counterproductive. The act of buying it increases its sales figures and helps to promote it in the eyes of publishers and the reading public. Burning is a futile gesture that only satisfies those possessed of a childlike nature and understanding of the world, similar to the burning of effigies of the preacher by Muslim crowds or the defacing of Leviticus by yours truly. Besides, the book is of historical interest.

I'm not entirely hostile to Islam. Under different circumstances, I could be a Muslim. It would have to be a liberal, intellectual interpretation of Islam, under Sufi auspices and a dense haze of ganja, of which the Sufis were known to partake in order to bring them closer to God. The five-times daily prostrated prayer would have to go, as well as the alien garb and prohibition of pork. But a liberal tradition such as I describe is often persecuted in the hardcore Muslim nations such as Iran. The adherents are marginalized in their society.


Postscript: I read the excellent New York Times article on new developments in the case and was impressed with Obama's explanation for speaking out. I am now persuaded he was right to speak out against the Koran burning. I agree it is foolish to make an intentional insult to another group of people. Perhaps it seems like a small thing to me, but small things become magnified through the lens of the media. If it were not for television, who would know or care what a small-time preacher does?

Perhaps there is a great simmering anger towards the West in the Muslim community for perceived offenses. It is true that our forces have invaded two Muslim countries, Iraq and Afghanistan. I'm sure that doesn't play out very well in public opinion. It is even worse that our cultures are so different. War enforces interaction between the two groups that would seem to be incompatible in many ways.

I believe the media gives too much ear to agitators on both sides, which serves to inflame and polarize public opinion. The level of discourse is now being set by the media, whereby the lowest common denominator gets the most attention.


Postscript #2: Sounds a bit like the person behind the proposed mosque two blocks from Ground Zero is profiteering over the situation. He is a bit more cunning than I thought. The entire thing may be nothing but an elaborate charade designed to make a substantial profit upon resale.
by igor 04:20 4 replies by igor 09:32 0 comments

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