Read The Qur'an, Not Burn It

I'm going to totally honest right now by saying that while I've been hearing about this idiot's plans to burn the Qur'an, I really haven't paid that much attention to it.  For those of you who may not know what I'm talking about, the picture is that of Pastor Terry Jones of Dove World Outreach Center, a church of about 50 people.  Pastor Fox and his "followers" feel it's appropriate to burnt he Qur'an, this Saturday in remembrance of Sept. 11.

As a book lover I find the idea of burning any book disgusting and abhorrent.  The destruction of any written word just because you don't like it or not understand it is cowardly, shameful, and just about any other negative adjective I feel like using.  The fact that he is supposedly doing this to remember those killed on that day is a slap in the face to those who died and to this country.  It goes against what this country stands for at it's core and pretends that there were not Muslims in the Twin Towers when they came down.

What does this idiot think will happen in the Muslim world when the news carries pictures of Americans burning the Qur'an.  Does he think that they will embrace our men and women in uniform in the streets of Afghanistan and thank them for it?  Does he not realize that most of the world lives within countries where a government can stop this disgusting public display from happening?  Does he not get that a lot of Muslims will see this and assume that not only the government of the United States but it's citizens condone the vileness of burning a book that is viewed as Holy by over a billion people world wide?

I'm not saying I think the government should step in and stop it and I will defend his right to do it.  What I am saying is that he should feel the moral outrage of a nation and it's people, that sheer public desire should put a stop to this.  I also realize that nothing anyone says is going to stop him from going through with his plans, I just hope he is willing to take responsibility for the damage he is going to cause.

Truthfully, I've never read the Qur'an and while I may have been curious about it in the past, I've never felt a strong urge to read it either.  Well thanks to Pastor Jones I will be reading it in the near future.  I will not let an idiot like him make this country look bad or intolerant.  I just hope that those who are like minded find it within themselves to read the Qur'an and not burn it.  I want to understand it in the way I understand the Bible.  Maybe if those in the Muslim world see more Americans reading the Qur'an and not burning it, we will show them that we really are a nation of religious tolerance and not one of hatred and stupidity.