By John Romano
(YBH) – I have no great love for the Muslim faith. I think history will prove that there were many more “moderate” Muslims cheering the actions of the “few” jihadists against the West than previously thought. The religion as a whole has no respect for women, gays, or those of other faiths in my estimation. The zealots within the Islamic faith are intent on conquering the planet. That is clear for all to see. Millions of Muslims quietly sanction the acts of the firebrands within Islam via silence. 9-11 was the most severe example of this attempt at conquest or jihad. It is a problem for all of us.
Further, Islamic law often punishes the mistakes that we in the West consider part of “growing up” or, at least, a private moral failing, with terrible brutality. The idea that God wants a women dead for cheating on her husband is beyond what we consider humane in the West. Radical Islam needs to be fought at every turn. I also think the mosque at Ground Zero is an insult to those killed on 9-11 and to Americans in general.
"Burn a Koran Day", Romano: "A terrible idea."
I write the above because I want to make it clear that I believe the West is at war with a small, but not inconsequential slice of Islam. However, I must say in no uncertain terms that the planned Koran burning ceremony set for 9-11 is an incredibly bad move.
The church involved in the event, the Dove World Outreach Center in Gainesville, Florida, is run by Rev. Terry Jones. Despite calls for restraint, Mr. Jones states that the church is moving ahead with the event as planned. I’m writing as a Christian to say not in my name to Mr. Jones. The blood from the violence that will result from your actions, should you proceed, will be on your hands alone.
Should outlawing the burning of the Koran be made illegal? Never. The laws of this country will not bow before the feet of Islam (or any other religion). However, as a sign of respect for the many millions of peaceful Muslims around the world, the preacher behind the proposed book burnings needs to call off the event.
Heed the call of moderation, Mr. Jones. Not just for the peaceful Muslims worldwide, but even more so for the memory of the victims of 9-11. You have no right to take what is becoming a sacred day within the United States and turn it into an instrument for your ideology.
As someone who is decidedly not pro-Islam or a squishy PC liberal, I take it upon myself to apologize to those Muslims insulted by Mr. Jones actions. Given the violence perpetrated by radical Muslims in my lifetime, it is a position I don’t find terribly comfortable.
While risking sounding like a caller to “Coast to Coast A.M.”, the West and Islam are on a potential collision course. The lower birthrates in Europe and the mass immigration of Muslims to Europe are hastening this collision. Avoiding a religious war in the future needs the cooler heads among all faiths to work together now. I call on other Christians to condemn Mr. Jones and his provocative acts.
Note: The issue of whether Mr. Jones has the right to burn a book, any book, is not in doubt. I’ve been perusing the Huffington Post and other left-wing media sources since writing the essay above and find it astonishing how many people would like to imprison the Reverend or make Koran burning illegal.
John Romano is the publisher and editor of Yes, But However!, a musician, a former political correspondent for BBC Radio London, and a serial web entrepreneur. Follow him on twitter: twitter.com/yesbuthowever or John Romano on Google+John Romano article archive.
