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Why is burning Qurans offensive? I could see it being offensive if done in someone else's yard, but as a symbolic act of free speech it's no different than fla

Why is burning Qurans offensive? I could see it being offensive if done in someone else's yard, but as a symbolic act of free speech it's no different than flag burning, which I also support.

_delirium 16y ago
Well, many people do find burning flags offensive as well. That's a different question from whether it should be illegal!
- doron 16y ago
  Book burning has a very dark history, often long and traumatically remembered. Heinrich Heine famously wrote "Where they burn books, so too will they in the end burn human beings." a century later his writings ware torched at the Opernplatz in Berlin, among many other books. Curiously, that famous (and prescient) quote was from a play referring to the burning of the Quran. That it is within the legal rights of people to do so, is a testament to a great legal system we have, that people are actually doing this abhorrent act, is very disturbing.
  - icarus_drowning 16y ago
    This. So much this. I honestly don't know if Terry Jones, et. al., realize that they are following in the footsteps of history's most ignominious figures and movements by doing this. I have to believe they are just ignorant of history-- willingly or not. Its hard to believe that they've found a way to burn a Qur'an in a way that is offensive not only to Muslims, but also to Jews and Christians-- the two groups who are most portrayed as "at war" with Islam.
  - grandalf 16y ago
    Historically book burning was offensive because books were the sole record of ideas, and they were expensive to produce. Thus, burning one might actually reduce the chances that someone else might get to read it. In today's world, there is zero chance that any organization could ever hope to remove a "book" from the world. Further, this group first purchased all the copies of the Quran only to burn them (this actually helps make printing Qurans profitable). There is so little similarity between today's world and the world in which book burning put ideas at risk... and this is so clearly a publicity stunt, that I can't even remotely bring myself to get irritated by it.
earl 16y ago
Because the redneck trash doing this would throw a temper tantrum if someone did it to a bible. It should be permitted, but come on -- we're adults here. This is nothing more than a giant, "Fuck you" to muslims. For the record, I don't find burning any books or the flag to be offensive -- I just don't get wrapped up in silly symbols.
- deleted 16y ago
  [deleted]
- tomjen3 16y ago
  The problem with burning bibles is that it would get you marked as a supporter of Islam. What do you burn when you hate both Islam and Christianity?
  - BigZaphod 16y ago
    I'd suggest not burning anything.
  - oiuygtfrtghyju 16y ago
    The Torah? Well - they started it! Edit: Apparently the good reverend was also promising to burn copies of the Talmud (presumably burning the Torah would remove all those useful passages about gays)
  - ComputerGuru 16y ago
    To the contrary - in Islam the Bible is also a Holy Book, and Jesus is also upheld and respected as a prophet, and given the same due respect as Prophet Muhammad.
    - smallblacksun 16y ago
      No, he is not given the same respect as Muhammad. If he were, Muslims would be grossly offended by the images of Jesus in every church and Christian store in the world, like they are when images of Muhammad are drawn.
jat850 16y ago
Free speech is not the opposite of offensive. Free speech can be, and often is, offensive as hell. (edit: Quick clarification - this comment is not meant to indicate, either way, my stance on the act of burning Qu'rans or flags, or any other free speech issue, for that matter.)
- grandalf 16y ago
  A book is just paper with words printed on it. So long as there is no danger of permanently erasing the content from history, then it's just like burning any other paper.
  - jat850 16y ago
    What's not offensive to you (burning words on paper) still has the propensity to be offensive to some. Effigies are just straw or wood, but burning them can be abhorrent to some witnesses.
    - grandalf 16y ago
      I agree, but I place all such offense in the same category as the Mohammed cartoon offendees.

Why is burning Qurans offensive? I could see it being offensive if done in someone else's yard, but as a symbolic act of free speech it's no different than flag burning, which I also support.

_delirium 16y ago

Well, many people do find burning flags offensive as well. That's a different question from whether it should be illegal!

doron 16y ago
Book burning has a very dark history, often long and traumatically remembered. Heinrich Heine famously wrote "Where they burn books, so too will they in the end burn human beings." a century later his writings ware torched at the Opernplatz in Berlin, among many other books. Curiously, that famous (and prescient) quote was from a play referring to the burning of the Quran. That it is within the legal rights of people to do so, is a testament to a great legal system we have, that people are actually doing this abhorrent act, is very disturbing.
- icarus_drowning 16y ago
  This. So much this. I honestly don't know if Terry Jones, et. al., realize that they are following in the footsteps of history's most ignominious figures and movements by doing this. I have to believe they are just ignorant of history-- willingly or not. Its hard to believe that they've found a way to burn a Qur'an in a way that is offensive not only to Muslims, but also to Jews and Christians-- the two groups who are most portrayed as "at war" with Islam.
- grandalf 16y ago
  Historically book burning was offensive because books were the sole record of ideas, and they were expensive to produce. Thus, burning one might actually reduce the chances that someone else might get to read it. In today's world, there is zero chance that any organization could ever hope to remove a "book" from the world. Further, this group first purchased all the copies of the Quran only to burn them (this actually helps make printing Qurans profitable). There is so little similarity between today's world and the world in which book burning put ideas at risk... and this is so clearly a publicity stunt, that I can't even remotely bring myself to get irritated by it.

earl 16y ago

Because the redneck trash doing this would throw a temper tantrum if someone did it to a bible. It should be permitted, but come on -- we're adults here. This is nothing more than a giant, "Fuck you" to muslims. For the record, I don't find burning any books or the flag to be offensive -- I just don't get wrapped up in silly symbols.

deleted 16y ago
[deleted]
tomjen3 16y ago
The problem with burning bibles is that it would get you marked as a supporter of Islam. What do you burn when you hate both Islam and Christianity?
- BigZaphod 16y ago
  I'd suggest not burning anything.
- oiuygtfrtghyju 16y ago
  The Torah? Well - they started it! Edit: Apparently the good reverend was also promising to burn copies of the Talmud (presumably burning the Torah would remove all those useful passages about gays)
- ComputerGuru 16y ago
  To the contrary - in Islam the Bible is also a Holy Book, and Jesus is also upheld and respected as a prophet, and given the same due respect as Prophet Muhammad.
  - smallblacksun 16y ago
    No, he is not given the same respect as Muhammad. If he were, Muslims would be grossly offended by the images of Jesus in every church and Christian store in the world, like they are when images of Muhammad are drawn.

jat850 16y ago

Free speech is not the opposite of offensive. Free speech can be, and often is, offensive as hell. (edit: Quick clarification - this comment is not meant to indicate, either way, my stance on the act of burning Qu'rans or flags, or any other free speech issue, for that matter.)

grandalf 16y ago
A book is just paper with words printed on it. So long as there is no danger of permanently erasing the content from history, then it's just like burning any other paper.
- jat850 16y ago
  What's not offensive to you (burning words on paper) still has the propensity to be offensive to some. Effigies are just straw or wood, but burning them can be abhorrent to some witnesses.
  - grandalf 16y ago
    I agree, but I place all such offense in the same category as the Mohammed cartoon offendees.