Peace, Love, Fire And Bullets
Oh, fine, let’s talk about burning the Quran.
I’ve been ruminating on this topic for days, now.
Wanting to post, not wanting to post.
As an aside, did you know that the word “ruminating” has its basis in the name of the Sufi poet, Rumi?
Next time you’re ruminating, you may want to think about how if it weren’t for Muslims, you wouldn’t be able to do that.
You’d be newtonating.
Or worse, pasteurizing.
On behalf of the entire Muslim population of the world, may I say, “You’re welcome.”
Ah, were this a world where you and I could sit down and talk about Rumi for three hours instead of some jackass in Gainesville that thinks he’s Richard the Lion Hearted saving Christendom from the horned Moorish devils of the East.
Sorry, correction, saving you from the moors. I, apparently, am a Moor. Sans horns.
Sigh. There are no words.
There is, however, sparse mathematical evidence presented via bullet points that this may not be as scary as we think.
(Should I even use the word bullet, given all this violent context?)
(Someone might think I’m a terrorist.)
(Crap. I said terrorist.)
(Damn. I said crap.)
(Jesus. I said …)
- Population of the United States: 307, 006, 550.
- Population of the Crazy-Burn-A-Koran-Day-Look-How-Stupid-We-Are-We-Cant-Even-Spell-Quran-Correctly-Church-of-An-Alternate-Jesus-With-Whom-We-Are-Unfamiliar: 30.
- Rounded to the nearest 1/1000th, this represents 0% of the American population.
- By the way, zero was invented in India. So, you’re double welcome.
- Yes, I get to claim Islam, Pakistan, America, Disney World and India. Don’t hate, appreciate.
- Speaking of Pakistan, number of Pakistanis left homeless by recent floods: 20,000,000
- That? Is 6% of the U.S. population.
- 100: The percentage of me that is irate over the fact that we’re having to spend all this time paying attention to 0% of the population in our country that wants to burn the Quran when the equivalent of 6% of our population is homeless in a country where people read the Quran.
- Someone mentioned that we should be careful when we go to this year’s Eid festival. There’s a rumor that this book burning group is going to send operatives to disturb the occasion. The people who hate terrorists are going to send terrorists to a family festival. Somehow, I’m not surprised by their complete lack of self awareness here.
- Again, let’s turn to math to quell our fears. There are 411 cities in Florida. Assuming that only half of those cities have any Muslims, that leaves us with 205. We’re dropping the decimal for the sake of sanity.
- Unless these people can clone themselves using the crazy juice they’ve been drinking, each individual would have to visit seven separate Eid festivals alone in order to “terrorize” the people there.
- Given that Eid prayers last about ten minutes, and occur at exactly the same time at various locations, there’s a good chance we’ll be alright. Also, all that driving would leave them positively exhausted and they need to store their energy up for being idiots of cosmic proportions this coming weekend. Being stupid takes a loooot of work.
- We have, as a family, made a plan to stick together, anyway. As if we don’t do that. All.the.time.
Unfortunately, there’s discussion beyond the math. Numbers don’t quite stifle emotions the way they ought to. Numbers don’t erase that gnawing feeling that’s been at the entire nation for ten years.
So, let me tell you what, I’ve learned something wonderful from all of this.
Something life changing.
That most people are good.
Yes. They are good.
When people who are not Muslim hear about the possibility of Qurans being burned, they are prompted to do good.
To do what is right and kind and immersed in love for their fellow man.
Jews, Christians and Muslims come together and say that this is wrong. It gets them talking to each other. And saying nice things. Maybe one day, other folks will be invited to the party. But, for now, this is good.
Another starts to rethink her position and fills my heart with hope.
Churches and synagogues alike promise to read from the Quran to counteract this act of intolerance.
Students from all over Florida plan to drive hundreds of miles to protest.
The idea that it is wrong to hold an entire group of people accountable for the actions of a few becomes a tangible reality for many. That Christians, Muslims, and everyone else in this country now has the unique opportunity to know what that feels like is a gift.
We officially have the opportunity to be better than we ever were before.
I believe we can be. I believe, more importantly, that we want to be.
Those other folks, the ones that don’t want to be. They will. They will want to be soon enough. We just have to keep walking this high road, we have to… so that they’ll know that it’s okay to believe in peace, love, and acceptance.
This nation is full of beautiful souls and brave people. Maybe, sometimes, we need a few hateful people to show us that.
Make absolutely no mistake that I hate that this might happen. It makes my heart ache. Figuratively and physically.
But I love that so many people, who are not even Muslim, would stand up and say this is wrong.
67 Responses to Peace, Love, Fire And Bullets
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I don’t think anyone could have put this as eloquently and gracefully as you did While managing to throw a terrorist joke in there too. Bravo.
@Avitable, I try.
I have a great deal of respect for those who are religious. As long as religion is used for GOOD. I have read the Quran. I have read the bible.
What have I learned from that? Jesus would be PISSED if people burned the Quran in his name. I don’t get it. People are weird dude.
@Molly, Yeah, I’m pretty sure Jesus would not be happy.
What this wahoo is doing IS wrong. It is a horrible way to attract attention to your “church” and religion by promoting intolerance, ignorance, and hate. Something no religion I am aware of openly promotes.
Love conquers all. No matter the challenge to do so.
@Hockeymandad, Exactly.
I’ve always said that things happen for a reason. Perhaps these 30 people ARE doing God’s work: Making the idea that it is wrong to hold an entire group of people accountable for the actions of a few become a tangible reality for many.
And while I realize that for Muslims it’s not just paper and ink, maybe it’s the smallest possible sacrifice that would do the job.
I do hope they reconsider. More than that I hope they are overshadowed by the people who want to spread love, not hate.
@Finn, This occurred to me, as well. I think every iteration of God that I’m aware of says that He works in mysterious ways. This is plenty mysterious.
I’m sickened and dismayed by those nutjobs down in Gainesville. Horrified, actually. I consider myself a Christian, I worship at a Christian church (well, its Episcopalian, and according to some Christians we’re not “real” Christians, but you know what I mean). I agree with Molly, I imagine sometimes that God watches our actions through tears of pain and disappointment. And anger.
@Barnmaven, I would imagine so, and I should say that among the people I know who are filled with integrity, compassion, piety and love… many of them are Christians.
A part of me says, gee, if they want to burn a book – any book – they should be able to do so. One person’s scripture is just another person’s literature. One person’s deity is another person’s imagination.
Do we think their issues with Islam/Muslims would go away if they didn’t burn the book? The book burning in and of itself should be the least of Muslims’ worries.
@adnan., Absolutely agreed.
Just popping back in to say if you spell the Quran “Koran” that doesn’t make you stupid. I got a little carried away there. But, really, you should spell it the way I do.
@Faiqa, Isn’t there an apostrophe in there? Like Qu’ran? Or am I doing it wrong too?
@B.E. Earl, No, you’re doing it the super-duper-bestest-right way. The correct way is to include the apostrophe.
@Faiqa, Or is the best way really ????? Or….?????? ???????
Or!
International Phonetic Alphabet: /k??r?n/
(I couldn’t help myself, too many years of linguistics)
@Miss Grace, Oh man my other ones didn’t come through. Drat.
You challenge me to think about my own thoughts and how I portray those to others. You inspire me to stay informed via reliable sources, and not just word of mouth from biased people. Thank you for all that you write, which in turn makes me think, and that helps make me a better person.
I just realized this really has nothing to do with your post, but at the same time it does…if that makes sense.
@Becky, I think it has something to do with my post, and I’m so thankful that you chose to express that. It means a lot to know that my intention is being received accurately. Thanks, Becky.
This post is sheer perfection.
And what do they mean by ‘operatives”?! That makes them sound like smart people, when in fact they’d be easy to spot with their hate tee shirts and pitchforks.
(Do you get Disneyland because of Jasmine?!)
@Sybil Law, Disney World, dude. Orlando. You’re killing me. Maybe you should stop clubbing all night… heheh
This Jones character is a clown and he should be treated as such.
Unfortunately, clowns are scary.
@B.E. Earl, I think we can blame Stephen King for the scary clown thing, yeah?
@Faiqa, Or Poltergeist. Or John Wayne Gacy. Scary clowns…
Hey, this is the same Jessica who posted about the Times Square “mosque,” that your writing changed my mind about it…
Just wanted to say that this post was absolutely stunningly beautiful – funny, real, raw, emotional… all the good stuff…
I am horrified by this book burning. Absolutely horrified.
Like I said last time — I think there is a grave misunderstanding in the US of what the Muslim faith really stands for and means. Everybody just takes what they hear on the news and applies it to the whole religion and all people who practice it… Not good.
@jessica, Thanks for stopping by to comment again, Jessica. I think you hit the nail on the head… people want someone else to hand them an opinion. It’s sad because often the opinion that’s being handed to them via the news is based on ratings and not integrity of thought.
Yet another great post, Faiqa.
I don’t think many Christians realize to what extent the Muslims treat the Qur’an with respect (e.g. the ritual of wudu that must be done before reading.) I still have my Qur’an and even though I am no longer religious, I keep it high on a shelf to ensure that it doesn’t get knocked down or grabbed by grubby hands.
@cagey, Yes, I don’t even think that church in Gainesville is aware of how symbolic it is. Though, something tells me that this would only fuel their lunacy.
It is wrong, and it makes me sick to think about this actually happening.
@Becca, I appreciate that.
I am so sad there are people in the world like that Pastor. So deeply sad.
@life with kaishon, Me, too. But there are more good people. I truly believe that.
It is positively heartbreaking to know there are people like him in the world.
The guys who smashed unto the towers knew that no matter what happened, what they did would allow them to live in our heads rent free for a long, long time. This witchdoctor in Florida knows full well that his act will allow him to live in the heads of many Muslims rent free for some time as well. We have a lot of squatters in this silly world.
I wish the 0% on this side and the 0% on that side would rent a room and try to crawl into each other’s heads.
And leave ours alone.
Jones is getting exactly what he wants. And we all helped him.
@RW, I hope that people realize that this is exactly what he’s trying to do… he occupied my head for a few days until last night, I served him with an eviction notice. Enough. You know?
Even as lopsided as my views can be, I’m completely flabbergasted as to how in the world these people can think it’s okay.
@Sheila, Hatred is funny… it’s not like you wake up one day just being full of hate… it’s a process that, in almost every instance, starts off small.
I would like to cordially invite you and yours to come live in Canada. Sure, we may not have Disney World, and our weather can get a _tad_ colder during the winter months. HOWEVER, we do have well thought out hate crime legislation that includes the phrasing “to incite” as opposed to the US legislation which requires violence, which means that this idiot? Could never pull such a plan off up here.
(Plus, you’d be able to see me – and more importantly, my wife and kids – all.the.time. I know; try keep yourself calm about that prospect.)
@SciFi Dad, BUT DO YOU HAVE BRAD PITT? He’s my ace in the hole. Actually, it’s my understanding that the government can take action here if they think that there’s a threat to security on the national level. They used to use that to monitor what books we were checking out of the library, but… maybe now? I don’t know.
I have been reading your blog for a number of years now and I always find your words intelligent and reasonable. I still do. Today’s is one of the best. I would like to post this on FaceBook for my friends to see. Would you find that agreeable. Actually, I’m not even sure how to do that. Perhaps, if you were to do it, I could find it there and repost it on my page.
@Alan Labovitz, I have no problem with your sharing this on your wall. It should already be posted on my wall. If you want to post it on your own, all you have to do is copy and paste the link from your browser into the update on your FB page. And, thank you, I appreciate that you think it’s worth sharing.
I have been disillusioned with organized Christian religion for some time, because of these sort of atrocities. It’s not limited to small, congregations led by nut cases, it’s more widespread than that. Were we not directed to love our neighbors – not love them only if they look like us, think like us, or worship like us.
This man in Florida is not a man of God. His actions are meant to bring notoriety to himself, and not Christ and his teachings.
“I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.” ~ Mohandas Gandhi
@Tara R., Nice. I love a good Gandhi quote.
Like you said, these 30 people equate to about 0.0000001% of America’s population. I have a lot of faith in the rest 0.9999999% of the people.
I just hope that his words and actions don’t influence too many other people to do something similar. This is what I am going to pray for at our Eid prayer tomorrow!
@tariq, I’m sorry, you meant 99.9999999, RIGHT? DID I JUST CORRECT YOUR MATH??!!! WOO HOOO!!!
@Faiqa, Women, Tariq. They’re all the same.
@RW, yes, they are!
this is what i get for doing 5 things at the same time…2 of which are for her. 
Great post dear.
I have faith in humanity and love, generally speaking. Hopefully.
A great post, once again, by a great wordsmith.
I seriously hope that more good is done from the wackjobs that are simply doing most of this out of being starved for national and international attention.
As an eternal optimist and cheerleader for the human spirit, it does my hear SO MUCH GOOD to think of good things coming from this.
Thank you for that perspective.
On the radio this morning I heard several versions of “they *can* burn them, but it’s a bad idea; just like they *can* build the mosque but it’s a bad idea.” I immediately found the comparison to be poor as I don’t accept the premise that the mosque is a bad idea.
However, this led me to question why it’s so easy for me to accept that the burning is a bad idea. Is it disrespectful? Definitely. Is it misguieded? Probably. Is it dangerous? Possibly.
The comparison that jumped to mind at that point was to burning the US flag. War protests and such, is what I’m referencing. Disrespectful? Possibly. Misquided? Maybe. Dangerous? Probably not.
I suppose the point of my comment is that I’m not sure I fully understand the reasons for the ferocity with which this proposed burning is being met. I certainly don’t support it, but I don’t really care either. If they want to burn privately-owned books, my response is along the lines of “Meh. Waste of time. Do what you want.” (Now if this were the case of some town burning all of the libraries copies of the Qur’an or something, that would be a different situation entirely.)
One new twist that seems to have arisen over the last few days on both these issues is the concern of worldwide Muslim reaction (violence implied or stated outright) to 1) the Qur’an burning and 2) the Mosque not being built. This is coming from Muslims, not from radical Christians. This bothers me. Not that there might be such reactions (okay, that bothers me too, but that’s not my point), but the implication that it’s at all relevant.
Faiqa, I may need to book some time during my next Orlando trip for a sit-down discussion of all sorts of issues. Typing this in a comment is an exercise in frustration and expectation of failing to communicate my points.
Thank you, thank you, thank you!
This post is so eloquently, enlightening, inspiring and it truly gives me hope. Thank you for helping me to see this in a much more positive light.
Even serial killers dislike book burnings.
Wow, excellent post. I think Roger Ebert nailed it “Pastor Jones has united America. At last, someone more stupid than everyone else.”
on top of everything you so eloquently said (and by the way, AMEN!, i totally agree with you), it is disturbing to me that his so called pastor has caused such hatred within me. little old mostly christian me. i wanna punch him in the cocksucker. and i don’t like that i gave him the power to make me so angry.
so there’s that…
lovely post. I am true believer that Love does conquer hate!
Britt just twittered “Terry Jones says burning canceled.”
http://twitter.com/missbritt/status/24044187723
I guess he read this, saw your math, didn’t like his odds and chickened out.
Way to go!
(sorry if the humor is inappropriate. Sometimes you have to laugh at idiots because they leave you no other option, and that dude? Is an idiot.)
Wonderfully said.
<3 <3
Assalaamu alaykum,
As I was watching Al Jazeera this morning, I sat there thinking what an idiotic, idiotic man. And then my next thought was that through this foolish act of his, he actually caused many people to defend Muslims, brought about a heck of a lot of interest in the Qur’an and made people realize that love does indeed burn brighter.
On a side note, Eid Mubarak to everyone here!
Shabina
So beautifully written.
I am proud to have met you.
You know, before you were famous :O)
Eid Mubarak, Faiqa.
Great post and I hope he has actually canceled the event, dingbat.
Unfortunately, there are always going to be hateful people. I’m not trying to be cynical, but as a history nerd, it’s hard to ignore the pattern. Every person is unique, which is what makes things so interesting, but the other half of that is that not everyone is going to agree. Some people who have a different opinion from what most people see as right and fair and good won’t do anything other than argue their opinion. They might even put others down, but they’ll be mostly talk.
Then we have the others, who will act in violent ways. These people make it very hard for the rest of us — those who see that it’s wrong — to make a change. Most of these people will never change.
That’s not to say that we shouldn’t bother or that we should just give up. It’s quite the contrary. We need to fight for what we believe in, whether it’s help for soldiers with PTSD, freeing innocent men in West Memphis, fighting ignorance against Muslims with education, or telling the schoolyard bully to leave us alone or you’ll tell everyone he still sleeps with his blankie.
I think that Martin Luther King, Jr. and Gandhi are good examples to follow. Throwing grenades at those who are hateful will not solve things. We need to fight this war with education. A good number of people can still learn and change their minds about how they feel toward Muslims and Muslim-Americans.
(As an aside, I wish I didn’t have to say “Muslim-Americans”; there should be no Us and Them — which is exactly why I love Adam’s site.)
Lovely. And thank you. Why can’t the media have you airing 24/7, instead of that jack ass?
I’m glad it didn’t actually happen. I wish that there hadn’t even been the threat. I hope Muslim people know what you do–that not all Christians are filled with hatred. I want peace.
I’ll ruminate on this as I’m reading my book that is waiting for me to pick up from the library, “Rumi: The Book Of Love”
I love that they called off the burning. That made me happy, and I totally give Karen some credit for that as well.
The whole thing makes me sad. People hate an entire group of people because a few of them are bad. That happens on both sides, unfortunately. Some of “us” hate all of “them” because a few of “them” did something bad. The same happens in reverse. How many people lump all of Americans together, because of 30 dumbasses that represent 0% of our country received too much publicity for being dumb? We all get lumped together, and its very sad.
Burning anyone’s holy book is just wrong. Hopefully the “Christians” who think it is okay to burn the Koran are as representative of Christianity as middle eastern terrorists are of Muslims.
But what do I know, I’m just a secular Jew.