Dove World Outreach Center pastor Terry Jones (L) shakes hands with Imam Muhammad Musri, president of the Islamic Society of Central Florida in Orlando.
(Joe Raedle/Getty)
Few legal boundaries stood between Florida Pastor Terry Jones and his plans to burn copies of the Quran on Saturday, the ninth anniversary of the September 11th attacks.
While most of the world voiced dismay at Pastor Jones' political statement, fearing it would incite violence and radicalize religious extremists overseas, Jones argued that was demonstrating against what he calls the extremism of Islam. Yesterday, the pastor decided to call off his campaign to burn the sacred text after reaching what he said was an "agreement" to meet with the people planning an Islamic cultural center and mosque near ground zero.
But how did the Pastor of a small town come to wield so much power through the symbolic burning of a sacred text?
Reza Aslan is author of "How to Win a Cosmic War: God Globalization and the End of the War on Terror" and a contributing editor at The Daily Beast.
Harvey Cox is the Hollis Research Professor of Divinity at Harvard University.
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Comments [7]
Amazing that you the "The take away" could air this type of story.
This story is a disgrace to modern journalism.
Do you have to give voice to all the crazy people ?
http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,716409,00.html
What am I listening ? Fox news ? CNN ?
Really "the-take-away", really ?
The media has given Terry Jones a megaphone for his ignorant and counterproductive cause. I feel that the press and everyone else should turn their back on him immediately, and to the point where we never know if he actually burns Quarans on Saturday or not. DO NOT give this hateful and misguided man one more second of attention!
the pastor has bben Ignore long time.He wants to burn details of Christ given in Quran & we recite taht five times a day at least in pray.25 to 300 times remmember that we have to face Allah Subhanoo tala.
If Pastor does not belive in Quran so that is not his & whatnot you'r you can not have right to say.He should go to Iraq or Afghanistan to do this kind of act, ndo not insult America.Mental dis order can be fix if still we have a chance to fix .Read before you do any stup--- thing
With their attention, the media (yes I'm talking to you Takeaway) has elevated this insignificant ignorant little man until he is an international problem. Incredible. Well done, Media.
The fact that this "Christian" pastor is trying to intimidate Islamic leaders in NYC into giving up their constitutional rights to build a community center sounds like Terrorism to me since burning the Quran could put our soldiers, missionaries, and others in danger.
I believe the pastor has forgotten the "golden rule"... would he really be okay with a fellow American burning Christian images, icons, and churches (or Jesus himself) just because they want to threaten Christian leaders into never building a church within a certain radius of government buildings?
The pastor has merely demonstrated his own ignorance, he mentioned before that he wanted to show how "violent Islam is" which just sounds absurd when compared to Christianity's violent past.
Why are you interviewing this so-called religious person who is just trying to sensationalize his very stupid and dangerous acts. Jusy ignore him. He ia merely a pissant and a fecal speck and you are legitimizing him.
all deals are seemingly off again... but
Trump Offer to Buy NYC Mosque Site Rejected
Donald Trump's offer to buy an investor's stake where a mosque is planned near the World Trade Center site is falling flat http://www.newslook.com/videos/248867-trump-offer-to-buy-nyc-mosque-site-rejected?autoplay=true
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