US pastor burns copies of Quran to urge Iran clergyman release
The burning, attended by 20 people and streamed live over the Internet, was carried out by pastor Terry Jones' church in Gainesville, Florida on Saturday, The Gainesville Sun said, and video of the burning was uploaded to YouTube by the pastor's supporting group "Stand Up America Now."
The Pentagon had urged Jones to reconsider, expressing concern that American soldiers in Afghanistan and elsewhere could be put at greater risk because of the act, according to the newspaper, but Jones insisted to go ahead with the protest in the name of the release of the Christian pastor in Iran.
Nadarkhani was arrested in October 2009 and condemned to death under Islamic sharia law for converting to Christianity when he was 19.
Now 34, he is a pastor of a small evangelical community called the Church of Iran. Iran's supreme court in July 2011 overturned the death sentence and sent the case back to the court in Nadarkhani's hometown of Rasht, in Gilan province.
His retrial took place at the end of September 2011 with no verdict made public.
Several Western countries, including the United States, Britain, Germany and France, condemned the death sentence and said they feared it could be carried out soon.
In March 2011, the US pastor's assistant burned a copy of the Quran and broadcast the ceremony on the Internet, with the images inciting violence in northern Afghanistan, in which at least 12 people were killed.
Moments after the burning on Saturday, the Gainesville fire department issued the church a citation for violating the city's fire ordinances, the report said.
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Its Allah's word this man has burned and Allah shall get hold of him soon. InshaAllah. I being a faithful servant of Allah condemn this devil man's actions in the strongest possible terms. It is the weakest form of Imaan to condemn a sinful act. At least we should do that.
@Ali Tanoli: this is not anti islam or anti muslim act or he is not called christian extremist or terrorist?? what a double standerd.
He has been called anti-Islamic. He is not called a Christian extremist or a terrorist because unlike our large collection of Islamic extremists and terrorists, he hasn't resorted to violence or harmed a Muslim. Wish we could say the same for our treatment of minorities.
Talibans were created by US and Financed by Saudis out of fear created by USA against Iran. Still KSA has to buy weapons from USA to secure their regime in a non-polar world. This incident was let to be happened and will create further unrest. You need to be taught a lesson. Momin ho to betagh bhi larta hay sepahy
@Raj:
Hey Raj you got a nice name , so try to think nicely too OK ?
Pakistan was leading no pack.
Just coz India has advertised Pakistan well enuf doesnt mean that there ISI in everything.
And when those things happened in Afghanistan , no doubt many Muslim masses must have rejoiced in many Muslim countries. Just the same way many Hindus must have rejoiced over the babri Mosque "Event".
BUT ! , that does not mean that whatever happened in Afghanistan or India was right , or that the sentiments of the Muslims or the Hindus are justifiable.
What is wrong has to be labeled wrong without any debate or reluctance.
By the way what is this game you mention of , which you claim "we guys" started ?
@The Truth:
This is a concept that you fundamentalists will never understand. Burning a book, or speaking ill of a religion is not a crime. It's free speech and it should be protected. When we (the liberals as you like to call us) protest a wrong doing in your lovely country it's almost always to protest a killing, burning or some other horrible act of violence. You can burn all the bibles, Hindu tracts, etc., and you will not hear any protest from me. I might question your sanity but would never harass you or physically attack you.
@True Muslim Paki:
Imran Khan loves that group of Difa-e-Pakistan of Gojra incident fame. What credibility has Imran left with in this case?
No one here has any problem with the Christian priest being persecuted in Iran.
Isn't the Terry Jones saying the same thing; you do it to us so we will do it to you. Aren't followers of Quran responsible for this burning in the end? If they did not persecute Christians in their own lands this wouldn’t have happened.
@Asif Butt - Smart comment eh? Taliban was not globally recognized... blah blah blah. It was very much recognized by some Muslim countries and Pakistan was leading the pack. Many of your country men where having full sympathy for them and you put a blind eye when they destroyed and persecuted others because you thought it's justified in the name of religion. That's it then. It's payback time, why complain now when you guys started the game without any rules.
"This is an opportunity for the US to show its unbias towards Islam and Quran, by punishing him and checking this sort of incidents in the future"
How is the US not punishing him showing the US to be biased toward Islam? The US has free speech laws, and it is not illegal to burn books, whatever book they may be. It is 100% completely LEGAL to burn the BIBLE in the US too. Atheists have held Bible burnings many, many times. Christians just don't get all bent out of shape about it, they just ignore them. They can't punish this preacher because there are NO LAWS against burning books.
The US also does not have blasphemy laws, and in my opinion, that's a very good thing. Look at all the people whose lives are destroyed by the blasphemy law here in Pakistan. You can be arrested under blasphemy law just by someone who doesn't like you filing a false accusation against you.
Just to add fuel to the fire, what about us good muslims in Pakistan destroying hindu temples and burning churches? Shouldn't India and the west come and attack us? Instead of having quick and irrational reactions to everything, think before you act (write). We all agree what he did was silly, but he is well within his rights. And people will say he is going to be responsible for the deaths that will happen in riots the world over. PULL YOUR HEAD OUT OF THE SAND. The people who will die, will die at the hands of other muslims. Forgive me, but I think your faith is weak and misguided, if you really think, god, the koran, the prophet, need our help to defend their honor. They are bigger and greater than all of us, and if any mortal says that this view is wrong, I am sorry, but I to am entitled to my opinion. Your faith is weak!!!
Come on Muslim Brothers. Don't get emotional by asking USA to punish him or labeling him extremist or terrorist. In USA it's just another book. You can burn Bible there too, establishment of USA has no problem in it too. It's a valid form of protest in USA USA is a great country for people living in it, may not be for those living outside.
@Ali Tanoli:
You may buy a million copies of the Bible and burn it if you can afford it, it is your property, none cares. Only muslims go crazy when a page of their book is destroyed or thrown away. The pages of the book are not holy, what is written on the fleshy scrolls of your heart is holy.
this is not anti islam or anti muslim act or he is not called christian extremist or terrorist?? what a double standerd.
@Pungi: "barring of Hijab etc etc"
Nowhere is hijaab banned. Niqaab is banned in FRance. Please get your facts right.
This is an opportunity for the US to show its unbias towards Islam and Quran, by punishing him and checking this sort of incidents in the future
@Roman:
No other religion or faith considers the burning or destroying of their holy book an “insult” or “assault” on their religion. This is the exclusive preserve of “muslims”, more so muslim converts who pretend to be holier than the native muslims. Emotions have their time and place and so is the management of them.
Please be careful about what you say , specifically religious facts.
Its not the religion which tells us what to do or feel about our books being burnt. So keep the religion out of this.
But I agree with you over the manegemnt of emotions .
All I say is that the US had double and even multiple standards. Why does the American nation , the people os US have such hatred for Islam.
They are the ones who have been flocking and crowding the middle East.
After the gold rush , exploting the Arab Gulf is the next lottery snatched by US & its western alllies.
It might take a few decades or even a world war , but soon the "GAME" will change. The Islamic world is learning from its mistakes , and there will come a time when the American people will regret and face the fruit of this hatred promoted by mere global conspiracies.
@Gyanendra Wangchuk:
Gont get carried away with your false sense of self righteousness.
Only the Talibans called themselves the "custodians of Islam"
And Afghanistan was a war torn country then. The Talibans were never a glaobally recognized government or body. And they finally got to learn their lesson the hardest way.
So your comparision is totally ABSURD !
Please try better when you reply to this...
@Lone Star:
"Terry Jones is a Zaid Hamid of USA, selling hatred and dividing people."
That is a huge and dishonest comparison. Zaid Hamid has millions of followers especially the middle class and people in power. Terry Jones is just crazy person with 20 followers.
@To ALL Pakistanis...
This pastor is doing what Talibans are doing in Afghanistan who are said to be the custodians of Islam . This pastor did it in front of 20 people , But Taliban bombed Buddha statues in front of whole world and that was being aired in television . How many Islamic countries condemn it ? Is Buddhism not a religion or we don't have any anger like Muslims ? So, It's a tit for tat act .But Unlike Muslims , we condemn this act.
@Asif Butt: No other religion or faith considers the burning or destroying of their holy book an "insult" or "assault" on their religion. This is the exclusive preserve of "muslims", more so muslim converts who pretend to be holier than the native muslims.
Emotions have their time and place and so is the management of them.
@Mumbai Dude: wow....if a citizen of US does this its only a stupid thing....but if a muslim acts in such manner its barbarism, terrorism, extremism....i dont know when we would get rid of double standards, root cause of all evils in the society today.
...and US calls itself more civilized than Talebans...
This devil can never burn the message of the Glorious Quran because Allah (swt) has promised to protect the message of the Quran.
YES. This makes me an extemist and fanatic!
@ather: Is your faith so weak that it can be destroyed by an act of book burning? Stop being so melodramatic. Amazing how you completely neglected the fact that an innocent husband and father is being condemned to death for changing his religion.
shame on muslims for being quiet in this heinous incident. they are destroying our religion. please wake up. if you can't do anything atleast protest. may be ALLAH will give us a better leader if we try our best to protect the honor of HIS book.
Down fall of america start it i think...
@Roman:
With all due respect , I suggest you ask this from ANY FOLLOWER OF ANY RELIGION WITH A PRIMITIVE SACRED BOOK.
They all will be almost unanimous.
You could possible be a non -religious person and if you do follow a religion , then you must be lacking the emotional drive which is so much necessary to maintain religious faith.
Or is there any other perspective to you sounding so numb and passive ?
@Niño:
Its got nothing to do with Islam.
But it has EVERYTHING to do with the Amercian Government which thinks it knows so well to police the whole globe and skip all the rest based on National Security and National Interest.
@Asif Butt: You are forgetting that "Muslim" countries made their "wealth" with the help of American efforts, technology and manpower. None of these countries can even get their oil out of their land on their own or even refine it.
Why would Asia boycott America because Quran is being burnt?!!! Most of Asia has nothing to do with Islam.
How does burning a book, which is a valid form of protest, amount to "insulting" a religion?!!! The problem in the world today is that people are intolerant to others ways of expression.
There should be a uniformity in freedom of expression which should be absolute and the only counter to one form of expression is another, not violence!!!!
@mr. righty rightist: You want Islamic countries to wage war on America with American weapons?!!! They cannot produce their own things, how will they even fight with America. In fact most of them depend on America for their entire security and defense. The days of swords and shields are long over!!!!
Where are all the human right associations now? Every now & then we see the cases of Quran burning...barring of Hijab etc etc...I wonder who are the extremists Muslims or their enemies?
Astagfirullah ! We humans have stooped so low :(
PLEASE
I REQUEST EVERY MUSLIM READER of this article and blog to curse and condemn ANYONE WHO BURNS ANY RELIGIONs HOLY BOOK.
The US IS RESPONSIBLE for tolerating such an act which spontaneously promotes hatred and potential terror.
These amercians are forgetting that HALF OF THE BREAD they earn probably comes through WEAPONS & DEFENSE DEALS & EXPLOITATIONS which they have made with RICH MUSLIM COUNTRIES the world over .
If the whole of Asia BOYCOTTS ANYTHING AMERICAN , then Amercia may find it hard ot even EXIST !!!
@Ahmer Ali: Is it any different from preachers calling for the death of Americans, Jews, Hindus, Christians, atheists, and Muslims belonging to other sects? I could post videos of many such translated friday sermons, but it is unlikely they'd be published. Terry Jones is an attention seeking imbecile, treat him as such.
Burning or disrespect of any book or idea is protected by the American constitution under the First Amendment. So, legally this guy did no crime, although it was a stupid act.
Terry Jones doesn't get it (nor do I expect he will) - The Quran is not something you hold hostage - it's something you read. This act of burning intended as an act of protest will only be seen as an act of bigotry and will do little to win the hearts of the Iranians (in fact have merely endangered the life of the clergyman they're trying to protect). Imagine if there were a Shakespearean loyalists club, and to corner them to take action on something, I were burning copies of the Merchant of Venice and Romeo and Juliet!
Very sad indeed! no one should be allowed to desecrate any religion under guise of freedom of expression. We request the USA govt. to stop him. Thanks
It just shows that this Terry Jones can never learn and is incorrigible, He abuses his freedom of expression without considering the consequences of his idiotic actions. He seems to indulge in sadistic pleasure by sowing discord and unrest.
@Lone Star: "Terry Jones is a Zaid Hamid of USA, selling hatred and dividing people."
"Sir" Zaid Hamid cannot be matched by anyone in this world...sorry...universe.
Ahmer Ali - Your discontent is justified but are you ashamed of the same leaders who also failed to protect an individual and his rights?
Where are all the liberals commenting against the Taliban and Mullahs when they see a small note regarding Islam ? ? ?.. It's total dual standards... Terry Jones must be put to sentenced in US if US is the supporter of religious liberty.
Very sad indeed.. May Allah give us the power to overcome these.
Imran khan must condemn this.
@Ahmer Ali who writes "Shame on the Islamic countries leaders that they are seeing all this silently and despite having every thing and all powers are doing nothing in this regard."
Agree with you.
Islamic countries should wage a war against America.
This guy is insane. He spreading nothing but hatred
Despicable
Very, very stupid act by Terry Jones.
strongly condemed..........
Shame on the Islamic countries leaders that they are seeing all this silently and despite having every thing and all powers are doing nothing in this regard.
Terry Jones is a Zaid Hamid of USA, selling hatred and dividing people.
Another religious person doing damage to his own cause. Does he think the iranians will release the pastor if he incites them? The iranians were wrong to sentence that guy to death just for changing religions.Everyone in the world is free to believe in whatever ideology they want to believe in,forcing ppl at gunpoint to remain in one religion is against basic human decency. This terry fellow just shows how harmful religion can be,it makes otherwise sane people do crazy things.This act of his won't help the pastor get freedom.
Religion makes people do irrational things.This will only be counter-productive,he will not achieve anything.Religion has been responsible for a lot of hate amongst people throughout history.