Freedom of religion

The Quran-burning planned to mark the ninth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks is deeply disturbing.

The recent controversy surrounding both the mosque in Lower Manhattan in New York as well as the “Burn a Quran Day” planned by a Florida-based pastor are a perfect illustration of both the good and dark sides of the freedom of speech and expression in the United States. Muslims in the United States and around the world are understandably upset by the vitriol emanating from some of the opponents of the New York mosque project known as Park51. The Quran-burning planned to mark the ninth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks is similarly disturbing. This newspaper finds both the anti-Islam rhetoric of Park51’s opponents and the planned Quran-burning to be repugnant expressions of irrational hatred that are wholly condemnable. And yet it would behove Muslims to remind themselves that the mosque project has been defended by both the mayor of New York City and the president of the United States. Mayor Michael Bloomberg, in particular, has been passionate in his defence of the freedom of religion for Muslims in America and we find the courage of his convictions to be a commendable act representing the finest of American political tradition.

The pastor who plans to burn the Holy Quran has a following of barely 50 people and has been roundly condemned by church leaders across the United States as well as General David Petraeus, the US military commander in Afghanistan. In addition, the city in which he has planned to conduct his event has rejected his application for a permit for a public burning. In all likelihood, he will be arrested for violating the law. But more than highlighting the virtues of American freedom of religion and speech, it would perhaps be useful for the Muslim world to look inwards at the state of minority rights in Muslim-majority countries. Here in Pakistan, we have seen churches and entire Christian neighbourhoods razed to the ground for the perceived slight by one individual. What right have we to complain about a country that, despite all the protests, lets its Muslims live free? It is more of an example to emulate than a country to be reviled. And in general this is something that much of the Muslim world also may need to take heed of, given that many of its member states are not exactly models of tolerance when it comes to treating minorities in their midst.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 10^th, 2010.