Burning Qurans for the Ninth Anniversary of the 9/11 Attacks

American Pastor Terry Jones chose the ninth anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the Twin Towers and the Pentagon to call for the burning of Qurans, which he later suspended. Following the pressure from high-ranking members of the Obama administration, including a personal call from the Secretary of Defense, Jones has been trying to link his decision to cancel the burning of Qurans to the alleged move of the proposed Islamic center near ground zero to a new location. Stopping the sinister pastor’s plan is not a complete success because other fanatics, inspired by the notoriety Jones achieved, might carry it out now or in the future.

This situation demonstrates the difficulties faced in leading the fight against jihad without a political and social agreement detailing the specific objectives pursued. The deterioration of U.S.’s politics brought about by the Tea Party has blurred the line between the necessary fight against al-Qaida and the unacceptable stigmatization of Islam and Muslims. It is in this environment that marginal characters like Jones acquire relevance and it is in response to them that a parallel fanaticism, equally marginal, finds fuel to grow and reasoning for its actions.

The Florida pastor’s destabilizing force doesn’t come from his handful of parishioners or from the profoundly disrespectful nature of his initiative, it comes from the fanaticism he triggers, which counts on the response of their counterparts in the Islamic world. Hence, the importance of preventing the Terry Joneses of both sides from hijacking the political and diplomatic relations between nations (erected on theological leaders in a confrontation that they are not looking to prevent, but to provoke), with the single-minded and only purpose of proving the superiority of their faith.

The populism that (in and out of the USA) wants to turn Islam into the new scapegoat, in order to get electoral support, is translating into a serious deterioration of the rule of law. It is also becoming an additional complication in the fight against terrorism by weakening the political and moral stance of those fighting on the side of democracy. What the criminal actions of al-Qaida challenge is not religious superiority, but respect for life and the liberties established by the rule of law of a democracy. One of those liberties is freedom of religion and worship, which doesn’t exclude Muslims.

Nine years after the historic terrorist attacks on New York and Washington D.C., a lot has been done to prevent further crimes by al-Qaida, but a lot has also been destroyed by populism, which gives wings to irresponsible acts such as burning Qurans.