Burning the Korans

The United States has ushered in the ninth anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. As in the past, New York’s World Trade Center memorial site held a ceremony in silence. The terrorist attacks have united all Americans against terrorism, but the words of a Christian pastor from Florida, urging people to burn Korans, have far overshadowed this memorable day and highlighted the U.S.’ religious and cultural contradiction.

The Christian pastor, Terry Jones, is a controversial figure. Over the past year, he has continued to spread his hate speech through the media and posted anti-Muslim remarks outside the church publicly.

This time, in his protest against the building of an Islamic center near New York’s ground zero, Jones planned to burn Korans on 9/11, the anniversary of the terrorist attacks. This is indeed very embarrassing for the Obama administration, which plans to reconcile with the Muslim world. The U.S. military commander in Afghanistan, the secretary of state and the secretary of defense all lobbied to dissuade him.

Under the protection of freedom of speech in the U.S. Constitution, law enforcement could not do anything to stop Jones. Fortunately, the much-hated Jones finally gave up his plan to burn the Korans and stopped this crisis from getting worse.

The site of the World Trade Center, which was razed to the ground, will host the U.S.’ tallest building in a couple of years. But recent events have highlighted that the rift left by the terrorist attacks has not recovered over time, but has become a political issue manipulated by politicians.

Leave aside whether Jones is really, as his daughter said, “crazy” to threaten such an extraordinary act. But some clear-headed politicians had apparently stirred up, and continue to fuel, the anti-Muslim sentiment and started to link Muslims to terrorists. It has forced U.S. President Barack Obama to stand up and urge all Americans not to forget who their enemies really are.

There is no simple equation to solve friction between religions. Sadly, after the 9/11 attacks, Americans’ tolerance has gradually diminished. Jones, along with his threat to support the act of burning Korans, is tearing apart the two centuries of religious tolerance in the U.S.