burning of koran

[Believer]

They really do not know how to distinguish between Muslims and Hindus.

If you look at the picture closely, they are all brown and there is a guy with a talibani-like turban and long facial hair in the background. They are even carrying a cloth hanging on their shoulders which they will wrap on their heads in the Arab style, once they get done with the burning. I think they are muslims burning the bible.

....I don't think it's a good idea to burn any book.

In America that I know of, there is a company which takes orders to print the picture of any US president, any world leader, any sacred deities, or anything else on a roll of toilet paper for a fee. Some people protest by burning all kind of things including the religious books and flags. We may not like it and consider such activities to be uncivil, but different people have differing opinions about what they should be able to do. I would give them a long rope and hope that they would hang themselves with it. But the reaction of a group to retaliate against the burning of a book by murdering people is reprehensible. Enough said on that subject!

[TheOne]

Burning of books is barbaric in my opinion. Should we burn the Qur'an? No. Should we burn the Bible? No. Should we burn Mein Kamph? No.

Why? Because these books contain knowledge and opinions. The only way to prevent another Hitler is to know what he talked about. The only way to know what a Muslim believes in really, is to read the Qur'an.

I think the French philosopher Voltaire said it best when he said "I may not agree with what you say, but I will defend to death your right to say it". We may hate Islam and it's teachings but we must remember that it's a short step from being the "victim of Islamization" to the leader in a genocide.

Look at Serbia. Their treating of Albanian Muslims was horrid and one of the worst genocides in recent history. All under the guise of cultural and religious superiority.

[yajvan]

hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~~

namast�

The only way to know what a Muslim believes in really, is to read the Qur'an.

I think you made some reasonable points. For me I look at it slightly differently...
look to one's actions and you will know what they believe because they are putting their beliefs into action.


praṇām

[TheOne]

I agree, to look at an actions to see what THEY believe in but you can't tell what Islam is all about by looking at terrorists actions. There are Christian terrorists, hindu terrorists, and many others. But those actions cannot be taken as proof of Christianity promoting hatred. One must read the bible and know Christian thought to be able to say that Christianity promotes hatred.

[Rationalist]

I agree, to look at an actions to see what THEY believe in but you can't tell what Islam is all about by looking at terrorists actions. There are Christian terrorists, hindu terrorists, and many others. But those actions cannot be taken as proof of Christianity promoting hatred. One must read the bible and know Christian thought to be able to say that Christianity promotes hatred.

And by observing how true Christians, Christians who follow the Bible to heart, act. True Christians promote supremacy and hatred because Christianity deems itself to be the only true faith in the world.

The same goes for Islam.

This is why Christians and Muslims have been the most intolerant, hateful, bigoted, and violent people in history.

[BryonMorrigan]

1. Worrying about Islam "defeating" the West is unnecessary. The majority of the USA is as fundamentally Christian as the populations of countries like Iraq and Afghanistan are Muslim. When the USA conquered those countries, did the population suddenly start converting to Christianity? Did the Muslims ever "give up?" Of course not. Muslims in America are a tiny population of about 1.3 million, or 0.4 % of the population. In contrast, Hindus are almost 1.5 million, or 0.5 % of the population. Does anyone worry about Hindus taking over the USA? No. Both are equally "likely" at the moment.

Besides, Exclusivist Monotheism (there is only one "true" religion...and everyone else is worshiping "the devil"...) can only become the dominant religion in a country through force. Once the force is removed, support lessens. Such religions can never account for more than about 50% of the population without coercion, or at least the "tradition" gained from coercion. That is why a country like the USA, now that Christianity is no longer enforced by coercion...is steadily dropping in terms of percentage of Christians. The idea that Islam could then "take over" such a place is absurd, and does not take into account the REASON that Christianity is slipping. The ONLY way to ensure that religions like Christianity and Islam do not "take over," is to ensure FREEDOM OF RELIGION. In a state where freedom of religion is guaranteed...and actually practiced...religious totalitarianism can never succeed, but those kinds of religions can only grow beyond a certain percentage BY FORCE.



Historically, after more than 300 years, Christians in the Roman Empire accounted for still less than 10% of the population, and had reached a "standstill." The only reason it became the dominant religion was because the Christian Emperors made it the "state religion" and executed anyone who didn't convert. It's the only way a religion like that can become dominant.

2. When you support burning the Qu'ran, you are helping Christianity retain its dominance as the primary religion in the USA (or whatever country it occurred in). It's really no different than if Muslims were supporting the actions of Christian missionaries in India. The only way to ensure religious freedom for Hindus...is to support religious freedom for everyone. If you make bedfellows with the anti-Muslim Christians, it is no better than making bedfellows with the anti-Christian Muslims. We're better than BOTH SIDES in that conflict, and should always take the "high ground" by supporting religious freedom...not supporting one side over another simply because one side is "worse" than the other in terms of modern actions. Let the Christians bring their inquisitions and crusades back, and we all suffer.

In conclusion, I don't care if they burn one Qu'ran, or a million. The book is no better or worse than the Christian bible (and anyone who says otherwise hasn't read both of them). Blasphemy, particularly when intended to assert the "supremacy" of one religion over another, should be mocked and ridiculed as the actions of people who are insecure with their religious beliefs. In short: Denounce the Qu'ran burners...and ALSO denounce those who kill because of the burning.

That is the moral and ethical position that I believe Hindus should take, and I don't think I have to quote scripture to back me up...because I think it's fairly self-evident that it will.

[TheOne]

And by observing how true Christians, Christians who follow the Bible to heart, act. True Christians promote supremacy and hatred because Christianity deems itself to be the only true faith in the world.

The same goes for Islam.

This is why Christians and Muslims have been the most intolerant, hateful, bigoted, and violent people in history.

I agree, but you can't judge all Christians based on the actions of a few without reading their scriptures. Once you read their scriptures you will realize the "radical few" are the only "true" followers of the religion.

[Sahasranama]

Great points, Bryon. Right wing politicians in the west have an irrational fear (or use this fear to gain votes) that Islam is going to take over the west. The concern of Hindus is religious freedom while the concern of conservative Christians is to shove Christianity down our throats through political power.

[sm78]

In short: Denounce the Qu'ran burners...and ALSO denounce those who kill because of the burning.

You are right from the moral and espouse the correct view point. Also from a political angle (niti), our niti shastra says - "one should NEVER invite another enemy to defeat a known enemy" - so siding with Christians can be suicidal (this is the story of medieval India, whose kings due to domestic enmity literally invited all the Muslim plunderer's to India, e.g Kashi Raj invited Md Ghori to destroy rising Prithiviraj - and the rest is history).

But the danger of Islam should never be undermined - liberals often in order to deny the right conservative position, fall to the other extreme and openly support conservative Islam, ironically for in name of religious freedom. That is very dangerous IMO.

[Sahasranama]

But the danger of Islam should never be undermined - liberals often in order to deny the right conservative position, fall to the other extreme and openly support conservative Islam, ironically for in name of religious freedom. That is very dangerous IMO.

Yes, but in the west mostly the politicians are debating about muslim girls wearing head clothes. This is where their attention is going, not on the important stuff.