COLUMN: Make peace, not Holy War

Since Islam prohibits depictions of Mohammed, Al-Awlaki has apparently decided the only logical recourse for him and his Muslim followers is to kill Norris.

Al-Awlaki may be a Muslim extremist, but it is the extremists that we are now being forced to placate on an increasingly frequent basis.

Why is it that the preacher of a 50-member church can garner international attention for threatening to burn the Koran while U.S. forces can burn a stack of Bibles with hardly anyone batting an eye?

The difference between burning Bibles and burning Korans is quite simple. If someone threatens to burn a stack of Bibles, there will not be hundreds of thousands of Catholics or Southern Baptists or Methodists calling for the fire starter’s death.

The Bible burning was authorized because military commanders — that’s United States of America military commanders — worried that soldiers might proselytize while stationed in Afghanistan. Spreading the word of God is expressly prohibited since doing so would put American troops and civilian converts at risk in what is an overwhelmingly Muslim country.

In fact, it is against the law to attempt to convert a Muslim to Christianity in Afghanistan. Under the Sharia law on which the Afghan Constitution is based, converts can face the death penalty.

So, in order not to offend the Muslims and/ or Muslim extremists who forbid those of their faith to convert to another religion, a stack of Bibles was unceremoniously sent up in flames without any regard for whether or not Christians worldwide might be offended by the act.

The same military leadership that ordered the donated Bibles be burned is the same military leadership that called Rev. Terry Jones and asked him not to carry through with his plans to burn a stack of Korans. Defense Secretary Robert Gates personally called Jones to encourage (coerce?) him to abandon his plans and President Obama asked the preacher to listen to “those better angels” and call off the Koran burning event.

Where was Gates when the Bibles were being burned? Do the “better angels” approve of destroying God’s word while protecting Mohammed’s?

Rev. Jones’ plans to burn the Islam holy book were met with protests and outrage from the Muslim world. According to press reports, angry Afghans burned American flags and chanted “Death to Americans” upon learning of the Koran torching event. Where is the outrage that these Muslims were calling for the murder of Americans and burning American flags? There is none apparently – at least not from our military and political leadership. Instead, we the American people, are continually admonished that most Muslims are “peace loving,” just like us, and interested in the same things we are.

I don’t know about you, but I do not call for the death of anyone who practices a different religion, draws a picture of Jesus, burns a Bible, burns an American flag or burns a Bible wrapped in an American flag. Of course, I do not believe God would condone killing in response to those activities.

President Obama and President Bush have both said we are not at war with “peace loving” Islam. But make no mistake about it, we are at war with certain elements of Islam. If you don’t believe it, just ask Al-Awlaki.

The history of man is filled with Holy Wars which brought untold death and suffering. There are no winners in such wars. Our only hope is that more Muslims will stand up for what is truly just and moral and take back their religion from those who continue to wage jihad instead of making peace.

Kristi Reed is a reporter for the Barrow Journal. She can be reached at kreed@barrowjournal.com.