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September 9, 2010

Mikulski: Quran-burning 'disgraceful,' 'un-American'

Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski is calling plans by a Florida pastor to burn copies of the Muslim holy book on Saturday "disgraceful and un-American."

“The anniversary of the devastating terrorist attacks of 9/11 should not be marked with an act of hatred," the Maryland Democrat said in a statement. "Book burning is the action of fanatics and fascists. The Quran should be treated with the same respect given to the Bible and the Torah."

Terry Jones, pastor of the nondenominational Dove Outreach Center in Gainesville, Fla., says the church will proceed with "International Burn-a-Quran Day" despite condemnations by the top U.S. and NATO commander in Afghanistan, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and the White House.

Gen. David Petraeus warned in an e-mail to The Associated Press that "images of the burning of a Quran would undoubtedly be used by extremists in Afghanistan — and around the world — to inflame public opinion and incite violence."

Petraeus spoke with Afghan President Hamid Karzai about the matter Wednesday, the AP reports.

"They both agreed that burning of a Quran would undermine our effort in Afghanistan, jeopardize the safety of coalition troopers and civilians," spokesman Col. Erik Gunhus said, and would "create problems for our Afghan partners ... as it likely would be Afghan police and soldiers who would have to deal with any large demonstrations."

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Defense Secretary Robert Gates urged Jones to cancel the event, the AP reports.

"It is regrettable that a pastor in Gainesville, Florida, with a church of no more than 50 people can make this outrageous and distrustful, disgraceful plan and get the world's attention, but that's the world we live in right now," Clinton said in remarks to the Council on Foreign Relations.

Mikulski's comments followed a statement Tuesday by Sen. Benjamin L. Cardin, a Maryland Democrat, and Rep. Alcee L. Hastings, the chairman and co-chairman of the Helsinki Commission, condemning anti-Muslim rhetoric from opponents of the Park51 Islamic center proposed for Lower Manhattan near Ground Zero.

"In a country founded on the principles of religious freedom we should not be in the business of picking and choosing when to apply those principles," they said. "It is unfortunate that so many national leaders have said they would deny Muslims or persons of any faith the right to build a place of worship."

Mikulski called on religious, political and community leaders to denounce the "hateful" Quran burning.

“It could incite hate crimes like the burning of mosques and churches and the defacement of synagogues," she said. "These are hate crimes that should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. The actions of Pastor Terry Jones and his church are dangerous and despicable. They are an insult to America and all that we value.”

Posted by Matthew Hay Brown at 5:00 AM | | Comments (28)
        

Comments

How come no one gets upset when they burn the Bible or the American Flag??

BURNING THE QURAN IS NOT ONLY UN- CHRIST LIKE, PROVING THAT THIS PASTOR TERRY JONES HAS NOT BEEN FOLLOWING GODS WAY'S.
I DON'T BELIEVE YOU WOULD SEE CHRIST BURNING BOOKS OR BEHAVING IN SUCH AWAY.
I LOVE GOD AND BELIEVE IN THE WORD OF GOD!!! IT IS MAN WHO IS TO BLAME FOR THE 911 NOT THE HOLY BIBLE OR THE QURAN!! GOD BLESS US ALL.

@Anonymous:

loads of people get upset when the bible and US flags are burned.
no excuse for this dimwitted publicity whore to endanger our servicemen and christian missionaries overseas. now even the FBI admits that retaliation is likely.
tit for tat is a fool's game where everybody loses.

I think this subject speaks more about muslims that the pastor. Muslims are too violent. Why is everyone so upset over a book burning? Are they afraid? Of what? Think about it.

Would any other religion be this bent out of shape over a book burning? Of course not! Barbara would last about ten seconds before being stoned in a Muslim country.

I couldn't remember ever hearing about an actual recent incident of a Bible-burning in the US, so I did a quick Google search.

The only think I came up with was a small group that believed very strongly that only the King James Version was acceptable and was planning an event to burn all other translations. And they DID receive criticism about it.

ONE. Plenty of people would be upset if bibles were burned. Please name the last time bibles were burned publicly in the United States and it went un-noticed.

TWO. Burning the American flag pisses plenty of people off as well. And there is nothing un-Constitutional about burning anything, freedom of speech and whatnot. But doing either is totally stupid and callous act.

Your argument is the strawiest of strawmen and rather pathetic.

How come no one gets upset when they immerse a crucifix in a bottle of urine, call it PISS CHRIST and display it in a NYC gallery?

How come no one gets upset when the millions of Coptic Christians in Egypt are persecuted daily?

How come no one gets upset over Muslim abuse of women?

How come no one gets upset over Muslims beheading people?

How come no one gets upset over the modern day practice of slavery in Muslim countries?

Islam is barbarism.
Wake up America before it is too late.

So this one guys represents everyone and the whole country? F off Babs and Obama. Where can I buy tp made from a koran to wipe my behind?It;s american to pee on the koran

where is the seperation of church and state?

sent an email to the good pastor and recommended he bury a dummy and make paper mache rocks for folks to stone the dummy to death.....religion of peace indeed.....now that makes folks see it for what it is.......koran was written years after the prophet muhammads death.....he was could not read.....that's why folks must recite the koran.....don't even bother to burn it......kinda sorta a little fake bible.....and the koran is for a big part based on jesus's life.....

"In a country founded on the principles of religious freedom we should not be in the business of picking and choosing when to apply those principles," they said. "It is unfortunate that so many national leaders have said they would deny Muslims or persons of any faith the right to build a place of worship."

and the same goes for a guy in Gainesville, Fl who wishes to burn a bunch of paper. It's a shameso many national leaders would deny non-Muslims or persons of any faith a rightot to do what this want with their property. A book.

We get upset when the Bible, Torah, or Quran is burned. We also live in a nation which was founded upon a foundation of religious freedom. If you are a true Christian, you should know that a basic tenet of your faith is "Love your neighbor". The sooner you begin to show that love, perhaps the sooner we can live in a world filled with trust and understanding of our fellow humans.

No Barbara. The Koran doesnt approve of lesbians or abortions. You dont have to get upset when it is burned.

It's nice of this TROLL to finally appear from her cave. It warms my heart that BABS is so very concerned regarding the Koran yet her vote to jam health care down our throats is a-okay! How American is that, :cornhusker kickback" dirty promises etc? This country is 13 TRILLION DOLLARS IN DEBT THANKS TO THIS TROLL AND THOSE LIKE HER. WHATS IN YOUR KIDS AND GRAND-KIDS WALLET??? Somebody please tell me, how are people like her re-elected time and again??

By all means go ahead and burn this terrible book that preaches death and distruction to all in its path.
This book allows and actually encourages murder of the inocent.
This book does not have a soul, or feelings.

It is a book based on taking over the world, and all to be slaves to a fanatical murderous way of life and terror.

Please please burn all copies found in the civilised world as a start to something positive, and a small show of the weakness we allowed our society to show, now be redeemed just that small amount.
The coran book on murder must be banned in non-muslim countries.

If people are afraid to attend coran burning displays. Buy one and burn it in secret, as a sign you are making a small stand against this murderous group of misfits.

I have posted replies on 200 sites and have been denied posting for hate speech on all for complete list see facebook.com burn thequarn as user
we have no fear of burning a flag a bible a jewish book even a satan bible but if you go to a quran you will get you head cut off. burn them all and send video tohttp://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=159746847368822 or burnaquran@gmail.com or to info@brunaquran.com once gmail msn and yahoo kill my freedom of speach but looking for russian host to register and host domain because unlike america pride and apologies, russia has the pride and respect of these people to know that they will kill them there parents friends family and anyone they have ever talked to in the worst way. why would Russia have or deserver more respect the USA one world Progressives communists marks obama that wants destruction for america not respect. cut off my head take my life as i show that as an atheist islam is worst then Christian could ever be at the least christians will not take your life i you choose not to believe but remember obama is a Muslim by his own words.

Babs, you are so out of touch, it's good that you'll be giving away your seat to Owe Malley shortly. One could discuss the "christianity" of such an action, but such an action couln't be more American. It's called "peaceful protest", kind of like dumping tea in a harbour.

I think it's funny, who gives a flying dung what those pathetic stinking people think.

http://deathby1000papercuts.com/2010/09/koran-burning-outrage-saudi-goverment-shreds-confiscated-bibles/

"According to sources, the Bibles are shredded. People caught inside Saudi Arabia who have more than one Bible, arrested. The penalty, lashing. Saudi Arabia ruled by Shariah law, laws based on the interpretation of the Koran. The outrage from the Obama administration on the issue of the Saudi government confiscating Bibles owned by Christians, people arrested then sentenced to a public lashing: Zero, zilch, nada."

Yes it is disgraceful, unAmerican, and unChristian, but that has been the conservative mode of operation for 10 long years. Where are the Republicans in the denounciations? I give credit to Sarah Palin as she said something, but the rest of the Republican leadership is absent. Republicans started the hate, they live off the hate, they feed off the hate, eventually they get consumed by the hate. Remember this in November.

Hey Robert J,

I wonder if W complained about the Saudi Govt when he was holding hands with Prince Bandar??
http://www.pjvoice.com/v17/photos/bandar.jpg

It's amazing that many liberals agree and have even participated in burning American Flags or Bibles but suddenly when someone wants to burn the Quran these same libs go off the deep end. They do so under to premise that it would put US troops overseas in harms way, guess what on the battlefield they already are in harms way.
For libs, this is really about hating Christian values and American freedoms.
This guy who is burning the Qurans is a nut-job, but our freedom of speech/expression makes this country so great.

The pastor should decline this plan to burn coran in front of millions of muslims in the world !! believe me the result will be catastrophic and lead to harden the position of extremists in muslim world !! 99% of muslims has disapproved 9/11 and combatting extremism . the pastor act will give them a gift to burn millions of bibles. the christian extremists will respond by burning millions of coran et so we enter the era of coran bible war !!!!! next step will be for sure an international muslim burn day !!! and Mr The pastor will become the new Hitler against this time muslims not jewishs. Once again we apologize for 9/11 but do not start bible coran burn war.

Why put Americans at risk overseas especially are already endangered service men and women in Iraq and Afghanistan by doing this?

Mikulski voted for retroactive immunity for the telephone companies that helped Mr bush wiretap people illegally. She has an inconsistent idea of what is disgraceful and anti-American.

NoFriendofMOM,

Please tell me the last time you heard of liberals burning the bible? I want links!!! I can give you an example of Christian Conservatives burning bibles: http://www.kwtx.com/home/headlines/64164232.html

You would think Sen. Mikulski would support such an activity since it is 'un-American'... Wake up Maryland!
Anyway, there is no justification to this. Burning the Quran doesn't prove anything to anyone; this is just pulling us down to their level. We have the right to do this, but the "Hammas-que" in NYC also has the right to build their place of worship there. Just because we have the right to, doesn't necessarily mean we should.

Sen. Mikulski carries a lot of weight in the Senate...she should be a Maryland State Senator.

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Annie Linskey covers state politics and government for The Baltimore Sun. Previously, as a City Hall reporter, she wrote about the corruption trial of Mayor Sheila Dixon and kept a close eye on city spending. Originally from Connecticut, Annie has also lived in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, where she reported on war crimes tribunals and landmines. She lives in Canton.

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