So a pastor down in Florida wanted to have a bonfire of Korans and this is protected speech under the first amendment. But Ibrahim Hooper spokesman for the Counsel of American-Islamic Relations apparently doesn’t believe that, by this passage in a New York Times national feed story:
An Islamic group in England has also incorporated his efforts into a YouTube video that encourages Muslims to “rise up and act,” widening a concern that Mr. Jones — though clearly a fringe figure with only 50 members in his church — could spark riots or terrorism.
“Can you imagine what this will do to our image around the world?” said Ibrahim Hooper, a spokesman for the Council on American-Islamic Relations in Washington. “And the additional danger it will add whenever there is an American presence in Iraq or Afghanistan?”
So apparently the man is choosing to use the efforts of terrorists to serve his own goals. The mask has slipped, huh, you fat fuck?
You remember that the next time CAIR says they are not associated with terrorism. Here they are trying to reap its benefits: the cowing of the American population into a subservient pose.
If you choose not to offend someone just because you don’t like to do so, good for you. Seriously, I have no problem. But if you do so because you are scared of those you might offend, then you need to find your courage. Its that simple.
By the way, as far as the legal issues are concerned, this pastor is proposing to burn the Korans in the middle of the home of the Florida Gators. He was denied a bonfire permit. You don’t suppose that the Gators ever had a bonfire for a homecoming game or something like that, do you? More than a few commenters at Volokh guaranteed that they did, and if they did, then the authorities could be in real trouble on first amendment grounds. I like the idea of no burning as speech allowed because it is needless fire, but if that isn’t actually the rule, then they have a problem.
(hat tip: Volokh)
