The American Muslim (TAM)

Dove World Outreach Christian Center “Hate to the World”, “Burn a Qur’an” - updated 9/2/10

Sheila Musaji

Posted Sep 2, 2010 • Permalink • Printer-Friendly Version

Dove World Outreach Christian Center Christmas Message “Hate to the World”

by Sheila Musaji

updates at bottom of article

I thought that I was beyond being shocked by the level of blind hatred towards Islam and Muslims expressed by some segments of the American population. However when I was sent a link to this Dove World Outreach Video Christmas message http://loganswarning.com/?p=514 which ends with “Merry Christmas From the Dove World Outreach Center where Jesus is King and Islam is of the Devil” and which includes “Islam is of the devil” spelled out in Christmas lights along with a nativity scene and with the song “We wish you a Merry Christmas” playing in the background - I was shocked. These are the same folks who brought us this same sentiment on a sign in front of their church, and on tee-shirts worn the first week of school by some of the children from their church. The message is very similar to Franklin Graham’s “Islam is evil” statement, and Lynn Torgerson’s congressional campaign based on religious hatred and anti-Muslim rhetoric.

Somehow this “Christmas message” of hate is particularly disturbing. Why use an occasion that is one of the most important celebrations in Christianity to inflame religious passions and defame another religion? It seems to me that this demeans any positive message of this season. It is just another example of religion being used as source of conflict rather than as a resource for peace. We desperately need interfaith dialogue and such messages only drive a wedge further between people holding different religious beliefs. If any of us are going to survive, we will need to do better than this. As a Muslim, I wish all Christians a Blessed Christmas, and all Jews a Happy Hannukah. I wish all of us of every faith (or no faith) PEACE ON EARTH. I pray that all people of every faith are guided so that it is possible we may find it possible to respect and honor each other and live together in peace. (And, yes, my wish for a blessed Christmas goes also to the Dove World Outreach folks).

I would also hope that those who hold such hateful views of others might read an article by Sarah Joseph Jesus’s message should unite us all from which I will quote a few brief passages: “How, then, is it ever possible to imagine that Christ could be a bridge between people? I would contend that, although the two traditions will not agree on his death, it is in his life where common ground is to be found. Indeed, the narrative of his life to be found within Christianity and Islam could provide a healing balm for the whole world, and not just Muslims and Christians. ... However, there is no denying that Muslims and Christians deeply disagree about the nature of Jesus. I believe, though, that if we look beyond the differences and chose to examine Christ’s life together and to learn from each other, then his life’s narrative of surrender, service and sacrifice; love and compassion can provide the most amazing starting point for a life-, even world-changing discourse.”
You can write, call, or email the Dove World Outreach Center and let them know how you feel about their free speech at: 5805 NW 37th St., Gainesville, FL 32653 - 352-371-2487 - .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

UPDATE 7/25/2010

Dove World Outreach has announced that it will be sponsoring a “Burn the Koran” day on September 11th 2010. Terry Jones, the church pastor said the purpose is To bring to awareness to the dangers of Islam and that the Koran is leading people to hell. Eternal fire is the only destination the Koran can lead people to so we want to put the Koran in it’s place — the fire!”

Dove World Outreach also led a protest against the Islamic Center of Gainesville.

Christian Brotherly Love is certainly difficult for some to attain.

UPDATE 7/31/2010

Juan Cole has just published an article Burning the Qur’an? ‘Wherever they burn books, they will in the end Burn Human Beings’ which gets to the heart of this bigotry. He said “The German poet Heinrich Heine (d. 1856), in his play lamenting the forced conversion of Spain’s Muslims to Christianity, “Almansor,” wrote, “Wherever they burn books, in the end they will burn human beings.” (When the Nazis burned books in 1933, Heine’s were among those set afire, and his prediction was borne out).” The whole article is a must read.

Rev. Terry Jones of this “church” can be seen in this video saying that “Muslims are welcome in our country”. Sorry, Rev., but Muslims are Americans and part of this country which doesn’t belong to any one segment of our citizenry. What an @#s

UPDATE 8/25/2010

Although the fire department has refused a burn permit for this event, the pastor says that he will go ahead with the burning. It had been announced that an armed group called Right Wing Extreme was coming to “protect” the church during the Qur’an burning. However, today Right Wing Extreme announced that they have had a change of heart. CNN reports that “While the group agrees with the Dove Center’s stance on Islam, press coverage of recent events, such as “Burn a Quran Day,” a recent “Everybody Draw Mohammed Day” group on Facebook and the controversy surrounding a proposed mosque and Islam community center near ground zero in New York is “really inciting a lot of hatred and a lot of violence that’s going on,” Right Wing Extreme founder Shannon Carson told CNN. “We don’t want to be a part of inciting violence and racism anymore.”

Where does it end when we as a society accept that bigotry and prejudice towards some of our citizens is acceptable? I believe that this is a dangerous thought process and that it will lead us down a very slippery slope that will ultimately include other citizens as equally “acceptable” targets. Akbar Ahmed notes that the pastor of the Dove World Outreach Church who is planning a “Burn the Qur’an Day” on September 11th has agreed when asked to do so in an internet podcast interview, to burn “a couple of copies of the Talmud” too. Perhaps, if the Talmud is also burned, the ADL will reconsider its unconscionable position on the Cordoba House. We already know that anti-Semitism and Islamophobia are closely linked. Will Qur’an and Talmud burnings be enough, or will these same folks move on to the Book of Mormon, the Bhagavad Gita, or other books they don’t approve of?

UPDATE 9/2/2010

AMANA, The American Muslim Association of North America today issued a statement calling on all Muslims in and outside the U.S. not to use any form of violence against the Dove World Church or anyone involved with this Qur’an burning demonstration http://www.theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/amana_issues_a_statement_against_any_violence_against_burn_a_quran_demonstr/0018211

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originally posted 12/19/2009

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