It is amusing – to someone who finds this kind of thing amusing as I do – to see the pressure Obama is being put under over the Qu’ran burning issue.
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Indonesia’s leader, has written to the American President asking him to personally intervene to stop irreparable damage to relations between the West and Muslims.
Clearly the principle of free speech enshrined in the USA’s constitution has escaped the attention of Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. And this is where Obama finds himself squeezed.
But Mr Obama is also under domestic pressure not to give into Muslims ahead of Saturday’s ninth anniversary of September 11 terrorist attacks amid a heated American row over Islam and a proposed mosque near New York’s Ground Zero.
It’s at times like this he probably wonders why he ever wanted the job. Perhaps he should have left it to Hillary after all. A granite cliff on one side and a tsunami of outrage on the other.
“That is the most heinous crime and action, it’s unthinkable,” said Anifah Aman, Malaysia’s foreign minister.
Well, yes, only if you are a Moslem. Book burning is pretty repugnant, whichever book is being burned, but Moslems are fairly happy to see books being burned, just so long as it is one of which they disapprove. It is not a game they like others to play.
“There is no doubt whatsoever that it is an attack on Muslims, it will not only anger the Muslims in Malaysia and throughout the world. The Christians also don’t condone this kind of action. I believe the America will take appropriate action so this thing will not happen.”
You can believe what you like, old bean. No matter how much the American authorities might deplore this stunt, they cannot act as it is a matter of free expression and their constitution protects free expression.
Rehman Malik, Pakistan’s interior minister, has asked Interpol, the international police organisation to examine whether a Florida church’s planned book burning, described can be banned to stop a “massive reaction” across the Muslim world.
Jesus Christ on a pogo stick! WTF has it to do with Interpol for crying out loud? Not too much of an over-reaction, then.
Look, one piddly little pastor with a congregation of fifty has decided to stir up the Moslem world. It is beginning to look as if he is going to succeed beyond his wildest dreams and who, precisely, is responsible for that unmitigated success?
Hi Longrider,
Ive no doubt he is going to stir up a massive reaction from the Islamic nutters,but thats the difference I guess,freedom of expression still has a pulse in America,a weak one granted.
All these Muslim protesters should have a long hard look at the brutality of their faith and their leaders,of course that wont happen.
Burn em I say and be damned!………..
I’ve just been reading that article with mounting amusement at the position this has now put Obama in. Who was it who used to have the ‘The Buck Stops Here’ plaque on the WH desk?
Whoever it was, Obama must be cursing his name right about now!
Who was it who used to have the ‘The Buck Stops Here’ plaque on the WH desk?
Truman IIRC.
re: Pastor Jones. Did he buy the Korans he intends to burn? Yes. Then they’re his to burn. End of.
Let Johnny Foreigner hysterically jabber and posture, as has long been his benighted wont. Tomorrow something entirely different will catch his mayfly attention span and further gall his inflamed sense of grievance at the world.
The whole thing is naught but a storm in a teacup being stirred up by a pack of sensation-seeking yellow journalists.
Well, the authorities have denied him a permit to start a bonfire! Would you belive it? Since he will be doing the burning on private land the authorities cannot stop him. It is his right under the US constitution. That said he isn’t being very Christian regarding loving his neighbour. Mind you, just pop back in time and the crusaders were doing a few things to incite muslims, like beheading all the muslim prisoners on the walls of Jerusalem for the beseiging muslim army to see. Muslim baiting has a long history!
Chris.
I was asking how he got them on another thread.
So it really will be just like the Rutles film.
“They were buying Rutles records just so they could burn them”.
Hilarious!