The past couple of days have given us another example of conflicting Western and Eastern values. And while it is fundamentally important to stress an understanding and appreciation of different cultures, I can’t help but side with the non-violent one.
On March 20, Florida evangelical pastor Terry Jones put the Quran on mock trail, pronounced it, “guilty of five ‘crimes against humanity,’ including the promotion of terrorist acts and ‘the death, rape and torture of people worldwide whose only crime is not being of the Islamic faith,’” and burned it, The New York Times reported.
Jones knew that it would be an insult and a direct provocation to millions of Muslims around the world –– but he did it anyway.
As a result, 12 people were killed at the U.N. compound in the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif, after an angry mob, stoked by the words of three mullahs at the Friday Prayer, attacked U.N. guards and massacred seven international employees.
The U.N. employees acted as a symbol of Westernization, for lack of actual Americans to kill.
Thousands of young, male, Afghan protesters in Kandahar have been raging ever since. The death toll has reached nine people, and dozens more have been injured, according to The Times.
The president, top American Afghan commander Gen. David H. Petraeus and others have condemned Terry Jones’ actions.
Mr. Jones has been repeatedly blamed and demonized for the riots and killings in Afghanistan –– but is this fair?
Why aren’t we condemning the violent protesters? Mr. Jones is just a blip on the screen of immoral actors.
This ignores the fact that the Afghan protesters can choose to react violently or peacefully; they chose violence.
Yes, as Americans, we should be ashamed of Terry Jones’ actions. But shouldn’t the people of Afghanistan feel even more ashamed of their fellow citizens’ actions the past few days?
Apparently, they absolutely do not –– the riots continue.
But, others argue, isn’t it right to label Jones as the intentional provoker of these fanatical and violent people?
To some degree, sure, in that he represents what the Afghanis are protesting ––derision of Islam.
But the true provokers of the recent killings are the mullahs who incited the protesters, and the only people responsible for the murders were the active participants in the mobs.
And still, the condemnation seems to be solely focused on Terry Jones.
Despite the fact that the burning in no way reflected American values or the current administration, the protesters in Afghanistan carried signs reading “Down with America” and “Death to Obama.”
And that’s because fanatics and violent Islamic extremists are not people who you can reason with or rationalize their actions –– they don’t care about truth or reality; they certainly don’t care to understand American values, or why it is absurd of Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai to demand that the U.S. bring Terry Jones to justice.
Our freedom of expression, guaranteed by the First Amendment, is at stake by targeting Terry Jones for the murder of 24 people.
Mr. Jones is certainly guilty of some bad things: acting as an ignorant, idiotic jerk being among them.
However, I refuse to call what he did wrong or hold him responsible for the repercussions in Afghanistan.
As Voltaire said, “I do not agree with what you have to say, but I’ll defend to the death your right to say it.”
Debate Danny at djoconn1@asu.edu
