Burn a Quran Protest

Protesters in Kabul, Afghanistan are angry about the plans of a small church in Gainesville, Florida to burn Qurans on September 11, 2010.

Pastor Terry Jones is the leader of Dove World Outreach Center, a 50-member church.

In Afghanistan, the proposed actions of a group of 50 people warrant chants of "Death to America."

To express their outrage, the protesters in Kabul burned an American flag and a cardboard effigy of Jones.

Video.

"Muslims consider the Quran the word of God and demand it be treated with the utmost respect.

"The U.S. embassy in Kabul issued a statement condemning the church's plans, saying Washington was deeply concerned about deliberate attempts to offend religious or ethnic groups."

I would never take part in "Burn a Quran" Day. I find it offensive and disrespectful.

I also find the burning of the American flag offensive and disrespectful. "Death to America" chants certainly are a deliberate attempt to offend Americans.

But we have freedom of speech. Although I don't think Terry Jones is exercising it responsibly, it's his right to burn Qurans.

However, having the right to do something doesn't mean it's the right thing to do.

For example, millions of Americans find the plans for the Ground Zero mosque to be disturbing, but those plans are being defended by Obama. The president of the United States isn't condemning the insensitivity of the developers and supporters of the mosque. To the contrary, he and those of his ilk are calling people against the Ground Zero mosque Islamophobic and haters.

Can you imagine the U.S. embassy in Kabul issuing a statement condemning the Muslims' protest in Kabul, saying Washington was deeply concerned about deliberate attempts to offend Americans?

I can't.

Respect isn't a one-way street.

I think these protesters in Afghanistan need to reach out to Terry Jones and his church. Perhaps instead of lashing out, they need to examine what makes the Gainesville church members so angry that they plan to burn Qurans. They need to look at what they did to bring about this rage.

The protesters should try to understand Terry Jones and his flock, and apologize for mistakes made by the Muslim nation throughout its history.