Burning the Myths About Islam: What Qur’an Burning Protests Don’t Say

The recent violent protests in Afghanistan - a reaction to the burning of the Quran by a small church in the United States last month - recalled an inescapable reality.

Extremists on all sides - whether in free, democratic America, or in corrupt, occupied Afghanistan - create havoc and chaos, demonstrating the danger brought about by a deadly cocktail of ignorance and idiocy. Ultimately, they cause the deaths of innocent people.

Some cite the difference between the two acts: one saw the burning of a book, while the other claimed human lives.

This is of course true, but what exactly did the mastermind of this foolish and hate-filled act expect, other than a reaction somewhere on the Muslim side?

FULL ARTICLE FROM AL JAZEERA (ENGLISH)

How Pastor Terry Jones Provocative Qur’an Burning Aids the Taliban

For the fourth straight day, Afghans protested in response to a US pastor burning a copy of the Quran in Florida. At least 22 people have died, including seven UN workers, as a result of the demonstrations across the country that began Friday.

While the protests seem to be dying down, they’ve left a mark on Afghanistan. The protests brought a growing anti-foreigner sentiment to the surface that may increase support for the insurgency or, at the very least, put renewed pressure on foreign forces to reduce their presence here.

Though the Taliban has definitely benefited from the ongoing fallout of the Quran burning incident, the violent reaction came from average Afghans who may or may not support the Taliban or other insurgent groups.

FULL ARTICLE FROM THE CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR