Overreaction to a book

[YogsVR4]

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.j...toryID=8491801KABUL (Reuters) - The United States should apologize for any desecration of the Muslim holy book, the Koran, and punish those responsible, a top Afghan official said on Saturday as sporadic anti-U.S. protests flared for a fifth day. Sixteen Afghans have been killed and more than 100 hurt since Wednesday in the worst anti-U.S. protests across Afghanistan since Americans invaded in 2001 to oust the Taliban for harboring Osama bin Laden and his al Qaeda network. Newsweek magazine said in its May 9 edition investigators probing abuses at the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay found that interrogators "had placed Korans on toilets, and in at least one case flushed a holy book down the toilet."Muslims consider the Koran the literal word of God and treat each book with deep reverence."If the Americans have done this, then they should admit it and punish those who did it and apologize to Muslims," Chief Justice Fazl Hadi Shinwari told Reuters. .
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I have mixed feelings about this. While I can understand that someone could be upset because a book was mistreated, I think there is a whole lot of overreaction going on here. If a piece of mass produced, non unique, printed material - literally a book with hundreds of millions of copies and not the original - is so sacred, you might want to reconsider your priorities.

To anyone who thinks a person should be punished for desecrating a Koran, Bible, Mein Kompf or whatever text you hold sacred, let me know, I've been tearing pages out of each to line my cats litterbox and I don't want to leave anyone out.

Reverence for what a book says and what it means to you, yes. Reverence for a book because of its title?

[-Josh-]

I think looking at in their point of view it's like getting spit in the face, i'm sure there are some Christian people who would go ape shit if the Muslims were doing that to a bunch of bibles. I dont know what they should do though, just apologize and get it over with, that's all we need is more hatred from other countries.

[YogsVR4]

Anyone who goes apeshit because of what someone does to a mass produced tome needs to be eliminated from the gene pool. Its virtually the same as the people who go nuts when someone burns a flag. They need to get off their fast track to stupidity and think about what it really is that they are upset about.

[-Josh-]

I agree with that, however there's people like that everywhere, kinda makes me sick that we have so many hypocrites and jack asses in this world. We just need to swallow our pride and apologize, put the whole mess behind us...however this is probably one of those things that's going to linger on and build more and more hatred between both sides.

[tenguzero]

I have mixed feelings about this. While I can understand that someone could be upset because a book was mistreated, I think there is a whole lot of overreaction going on here. If a piece of mass produced, non unique, printed material - literally a book with hundreds of millions of copies and not the original - is so sacred, you might want to reconsider your priorities.

Indeed. It's a book. Massproduced for easy accessibility by the consumer. Nothing more. If one finds personal meaning and direction in the pages contained therein, all the power to them. It just so happens that someone else doesn't. I don't agree with the context in which they were destroyed (in an obvious display of intended desecration) so for that reason I could definately understand certain groups demanding an apology for the intentions behind the act. But as far as "literal word of god" and whatnot (the destruction of the item itself) get over it. In the time it took me to type this, there were probably 100 times as many books crapped off the conveyor belt at -insert company name here- publishing. Hell, in the time it took you to read this, some kid out in Cleveland, OH rolled a joint with page 42 of the New Testament.

[-Josh-]

That's a huge joint...

[sivic02]

Im moving to Cleveland...


I think they are overreacting a bit but those people who did that should have thought about what they would have thought if the same thing had been done with the bible.

On a side note...how the hell do you flush the whole book down a toilet? Toilets get clogged up with a little too much toilet paper...let alone a book. I doubt liquid plumber could fix that.

[YogsVR4]

http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/asiapc...ewsweek.quran/

Looks like the story may not actually be true. So, fifteen people died during the demonstrations against an act that may not have happened.

[drewh4386]

Originally Posted by YogsVR4

I have mixed feelings about this. While I can understand that someone could be upset because a book was mistreated, I think there is a whole lot of overreaction going on here. If a piece of mass produced, non unique, printed material - literally a book with hundreds of millions of copies and not the original - is so sacred, you might want to reconsider your priorities.

To anyone who thinks a person should be punished for desecrating a Koran, Bible, Mein Kompf or whatever text you hold sacred, let me know, I've been tearing pages out of each to line my cats litterbox and I don't want to leave anyone out.

Reverence for what a book says and what it means to you, yes. Reverence for a book because of its title?

even if it isn't true, I value your opinion on the matter. To me a book is a book unless its the original or first copy.

[ec437]

that's one helluva toilet.

[Rbraczyk]

Honestly, If I took a dump on a bible in front of a bunch of Christians what do you think they would say? Honestly dude, we're not in a position to piss off the entire world. Enough of them already hate us.

[DGB454]

Originally Posted by Rbraczyk

Honestly, If I took a dump on a bible in front of a bunch of Christians what do you think they would say?

Being a Christian I can tell you what I would say. The cops will be here any minute to pick up your sorry butt for indecent exposure. What you do with your Bible is between you and your god. What you do infront of me is between me and you. Just don't make the mistake of pissing me off by showing me your ugly butt.

I'm not sure if you are aware of this or not but since the Bible has been a part of Christian life it has been mass burned by governments. It has been banned in countless countries over the centuries Yet during all that time it has continued to come back even stronger. Gods words live in the minds and hearts of the people who truly follow him and not between pages of a copy of a book.

There is something wrong with these peoples thinking when the loss of just 1 printed copy of a holy book should cause 16 deaths and many injuries.

Honestly dude, we're not in a position to piss off the entire world. Enough of them already hate us.

Well if the world gets pissed off because a book may (or may not) have been flushed then I would say they are just looking for something to get pissed off about. They need to get over it.

[Flatrater]

Originally Posted by Rbraczyk

Honestly, If I took a dump on a bible in front of a bunch of Christians what do you think they would say? Honestly dude, we're not in a position to piss off the entire world. Enough of them already hate us.

You are implying this story has merit where there is none.

[Franko914]

Originally Posted by DGB454

<snip>
I'm not sure if you are aware of this or not but since the Bible has been a part of Christian life it has been mass burned by governments. It has been banned in countless countries over the centuries Yet during all that time it has continued to come back even stronger. Gods words live in the minds and hearts of the people who truly follow him and not between pages of a copy of a book.

Amen, well said, amen!

Remember, though, that in Judaism, Torah Scrolls are considered sacred, too -- main difference is that each scroll is hand-written, only.

Originally Posted by DGB454

There is something wrong with these peoples thinking when the loss of just 1 printed copy of a holy book should cause 16 deaths and many injuries.

They undoubtedly believe that there is something wrong with us for not thinking like them, hence, "respect" is the operative word. But as it has been established, 16 have died simply for the thought that a holy book was desecrated. I say, let's ship them a few million copies of the Newsweek issue that claimed the desecration in the first place.

[Franko914]

Originally Posted by sivic02

Im moving to Cleveland...

Don't bother, I'll overnight you a King James version. You'll have to supply your own weed, though.