Posted on 09/07/2010 7:40:54 PM PDT by kristinn
Obama State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said on Tuesday that the planned protest by an obscure Florida Christian church in which Korans will be burned as "un-American" and "consistent" with the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks by the Muslim group known as al Qaeda that murdered nearly 3,000 Americans and foreign nationals that day.
Crowley was commenting on plans by the fifty-member Dove World Outreach Center in Gainseville, Florida, to mark the ninth anniversary of 9/11 on Saturday by burning around 200 Korans on the church's property.
According to the State Department transcript of Tuesday's briefing, Crowley equated the protest burning of the Koran to the gruesome, fiery deaths of thousands of innocents at the hands of Muslim terrorists as he sought to bring public pressure on the church to cancel the protest:
"We hope that between now and Saturday, there’ll be a range of voices across America that make clear to this community that this is not the way for us to commemorate 9/11. In fact, it is consistent with the radicals and bigot – with those bigots who attacked us on 9/11."
The press corps at the briefing did not question Crowley about his equating burning the Koran with the 9/11 attacks. However, they did press him on the First Amendment rights of the church.
Crowley acknowledged those rights, but only as a formality before rhetorically bludgeoning the church and its pastor, Terry Jones, for the planned protest. In addition to equating the church with al Qaeda, Crowley called the protest "un-American", even as he acknowledged that he would not call burning the American flag un-American.
The Obama administration had no problems last year letting it be known that it appeased Muslims by burning Christian Bibles brought to Afghanistan by evangelicals. However, when it comes to the Koran being burned, the Obama administration has used its unique position to bring the weight of the government down on the church to defend Islam.
The White House, the Pentagon, the Justice Department and the State Department have all used the most harsh and menacing language in an effort to intimidate the church from going through with the protest.
Spokesmen for the church said Tuesday they still plan to burn the Koran on Saturday. Pastor Jones said he has taken to carrying a firearm after receiving more than one hundred death threats.
I hadn’t realized they were planning on burning 3,000 muslims as well as however many korans.
Islam is very accepting of bookburning you know.
The idea that cutting off the heads of those who disagree with you is OK is widespread in Islamic countries,
All Salmon did was write a book that turns all of Mohammad's wives into prostitutes ~ really got them POd.
Actually the confiscation and burning of Bibles in Afghanistan occurred while Bush was still in office.
These people are disgusting.
I'd agree. Burning the Koran, to the muslums, is equal to a victory monument at the 9/11 site to Americans.
In the name of peace, nix both the victory tower and the burning. That way, no one gets offended.
Obama defends the right of someone to build a mosque at ground zero, although he will not comment on the wisdom of doing so, but gets all wee wee’d up when someone wants to burn a koran.
I can’t not believe 1 in 4 people suspect him of being a muslim. /sarc
In a related news, for the 2nd year in a row, Obama has decided not to attend the 9/11 ceremony in NY.
Sarah Palin is the only one left with the tenacity to do anything. The GOP will hopefully find its lost backbone.
And there are plenty more in this administration.
That’s a great idea!
They really should roast a pig on top of it, let all the fat juices feed the fire.
excellent!
funny little friends, ??? HUH
have to vote republican???
Who the hell do you think I do vote for?
Their comment is no surprise coming from America’s first muslim President’s administration.
Un-f***ing-believable...
—How about calling our congressional rep’s and demanding Crowley’s resignation?
—How about calling his boss, Judith McHale, undersecretary for Public Diplomacy and Public affairs:
202-647-9199
—Or how about calling Crowley? 202-647-6575
Info is per state department employee directory, available on the state.gov website. Main switchboard 202-647-4000
The Pastor in Florida is Burning our Presidents book of Faith. Our Government is getting all wee weed up. How tragic.
Will Holder now go to Florida with tanks and guns, like he did at Waco?
Directed properly, the airstream/book combo produces a fire capable of heating steel to forging temperaures...
Trying to burn books without sufficient airflow produces nothing but a smoky mess and frustration.
OTOH, the bacon and bratwurst are nice (albeit inedible) touches...
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