Local church honors all faiths with Quran reading

Supposedly ignorance is bliss. This week, ignorance became fear, hatred and protest.
Terry Jones, a pastor of 50 from Dove World Outreach Center in Gainesville, Fla. received national attention this week when he created a Facebook group called “International Burn a Quran Day,” scheduled for Sept. 11, 2010. Jones tweeted that he planned to burn a Quran on the anniversary of the Twin Towers terrorist attacks.

He said in a press release that because the Quran does not speak biblical truth and causes violent behavior from Muslims, he believes it to be an evil book worthy of destruction.

Though Pastor Jones did not say he would burn the Quran because of plans to build a mosque near Ground Zero, he did say if the mosque was moved, it would be a sign from God he should not carry out his plans.

Pastor Jones did not burn the Quran, but the threat created a firestorm in U.S. media and received reactions from many world leaders, including President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

The Unitarian Universalist Church in Bloomington responded to this with a reading from the Quran in both Arabic and English at their Sept. 12 service.

On Sunday, sunlight filled the sanctuary of the Unitarian Universalist Church on Fee Lane through the many clear windows high on the walls. A carving from a maple tree and a stone chalice were at the front of the sanctuary near the podium. Near the carving was a quilt of multi-colored leaves touched by the sun, slanting in from a huge circular window. Here, members of all faiths would gather in worship, love and acceptance.

“The tolerant can speak for justice and have no tolerance for the ignorant,” a congregation member of Unitarian Universalist Church translated from the Quran.

People from around the nation and the world responded to Jones by speaking for justice and not tolerating the ignorant.

“For Muslims in general, the act of burning the Quran implies disrespect for the word of God and hatred toward their faith,” said Abdulkader Sinno, associate professor of political science and Middle Eastern studies at IU. “For Muslim-Americans it implies that the perpetrator wants to bully them as a vulnerable minority and to make it clear that they have no place in American society.”

Sinno also said Muslim-Americans are here to stay.

“Ultimately, they will be accepted as productive members of society who contribute to the country’s economy, culture, welfare and security like everyone else,” Sinno said. “If their constitutional rights are taken away, then the Constitution becomes irrelevant and America will lose all what makes it a great country. I hope this will never happen, for everyone’s sake.”

Pastor Jones does not see anything wrong with burning the Quran or calling Muslims enemies because they see Islam as an evil religion, R. Kevin Jacques, director of Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies at IU, said in an e-mail.

“Christian-haters and Muslim-haters are remarkably similar in the starkness of their world views, in how easily they are willing and able to demonize anyone who opposes them and in their thirst for conflict,” Jacques said. “They both win by ratcheting up conflict, not by resolving it.”

Reverend Mary Ann Macklin of the Unitarian Universalist Church spoke during the sermon of the losses that were experienced on Sept. 11, 2001. She told the story of a
Muslim-American EMT whose body was found near his medical supplies as he attempted to help those caught in the attacks. Before his body was found, his family was questioned extensively because authorities believed, because of his heritage, he had taken part in the attacks.

Rev. Macklin’s voice became choked as she related this.

“We must remind ourselves that there were many American Muslim citizens killed,” she said. “We need to learn to live in an interfaith, multicultural world. To learn to respond in love, not fear.”

During Sunday’s sermon, the message that the church embraces all faiths and cultures was stressed. Reverend Macklin welcomed Atheists, Muslims, Christians, Agnostics and whoever else walked through the church’s doors.

“People are unable to see the commonness of our humanity,” said Reverend Bill Breeden of the Unitarian Universalist Church. “Unable to see, they are unable to love. Ignorance is the biggest threat to our country.”

Among the verses read and published from the Quran was surah seven, verse 199, a lesson for all on the anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks:
“Show forgiveness, speak for justice and avoid the ignorant.”