Many blame a Florida pastor's desecration for dozens of deaths in Afghanistan. Is it more complicated than that?
A little more than two weeks ago, Florida pastor Terry Jones orchestrated a bizarre mock-trial against the Quran in his Gainesville church. At its conclusion, Jones set fire to the holy book.
In a different era, the episode would probably have been little more than an afterthought. And, to be sure, it's just one example among many acts of fringe Islamaphobia in a post-9/11 America. However -- driven in large part by the power of the Internet -- video of the burning has triggered days of mass protests across Afghanistan.
Thus far, at least 20 people -- including several United Nations officials -- have been killed. The reports of violence have triggered a strong U.S. response. Gen. David Petraeus said Sunday that Jones' actions have compromised U.S. operations in Afghanistan. Meanwhile, Senate leaders on both sides of the aisle have suggested that formal action be taken against Jones.
http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2011/04/04/afghan_quran_burning_protests_taliban
