Burning of the Quran

Last updated on: April 5, 2012 at 7:31 am by Bradley Wright

Burning of the Quran 2012-04-05T07:31:18-05:00 Bradley Wright

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

by Amy Reynolds

On February 20th, burned copies of the Quran were discovered at the Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan. The U.S. military admitted that they were responsible for not disposing of the books properly. In the wake of the incident, President Obama sent a formal apology to President Karzai and the people of Afghanistan; General John Allen (commander of the NATO International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan) phoned Karzai to express regret as well.

In our highly polarized political environment, several in America—largely political opponents of the president—have spoken out, saying that the apology was too much. It has been suggested that the apology makes America weak, that there was nothing worth apologizing for, and that apology came from too high an authority. Some have accused the president of merely pandering to extremists. In the aftermath of the event, at least 40 people have been killed (including 4 U.S. soldiers), and hundreds have been wounded. Just yesterday, March 5, a suicide bomber blew himself up outside the base in Afghanistan. Protest has erupted throughout many cities in the nation.

Yet there have also been critiques that the problem was not that the apology was too extreme, but rather, insufficient. As a recent NPR article suggests, there are several different arguments that have been used to support this claim: that mere words do not counter the physical desecration of a holy book, that the act was not unintentional as suggested, and that this particular event is indicative of a larger disrespect in the West (particularly the United States) with Islamic culture. Whether intentional or not, we must recognize that the burning of Qurans ignited anger among a number of Muslims—not just the Taliban or others perpetuating violence in the aftermath of the burning.

How we deal with this incident is closely tied to how we understand our obligation to honor the religious commitments of others in an increasingly pluralistic world. Among some Christians, pluralism can be a dirty word, equated with a rejection of truth claims. Miroslav Volf, a Christian and professor of systematic theology at Yale University, speaks directly to this issue. He separates a notion of religious pluralism and political pluralism in Allah: A Christian Response (2011).

It would be unjust and unloving to grant one religious community—our own—freedom to live according to its understanding of the dictates of the one God while denying the corresponding freedom to others. . . . Properly understood, belief in one God who commands love of neighbor requires pluralism as a political project (230-232).

In America and the Challenges of Religious Diversity (2005), Princeton sociologist Robert Wuthnow details what a concept of reflective pluralism entails:

It recognizes a view that a person’s beliefs (perhaps especially about religion) are intimately connected with the person’s identity or sense of self. Thus, the two cannot so easily be separated. Respect for the person has implications for how one regards that person’s beliefs (291).

A notion of reflective political pluralism would require us to see religious identity as central to human identity, and to grant people the freedom to live out such identities. How should such an understanding of pluralism impact our response to the burning of Qurans in Afghanistan?

Amy Reynolds

Islam

Previous Post

March 5, 2012

Red Sex

Next Post

March 7, 2012 Religious Freedom: Why Now? Defending an Embattled Human Right

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Amy Reynolds Becky Hsu Brad Wright critical realism George Yancey Gerardo Marti Jeremy Rhodes Jerry Park John Schmalzbauer Margarita Mooney Mark Regnerus Nicolette Manglos positive sociology Richard Flory Robert Woodberry Uncategorized

Select a Month April 2017 August 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz