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Title: Protester steals Quran, thwarts burning
Source:
amarillo.com
URL Source: http://amarillo.com/news/local-news ... r-steals-quran-thwarts-burning
Published: Sep 12, 2010
Author: Janelle Stecklein
Post Date: 2010-09-12 16:34:36 by Ferret Mike
Keywords: None
Views: 2639
Comments: 7
A planned Quran burning Saturday in Amarillo was thwarted by a 23-year-old carrying a skateboard and wearing a T-shirt with "I'm in Repent Amarillo No Joke" scrawled by hand on the back. Jacob Isom, 23, grabbed David Grisham's Quran when he became distracted while arguing with several residents at Sam Houston Park about the merits of burning the Islamic holy book. "You're just trying to start Holy Wars," Isom said of Grisham after he gave the book to a religious leader from the Islamic Center of Amarillo. Grisham, director of Repent Amarillo, which aims to deter promiscuity, homosexuality and non-Christian worship practices through confrontation and prayer, said he was just trying to exercise his right to free speech. He announced Friday evening the plan to burn copies of the Quran to show support for the Rev. Terry Jones, pastor of a small church in Gainesville, Fla., who planned, publicized, then canceled his own Quran burning event after a national uproar. Jones told NBC Saturday "we feel that God is telling us to stop" the Quran burning, which had stirred outrage among millions of Muslims and others worldwide. More than 200 people, many packing signs, crowded into Sam Houston Park Saturday to either support or protest Grisham's plan to burn the Quran. Amarillo police circled the block in cruisers and several officers in street clothes stood among attendees in case the crowd turned violent. Jeremy Danielson of Amarillo, who attended with other members of the Unitarian Universalist Church, carried a "Love Thy Enemy" sign. "Any time you burn books, that's ignorant," Danielson said. "For us to burn their religion is showing hate." Protesters threw their hands on the grill Grisham planned to use to burn the Quran, someone took his lighter and Isom stole the Quran, leaving him with just lighter fluid. "I kind of expected the reaction," Grisham said of the turnout. As the crowd jeered, Grisham got into a car and left peacefully without burning any copies of the holy book. Dennis Cobbins, an imam at the Islamic Center of Amarillo, said he came as an American Muslim "very concerned about what was taking place here." He said he didn't know quite what to expect when he arrived at the planned burning he described as "distasteful." He found the amount of crowd support "a little bit overwhelming." "The city we live in has zero tolerance for bigotry," he said. Cobbins invited any Amarillo residents who want to learn more about Islam to attend worship at the mosque, 601 Quail Creek Drive. Amarillo resident Nancy O'Gorman said she was shocked by the size of the turnout and initially thought she might be alone in her opposition. "Just to be on the side of freedom," she said. "I couldn't see it (the burning) being done. It's mean." - The Associated Press contributed to this report. Photo posted at DU: 
Roberto Rodriguez / Amarillo Globe-News - Nearly 200 people protested a planned Quran burning Saturday at Sam Houston Park. 
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#1. To: Ferret Mike (#0)
(Edited)
IF I see him I shall steal his skateboard. Burning the Koran is no diff than burning the flag. Unless you believe that Muslims are violent.
In that they are protected 'speech' under the First Amendment. But this part of the U.S. Constitution works because one must accept the consequences and ramifications of one's expressions of belief. As far as you stealing, I would react the same way if you were stealing a skateboard from either the person trying to be a burner or the Koran saver; I'd grab you if I could and try to get the private property back to the person who owns it. There is never any call to steal from others.
#5. To: Ferret Mike (#3)
Our bibles and flags are burned here, and across the waters more today than they ever were, what fking consequences and ramifications are you talking? Americans are the most tolerant people on this earth when it comes to being attacked, even here at home, you don't see them burning buildings, building bonfires, rioting in the streets shouting "DEATH TO ISLAM", "KILL ALL NON BELIEVERS", or killing each other in an insane, rabid frenzy because of bible burnings, flag burnings, cartoons, you don't see Americans dragging some shitfaced foreigner disgracing this nation, off his soapbox and beating the living daylights out of him.... You are a g-damn traitorous, cowardly hypocrate Mike, you side with a savage nation that openly advocates the downfall of this country and everything she stands for...you fking don't belong here, you don't deserve the gift our ancestors and founders gave you. Tolerance asshole, swings both ways, in this case, there is no tolerance on the part of anything that is ISLAM. Popping up here with your lies about our nation and her peoples reaction to these animals, defending their rights above and beyond those of your own people, only to complain about our intolerance after something has come to a head only furthers my anger. For each injustice you think any American has committed against muslims, there are hundreds that can be posted that have been committed against American by these barbaric savages. If you honestly cared about the muslim people, then focus your attention on the atrocities committed by them against their own people, women and children especially...but you won't, hypocrates don't work that way! jmho!
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#3. To: WhiteSands (#1)
"Burning the Koran is no diff than burning the flag."
Replies to Comment # 3. But this part of the U.S. Constitution works because one must accept the consequences and ramifications of one's expressions of belief.
End Trace Mode for Comment # 3.
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