EDITORIAL: Remembering 9/11

Posted 9/9/10

This weekend, Americans will be observing the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on the United States.

As is true with most special days, the observance will take many forms, ranging from quiet, prayerful moments of silence to public patriot …

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EDITORIAL: Remembering 9/11

Posted

This weekend, Americans will be observing the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on the United States.As is true with most special days, the observance will take many forms, ranging from quiet, prayerful moments of silence to public patriot demonstrations. For some Americans, the observance will be thoughtful remembrances of the victims; others will focus on anger at the terrorists and the culture that led them to kill so many people.That last category is symbolized by a Florida church, which intends to burn copies of the Quran on Saturday. The pastor of the church is billing it as an act of defiance, demonstrating to Muslims that we are not afraid of them.That's the wrong way to observe the occasion. It is true, of course, the 9/11 attackers were Muslims, but that doesn't justify an act that offends millions of Muslims for the actions of a few dozen. This is particularly true because many Muslims were victims on 9/11, and their deaths should be treated with the same respect as the deaths of Christians, Jews, and followers of other religions who died Sept. 11, 2001. The planned Florida event does the opposite, insulting those followers of Islam who were murdered that day, and, by extension, those of other religious faiths who died with them as well.More than that, though, this action is wrong because it assumes all Muslims are evil because of the actions of a few. It makes no more sense to do that than to condemn all Eastern Orthodox Christians in the world for the atrocities committed against Bosnian Muslims by Orthodox Serbians, or all Catholics for bombings by the Irish Republican Army in the name of Catholicism. The First Amendment protects the right of that church to carry out its plans, of course, just as it protects the right of American dissenters to burn an American flag.But having the right to do something doesn't necessarily make it a good idea to exercise that right. As General David Petraeus has pointed out, the Florida burning may have nasty repercussions for American troops trying desperately to win over the Afghan people, and it could foment reciprocal violence here at home as well.We can't do much about what's going on in Florida up here in Wyoming, but we can focus our own observances on commemorating 9/11 victims rather than injecting hatred of the millions of Muslims in the world — nearly all of them who are innocent of participating in the terrorist attacks.We should promote the end of such violence, not add to it.

This weekend, Americans will be observing the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on the United States.

As is true with most special days, the observance will take many forms, ranging from quiet, prayerful moments of silence to public patriot demonstrations. For some Americans, the observance will be thoughtful remembrances of the victims; others will focus on anger at the terrorists and the culture that led them to kill so many people.

That last category is symbolized by a Florida church, which intends to burn copies of the Quran on Saturday. The pastor of the church is billing it as an act of defiance, demonstrating to Muslims that we are not afraid of them.

That's the wrong way to observe the occasion. It is true, of course, the 9/11 attackers were Muslims, but that doesn't justify an act that offends millions of Muslims for the actions of a few dozen. This is particularly true because many Muslims were victims on 9/11, and their deaths should be treated with the same respect as the deaths of Christians, Jews, and followers of other religions who died Sept. 11, 2001.

The planned Florida event does the opposite, insulting those followers of Islam who were murdered that day, and, by extension, those of other religious faiths who died with them as well.

More than that, though, this action is wrong because it assumes all Muslims are evil because of the actions of a few. It makes no more sense to do that than to condemn all Eastern Orthodox Christians in the world for the atrocities committed against Bosnian Muslims by Orthodox Serbians, or all Catholics for bombings by the Irish Republican Army in the name of Catholicism.

The First Amendment protects the right of that church to carry out its plans, of course, just as it protects the right of American dissenters to burn an American flag.

But having the right to do something doesn't necessarily make it a good idea to exercise that right. As General David Petraeus has pointed out, the Florida burning may have nasty repercussions for American troops trying desperately to win over the Afghan people, and it could foment reciprocal violence here at home as well.

We can't do much about what's going on in Florida up here in Wyoming, but we can focus our own observances on commemorating 9/11 victims rather than injecting hatred of the millions of Muslims in the world — nearly all of them who are innocent of participating in the terrorist attacks.

We should promote the end of such violence, not add to it.

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