Rights and principles in a time of fear and anger
September 11 came and went with more than the usual rites of remembrance this year. A war of words and clash of symbols dominated the proceedings, despite the best efforts of many to remember the victims of the infamous 9/11 terrorist attacks in 2001. It was a time of over-heated rhetoric and vitriol even as most sought simply to honour those who died in rescue attempts and renew the solidarity of a nation in a time of testing.
Instead it was a season of provocation, where a small number of citizens in a free society belligerently asserted their rights of free speech and claimed the prerogatives of religious liberty. And the media took notice, making the controversies the primary story.
The building of a Muslim mosque near Ground Zero, the very site of attacks perpetrated in the name of Islam, is a provocation of sorts. This is not to say that the people involved in this project believe that Islam justifies the events of that day. They don't, and the centre could conceivably help to allay religious tensions by modeling a better way.
But it is also insensitive to select that bit of land for an Islamic worship and community centre. The choice is legal, but it is also certain to stir emotions and elicit anger. The Cordoba project, as it's been dubbed, will be seen throughout the world as a symbol of the Islamic conquest of Christian lands. Is it legal? Yes. Is it wise? Not if the goal involves peace and stability.
And then along came Terry Jones, an obscure pastor of a miniscule congregation with a plan to burn copies of the Qur'an. His YouTube video went viral and an eager media fanned the flames of his anger into a global image of Christian desecration of Islam's holy book. His act was clearly provocative. Yet Jones too was within his rights. Was he wise? Hard to see how.
His provocations were met with near unanimous disapproval from every quarter—from the highest levels of government and military to virtually every prominent Christian leader, liberal and conservative, including those most critical of Islam, such as Franklin Graham. In a typical statement, the Canadian Network of Ministries to Muslims issued a press release saying "these actions are inconsistent with the teachings of the Bible and the spirit of Christian ministry. These proposed actions are an inappropriate way to show any solidarity or concern for victims of the 9/11 terrorist attacks."
Rein in the renegades
The Christian stampede to rein in a renegade highlights an appalling double standard that contrasts the privileges of freedom in the West with more restrictive circumstances elsewhere in the world. As World Evangelical Alliance international director Geoff Tunnicliffe puts it, "Speaking out strongly against the proposed burning of Qur'ans was the right thing to do and we warmly welcome the unanimous condemnation from politicians, religious leaders and the global media in this case.
"As we consider the outcry against this one small, obscure group, we now plead that the world's leaders and media demonstrate the same kind of outspoken condemnation when radical actions on an equal or larger scale are committed against Christians. The list of violent acts committed against Christians in recent years goes on and on—brutal killings in Orissa, the burning of New Testaments in Israel, the assassination of pastors in Sri Lanka," says Tunnicliffe.
"It will be interesting to see how the world responds to such scenarios in the future. Will leaders react with the same kind of justifiable outrage as they have against the proposed burning of the Qur'an? If so, will they have the courage to speak up, not only out of some concern for reciprocity or a fear of repercussions, but simply because it is the right thing to do?"
Doing the right thing is the Christian thing to do. This means, among other things, that we will love our neighbours and behave towards others in the same way we would appreciate them treating us. It means loving our enemies and doing good to those who hate us. It means blessing those who curse us and praying for those who mistreat us. It means resisting the urge to provoke others to wrath, even when it is within our rights.
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