Pathetic Pastor's Shenanigans Lead To UN Workers' Deaths

Last fall, extremist mustache enthusiast Pastor Terry Jones, who really put the idiot into ideologue, did his best to stir up national attention and controversy on the heels of the "Ground Zero Mosque" debate by threatening to burn the Koran. After he placed his tail between his legs, lost the majority of his congregation, and collected a free car, we thought we'd heard the last of this silly, pretty pathetic human being. But he just couldn't let go of the media spotlight, and after a dormant period, he finally burned a copy of the Koran. And now, several UN workers are dead as a result.

Afghans who said they were angry over Jones burning the Koran stormed a UN compound in northern Afghanistan yesterday, killing 12 people, including seven foreigners. Protesters burned a US flag at a sports stadium in Herat and chanted "Death to the US!" and "They broke the heart of Islam!", echoing Jones' incredibly dumb mock trial of the Koran a few days ago. In the end, more than 20 civilians and insurgents were arrested after the melee. Today, violent protests continued, and nine protesters were killed in Kandahar where hundreds marched holding copies of the Koran. Some of the victims over the last two days were reportedly beheaded.

But just because the furious Afghan protesters directly blamed the escalating protests on Jones, calling the protests retaliation for his Koran burning, doesn't mean that Jones feels he bears any responsibility for the deaths. "We do not feel responsible, no. We feel more that the Muslims and radical elements of Islam used this as an excuse," Jones told ABC. He went on to explain that the massacre was inevitable, and not spurred on by his absolutely pointless public demonstration: "We wanted to raise awareness of this dangerous religion and dangerous element. I think [today's attack] proves that there is a radical element of Islam."

In an interview with ABC months ago, Jones was asked directly why he would burn the Koran, and if he thought it would convince Muslims of anything other than the fact that Jones hates them: "No, I think that they will probably be hurt and insulted by it...When people burn the flag, when they burn the Bible, when they burn down churches, I'm also hurt and insulted. But we feel this message to that radical element is that important. In fact, to a certain extent, we would expect for moderate Muslims to agree with us." He both predicted the result of his actions, as well as preemptively hid behind his excuse: that he's only after the "radical element" in the Muslim world.

Pastor Terry Jones didn't kill those people; the reactions of some of the protesters was extreme and deplorable, a reflection of a culture which is still intolerant of criticism or dissent. Burning a book, or drawing a cartoon, does not warrant a response of death threats or murder. But at the very least, Jones set this particular tragedy in motion with his theological belligerence and arrogance. He blatantly attempted to antagonize extremists Muslims by staging his mock "trial" and "executing" the Koran...and what for? What was his point? What did the world gain, or learn, by his insulting gesture? His inability to take any responsibility publicly, to acknowledge the destructive nature of his actions, shows just how cowardly and selfish he is. We really thought we were done writing about Jones. We wish we didn't have to write about him. But this is important: fuck off Pastor Terry Jones.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Ben Yakas in News on April 2, 2011 5:58 PM

Comments [rss]

kenmichael

I am sick of the apologies to these animals. I am disgusted with the sympathizers of these barbaric 4th century stone age murderers. If you feel that way. Go move there.
I am a United States Marine Catholic. God, Corps, Country.
But it's ok to burn bibles, soak the crucifix in urine, burn the flag, for people to have called me people like me a baby killer..

They get the far-left seal of approval..

Here's the dirty little secret, these cavemen hate you even more (far-left), and would kill you without even batting an eye. The same people whom you are so terrified of, to the point of making excuses for them. Hate you and everything your little tree hugger, vegan, war is not the answer sissy ways.

It is easier to fight for ones principles than to live up to them. Yet you are the first people to violently protest and scream 'havoc' that it is your right to do so (i.e. Wisconsin, any Democratic Convention, and anything to do with Comrade/Iman Obama.

To have peace, prepare for war (Si vis pacem, para pacem). And the good fight isn't over until the person your fighting says it is, until they have cried for mercy, you pummel them, until the thought of attacking you is a bad idea in their head and culture. It worked out for our fathers and mothers.

Ben Lasser

I would put most of the blame in this instance on the media and their hunger for controversy. Why did a sad and crazy man burning a book have to even been reported? Are the actions of every lunatic going to be headline news from now on? If the media had ignored this asshole, like they should have, then the beginning and end of this event would have been a sad, pathetic and lonely man burning a book in his back yard, and feeling righteous about it.

The media had absolutely no business making a story out of this. It shows a complete lack of integrity and judgement.

Andy

So, let's see...He burns the Kuran because he feels the religion is full of hate and violence. In response, followers of the Kuran act out with hate and violence. And its HIS fault. Gotcha. Just wanted to clear up all the confusion.

unretrofiedforu

I think you're still confused. The guy was inconsiderate and in turn these people acted on that inconsideration.

Still confused?

Maria

Did anyone get beheaded when a crucifix was dipped in urine?

Militant Conformist

I'm not sure this belongs here because it's a unemotional analysis of the situation by a respected journalist. But I'll post it anyway.
http://globalpublicsquare.blog...

Ph

I'm not one to discount the part that America..and really the entire Western World (TM) has had to play in how fucked up that part of the world is, but blaming pastor dickhead here just does not make that dog hunt.

These fucking people overreact and do shit like this quite a bit. They need to be called on it.

Shooting aid workers THERE TO HELP YOU because of what some whacko 12 thousand miles away did. Real smart guys.

unretrofiedforu

I agree that they were in the wrong - but all I want to point out is - this 'pastor' would never have to live the life of a poor muslim living in the 3rd world.

It's easy to judge when were in the USA and we have established norms for the treating of other people, but in that area it's really every man for himself.

I don't know - if I grew up in an area where I'm under constant threat of warfare - whether it be the whiteys or the crazy brown people, I doubt there would be any set standard of treating other people. Not blaming the UN workers, but they knew the type of people they are when they signed up for it.

Overall, I suppose everyone's to blame and its just a shitty sitch. Inter-related problems, lord knows we are definitely not a stranger to that, as we live in a country where we eat and party ourselves to death and yet, we wonder why medical and old age costs are so high.

bigmikebrooklyn

how about nobody give this toolshed any media coverage, then all the murderously fanatic followers won't have any idea that someone is burning their cherished book of fables and consequently lower the global population by 30 or so. how about that idea?

Lisanne!

Even the Daily News has condemned this.

http://www.nydailynews.com/opi...

hotguy

Ben yakas sounds like a liberal mooslime

hotguy

Ja and fuck off gothamist too!
Jones is a Religous kook! But he's also a patriot! He exercised his right to free
Speech and pointing out that the world has a dirty mooslime problem an

hotguy

Ja and fuck off gothamist too!
Jones is a Religous kook! But he's also a patriot! He exercised his right to free
Speech and pointing out that the world has a dirty mooslime problem an

kenmichael

really Gothamist!?! Is your writing staff retartded or just that far to the left. Which would be an incredible insult to the mentally challenged...
Sure don't blame the animals doing the killing. Blame this guy, an idiot, yes. However, not the one who stormed the UN camp.

However, if it was a bible burning, he would be getting "Person of the Year" award from you.

thetailor

Nobody here, even those who are bashing the Pastor, supports or condones what the Afghan protesters did. So stop with the red-herring, straw-man argument.

The point is whether the Pastor knew, or should have known, that his reckless actions were going to lead to this kind of violent fallout. And *everyone* here, even those of you touting the First Amendment, knew as well as the rest of us, that if this wacko publicly burned the Quran, that something bad is more likely to happen.

No, he didn't kill anyone. And no, the Afghanis aren't innocent - they are responsible for their actions. But its extremely childish to look at this situation and say that he's allowed to do whatever he wants to do, NO MATTER the obvious repercussions that were going to take place.

He knew or should have known what was going to happen. And a lot of people have been convicted of murder in situations that they didn't pull the trigger themselves (felony murder) or had no idea what they were doing (aggravated DUI manslaughter).

Lisanne!

Incitement to murder. Unfortunately the jurisdictional obstacles prevent this from occurring.

JDSX

Just like short skirts incite rape. Brilliant.

Lisanne!

That is such an idiotic analogy that it hardly requires a disputation. However, the choice to "revenge" an act, whether such is in absolute sense right or wrong, is a reasoned one, a thought out course of action. Rape, OTOH, is the act of an unreasoned mind. The rapist acts solely from their own motivations. The prerequisite conditions are those created by the rapist, and not based upon conventional criteria.

JDSX

You call it idiotic, I call it appropriate. It's amusing to know you think a bunch of rioting Muslims that kill and behead people are exhibiting thought-out reasoned behavior. Rapists have a reason, too.

Lisanne!

Yes, thought out, as a response. Your inability to detach your emotions from your thought processes limits your capacity for arriving at perceptive and logical conclusions.