To Kourosh Ziabari,

You say: “There are numerous indications that Muslims are among . . . pacifist and peace-loving."

Where are these “indications”? Muslims nations are riddled with ethnic/tribal tension, they always have been. They are always at war with neighbouring nations, whether Muslim or not> To claim they are “peace-loving” is a pathetic play on the use of the term “peace”. You see, I have the understanding that in the Quaran the term “peace” means something very different from what a common westerner takes it to mean. A common westerner thinks it means that there is no violence at all, friendship and warm feelings between ALL people. However, in Islam, the term “peace” simply indicates that state of affairs wherein Islam dominates in all matters, including matters of religion and state, and for ALL people. Thus when an authentic Muslim says that he “wants peace”, what he is really saying is that he wants Islam to be in control, and under that control there will be no fighting because everyone will be suppressed or converted or killed. This needs to made clear to all westerners.

The problem with the Islamic moral code is precisely this: “the most venerable and esteemed people are the ones who fear Him the most and do good deeds as a result of this fear”, and from this you claim that those who abide by this fear the most are somehow the most “decent”!

You must have a strange sense of “decency”. A moral code that is implemented out of pure fear of punishment is no longer a good moral code. For when people act out of fear they tend to be suspicious, to fight, to steal and cheat, to be selfish; all things that are endemic of Islamic societies. You simply (as a matter of logic) cannot get any kind of sense of “decency” from out of a moral code of fear and submission to higher authority. Decency is a quality where a person acts from out of their “own” inner understanding that another person is an equal, a fellow human.

Koran 33:26 He brought down from their strongholds those who had supported them from among the People of the Book and cast terror into their hearts, so that some you slew and others you took captive.

Koran 24:1 The adulterer and the adulteress shall each be given a hundred lashes.

Koran 8:19 Let not the unbelievers think that they will ever get away....Muster against them all the men and cavalry....,so that you might strike terror into the enemy of God..........

America has certain freedoms, I agree.

Australia too, has freedoms. Minor details differ here and there, though, but more or less the same.

The fact that you have the right to burn whatever it is you want may be a right that we are all in agreement. But this reminds me of ex-PM Howard's inadequate response to that other political red-head. It is wrong, plain and simple. Do we remember the last well-documented group of people who burnt books?

We have managed to get an insignificant Florida pastor with a following of a few dozen to the world stage. Congratulations to the media, and to us as a global society (yes, I'm being sarcastic). But I hope this will show us that the extremists on all sides are probably just as non-mainstream and loud-mouthed as this man.

Also, I'm not an expert on the Bible, but I wonder what would happen if we put the following into practice...

If anyone curses his father or mother, he must be put to death.
— Leviticus 20:9

Perspective is key. Did a quick search and I serioulsy wonder if the Bible should be reclassified R18+

http://currentglobalperceptions.blogspot.com/

Bibles, Korans, Upanishads, Rig Vedas and Buddhist scriptures should all be burnt on a daily basis along with copies of the Communist Manifesto, Milton Friedman and the IPCC Report on Climate Change, until everyone finally accepts that there is no magic in them and all the fuss about imaginary beings is a complete waste of time.

Seems all holy books say nice things on one page then several pages later the opposite. Be nice in-tribe, kill the out-tribe seems to be the rule. Now the tribes are all mixed up all the ancient religions have serious problems!
Be nice to everyone is a godsend to parasites and a recipe for poverty in today's dog eat dog (God eat God?) world...so it's clearly a balancing act.
Needless to say the preachers and the zealots have little to add except "Ra Ra for my side".
The fact that anyone takes these ancient propaganda fairy tales seriously is kind of sad.

I'm hungry ... where can I find an edible copy of The Koran?