There is hardly a person that has not heard of the fallout from the almost burned Quran (Koran) in Florida. Riots, people dying and more in a variety of places. But this entry is not so much about that, this entry is about people’s reaction to seeing that type of behavior over something that never happened.
Depending on how detached from the real world people are was in direct correlation to how they responded to the news of the Muslim religious unrest about the potential burning of the Quran in Florida. People enveloped in their own politically correct bubble were the most shocked that in the real world not wanting to hurt someone’s feelings was replaced with homicidal desires.
The extremeness of the reaction was what most people cited as the most shocking. Many were trying to put some sense to it. The most common logical answer is the people that went off the deep end have little more than religion in their lives. Their lives are not diluted with material things like Iphones, MP3 players and wide screen plasma TVs. For them life was far less friendly and life was more about day to day survival than anything else. In that situation religion becomes a bigger part of a persons life. So any threat to that single bit of comfort can be both significant and violent.
Reflection on what US politicians and military Generals were saying in an attempt to avert the Florida Quran burning says very clearly they are very aware of this behavior and have been quietly doing their best to put a softer spin on the actual conditions. But the reality is this is what they must face day to day and keep from the public’s eye. It is a bit like a toothpick holding back a stack of logs from rolling down a hill.
The most common response during our quick survey was the intensity of the response. There were comments that misinformation must have been given to provoke such a violent response and still others said it was spontaneous combustion. The US politicians did say it would be a field day for terrorist groups to recruit new people.
There was also some question as to what prompted the small Florida church leader to change his mind. The stories did not seem to add up and some concluded that there was some threat to send in the IRS or something to that effect on the small church.
Whether this was a reality check for the people living in their politically correct bubbles or not, the fact remains this did happen. That also underscores that the problem is much bigger than most think. Developed countries are racing far ahead of the countries that spawned this unfounded violence, and that simply spells a further detachment from reality for the people in the developed countries.
This also connects with small non Muslim groups getting attacked or killed when they try to setup shop in some countries or even offer would could be easily classified as humanitarian aid. It seems that even the suggestion of moving away from Islam can spark equal volatility. It is a bit like holding an open flame near gasoline, only trouble can result.
Digesting this is a hard swallow for many in that the world is as messed up as it is while we have rovers on Mars checking out the real-estate, and so many people wrapped up in Hollywood Gossip. The simple fact is we have a long way to go and no matter what way we go we will find problems. Many people have expressed a sense of hopelessness after seeing the unfounded violence happen over a potential Quran burning. Many just want it all to go away, and that too is reflected in the public’s desire to withdraw from places like Afghanistan and Iraq. Unfortunately that only makes matters worse as ignoring the problem only gives it the opportunity to grow.
