Everyone Denounce's Florida Church's Planned Quran Burning - Muslims Respond With Death Threats

I have said before but it bears repeating. Many of the most horrific and barbaric crimes against humanity have been committed in the name of "God." So I am not sure if I am surprised or just disappointed about the planned Quaran burning.

As you probably have heard, the leader of a small Florida church that espouses anti-Islam philosophy said Wednesday he was determined to go through with his plan to burn copies of the Quran on Sept. 11, despite pressure from the White House, religious leaders and others to call it off.

And it is not just "liberals' who are condemning this act. Gen. David Petraeus took the rare step of a military leader taking a position on a domestic matter when he warned in an e-mail to The Associated Press that "images of the burning of a Quran would undoubtedly be used by extremists in Afghanistan -- and around the world -- to inflame public opinion and incite violence."

Gen. Ray Odierno, the former top commander in Iraq, said Wednesday he fears that extremists will use the incident to sow hatred against U.S. troops overseas. "This feeds right into what they want," Odierno said on NBC's "Today Show. Odierno now heads of U.S. Joint Forces Command.

Local religious leaders in Gainesville, Florida, a city of 125,000 anchored by the sprawling University of Florida campus, also criticized the lanky preacher with the bushy white mustache.

At least two dozen Christian churches, Jewish temples and Muslim organizations in the city have mobilized to plan inclusive events -- some will read from the Quran at their own weekend services. A student group is organizing a protest across the street from the church on Saturday.

But isn't this just a book? Isn't this just paper?

Muslims consider the Quran along with any printed material containing its verses or the name of Allah or the Prophet Muhammad to be sacred. Any intentional damage or show of disrespect Quran is deeply offensive.

So how do some Muslims respond?

"It is the duty of Muslims to react," said Mohammad Mukhtar, a cleric and candidate for the Afghan parliament in the Sept. 18 election. "When their holy book Quran gets burned in public, then there is nothing left. If this happens, I think the first and most important reaction will be that wherever Americans are seen, they will be killed. No matter where they will be in the world they will be killed."

Who is right? 

Religious fanaticism is just that - fanatic.  Crazy!  Killing and burning in the name of "the God of peace" is psychotic.