The burning of the Koran by Rev. Terry Jones' church sparked protests in Afghanistan. The line between freedom of speech and hate crime has been blurred. However, The Washington Post's article, Florida pastor Terry Jones's Koran burning has far-reaching effect, on the current protests occurring over the March 20th burning of the Koran doesn't say much about the protests or the public opinion.
Another article on the same issue by Fox News does explain the views of these as a hate crime and the potential of it being excused as an act of freedom of speech.
The Washington Post discusses the events that took place in plain terms. It starts with a symbolic lede by explaining the current state of the burnt Koran. The article gives a long introduction to the threatening and the final decision of the Dove World Outreach pastor to burn the Islamic holy book.
Kevin Sieff briefly gives the background of the protests. He says where, when and how many were injured in the two day protests. The article states,
The world was reminded of the 30-person Christian congregation at Dove World Outreach Center on Friday, when a mob incited by the burning of the Koran attacked a U.N. compound in Mazar-e Sharif, killing seven U.N. employees . On Saturday, related protests in Kandahar left nine dead and more than 90 injured.
The rest of the article discusses the church's decision to follow through with its September threat, the loss of members among the church's congregation, the response of Gainesville and the church's future plans to keep running. They are quickly losing money and support.
Sieff quotes Jones and his son. He doesn't dwell on the public opinion or how people are responding to the deaths over the burned book. It is clear and concise, but mostly consists of background information and doesn't scratch the competing ethical issues.
The report does state Rev. Patrick Mahoney's disappointment in not knowing that Jones would follow through with his September threat.
Washington Post did put up a video post from the Associated Press gave more insight to what happened in those protests. The Post also posted a CBS News report on Rev. Jones response to the protests, claiming it was not his fault.
An Agence-France Presse article goes into more elaborate detail of the protests. The names of those killed are listed. The article also uses more sources. Terry Jones is quotes, as well as, President Barrack Obama and police spokespeople. The article addresses the opinion of the act instead of just reporting that it happened.
Neither Rev. Jones or his son justify their actions. The Post quote Luke Jones as saying,
"We're not big debaters. We're not very well-educated," Luke Jones said. "We're just simple people trying to do the right thing."
This statement and none other in the article seem to explain their reason behind their dislike for Islam.
There are a lot of angles the post could've taken. It could have described the Muslim response and/or the American response. The reporter could have spoken to those who support Rev. Jones and his initiative. Instead the report was bland and not descriptive about the actual issues the burning has created and the lives it has affected.
Comments