PD Editorial: Flame out

<p>George W. Bush has been the subject of plenty of criticism on these pages, even now, nearly two years since he left office.</p><p>But as a congregation in Florida prepares for a Quran burning on Saturday's ninth anniversary of 9/11, the former president's words are an eloquent reminder of American principles and the importance of distinguishing our nation's enemies from more than a billion peaceful Muslims in the United States and around the globe.</p><p>Six days after the terrorist attacks, Bush said this to the nation: “America counts millions of Muslims amongst our citizens, and Muslims make an incredibly valuable contribution to our country. Muslims are doctors, lawyers, law professors, members of the military, entrepreneurs, shopkeepers, moms and dads. And they need to be treated with respect. .<TH>.<TH>. They love America just as much as I do.”</p><p>In the ensuing years, Bush regularly emphasized that the United States was at war with terrorists, with al-Qaida, the sponsors of the Sept. 11 attack, not with Muslims in general.</p><p>On June 27, 2007, at the dedication of an Islamic community center in the nation's capital, he said, “We come to express our appreciation for a faith that has enriched civilization for centuries. We come in celebration of America's diversity of faith and our unity as free people. And we hold in our hearts the ancient wisdom of the great Muslim poet Rumi: ‘The lamps are different, but the light is the same.'<TH>”</p><p>Several other Bush statements reinforce the message, many of them compiled by Dick Polman for his Aug. 29 column in the Philadelphia Inquirer. Polman, of course, was writing about the overheated debate about a Muslim group's proposal to build an Islamic community center and mosque in Lower Manhattan, separated from Ground Zero by two blocks replete with fast-food restaurants, strip joints, bars and betting parlors. Yet another anti-mosque demonstration is scheduled Saturday, and, regardless of what the organizers say, it will be interpreted as anti-Islam, which is exactly what it appears to be.</p><p>If the spectacle in New York hasn't undermined efforts by the U.S. diplomats and service personnel to overcome skepticism and build trust in Afghanistan, Iraq and the rest of the Muslim world, they won't be helped if Pastor Terry Jones and the members of Gainseville's Dove World Outreach Center — do we need to take note of the name's irony? — burn copies of the Quran, the Muslim holy book, this Saturday.</p><p>Gen. David Petraeus, the commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan, warned that it could endanger the lives of American troops. “It puts our soldiers at jeopardy, very likely,” he said in a report broadcast Tuesday on PBS' NewsHour. “And I think, in fact, the images from such an activity could very well be used by extremists here and around the world.”</p><p>Yes, Jones has a First Amendment right to burn books for whatever message he thinks it sends. But burning books — especially books considered sacred — conjures images of the worst totalitarian regimes. It suggests ignorance and intolerance contrary to our nation's values. Inflaming the passions of jihadists and infuriating potential friends and allies in the Muslim world may feed his lust for attention, but it will do nothing to enhance our nation's security or end our costly wars in the Middle East.</p>