[Skybird]

Merely symbolic acts like public book burnings, or parades, are not my cup of tea. However, it frustrates me to see in just another public debate that once again Islam is allowed to be judged by a set of special standards, putting it above all others.

When "they" burn western flags or law books or symbols of Western culture in Muslim countries, close churches and discriminate christian minorities systematically, then nobody here raises just one eyebrow. If now a church community claims the same right for itself and wants to burn Islamic symbols and has said that by this it wants to illustrate to the Islamic world how it feels for us what in islamic countries is common habit, so that they get a taste of their own medicine - then it suddenly is a major affair, and everybody jumps up and is yelling, and the Gutmenschen climb out of their holes and warn of making a stand in the name of western tradition and not to provoke the bully and that we should not confront the violent and the hysteric and the intolerant in self-defence, but appease them and flee from them and leave them what they want: more, and more, and more.

On Patreus'S comment, I only say this. Thinking he can negotiate lasting results with a fanatical religious enemy, is careless, to put it mildy. I use to have a good opinion of Patreus, I think he is one of the most intelligent and smartest generals in the military, as far as names made it to the headlines over the past 10 or 15 years. But to warn of putting up a perception challenge to and not appeasing Islam due to his - armed, I suppose - troops in his army might be attacked, leaves me speechless. Of an army I expect to defend itself and to be capable of shooting back with effect.

The hysterics will still be there, no matter whether you burn Qurans or not. the self-righteous sentiment in the muslim wqorld will still be there. The supremacist claim will still be there. The non-negotiable will to dominate will still be there.

As I see it, I neither applaud the planned Quran burning, nor do I object to it. I see no big deal in it - just a demonstration of behavior that is based on reciprocity. Those chruch-people wantt to do what the Islamicn world is constantoly doing. So what's the issue? If islam clerics and masses can call for the assassination of Islam critics and cartoonists and burn Western symbols all the time - why shouldn't we be allowed to burn Islamic symbols, then? Same standards for everyone - no special standards for Islam. If that makes them pumping up their blood pressure until their heads pop open - very well. the more they kill themselves in streeets riots and "public anger", the better. The fewer hysterics like this there are, the better for all the rest of the world. And if they turn violent against others instead against themselves - then why not shooting back.

Reciprocity. We are constantly on the defence, all time long willing to fall back one step, and another step, and one more step, and then more steps. since 50 years we deliver respect and and deeds installing Islam in the West - we did it all in advance, but in general the Muslim world did not trade back on equal terms: it took our deeds and acts as if they were natural, and it answered by just raising even more demands. what we understod to be an invitation for coexistence and "dialogue", it took as an invitation to go on the offensive once again and go for it all. that is no tolerance and coexistence, that is no reciprocal repoly to our invitation. So why not answer in a reciprocal way to their ways of doing?

In the end, it comes down to this: burning Qurans in no way is even close to be as bad and evil as is assassinating critics of islam or demanding their execution, killing apostates, declaring the female half of mankind a subordinate slave race, punishing rape victims for being raped, having stoning as death penalty, and demanding the subjugation of all who are not already submitting to this primitive and barbaric totalitarianism. Who speaks nice and kind of Islam, not only ignores these crimes and barbaric acts being carried out, but even ridicules the victims and minimises the courage of every Muslim-born man and women daring to resist this, criticising this, and refusing to obey this barbarism any longer at the price of risking their lives, and loosing their family's social context. And leaving them alone while embracing the evil they stand up against, by the standards of our western ethics and our moral self-claims is a treacherous and cowardly act worth of utmost detestation.