Editorial: Preaching bigotry

It's tempting to ignore a Florida pastor's plans to burn copies of the Quran, and deny him the publicity he so obviously craves.

But the Rev. Terry Jones would pursue his lunatic-fringe stunt whether it was attended by a solitary blogger or a convoy of satellite TV trucks. Jones' brand of malevolence must be condemned whenever it slithers into the light of day.

Saturday is the ninth anniversary of 9/11. Jones, pastor of a church with the incongruous name of Dove World Outreach Center, thinks it is fitting to mark the occasion by torching 200 copies of the sacred text of the Islamic faith.

Warming oneself in a bonfire's glow of ignorance and hatred is bad enough. But Jones' planned act is already inciting understandable outrage in the Muslim world, from Afghanistan to Indonesia.

Gen. David Petraeus, the top U.S. and NATO commander in Afghanistan, said images of a Quran bonfire would be used by extremists "to inflame public opinion and incite violence." It further endangers troops who are already in harm's way, and will serve as the latest recruiting video for al-Qaeda.

Unfortunately, even an obscure crackpot can generate worldwide attention in the digital age. Jones is devious enough to understand that it's an opportune time to capitalize on anti-Muslim prejudice in the United States.

Religious intolerance has no place in this country. George Washington understood that when he addressed a group of Rhode Island Jews in 1790, writing, "The government of the United States, which gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance, requires only that they who live under its protection should demean themselves as good citizens, in giving it on all occasions their effectual support."

Burning the text of one of the great religions of the world is an affront to the Constitution, to Christians, and to patriots.

Jones believes, twistedly, that he is making a statement of American values. But he is only illuminating a dark corner of fearful bigotry.