"Because fanaticism and ignorance is forever busy, and needs feeding." – Inherit the Wind

Casualties and the injured during the Iraq War. (photo: blog.usnavyseals.com)

The Burning Numbers

By John Cory, Reader Supported News

08 September

Reader Supported News | Perspective

"Because fanaticism and ignorance is forever busy, and needs feeding."
- Inherit the Wind

ne man decided to set the world on fire. It didn't take much.

It took 19 men to kill 3,000 people on September 11, 2001.

It took a small lie to invade Afghanistan and one big lie to invade Iraq.

7 and 9 are the numbers of years of war.

6, 806 is the number of soldiers (US and NATO) killed in this endless war.

40,000 is the number of wounded soldiers.

320,000 plus is the estimated number of US troops suffering from PTSD and TBI.

1.3 million is the estimated number of Iraqi civilians who have died. No one knows the real number, but studies point to an average of 200,000 Iraqi deaths per year of war.

10,000 is the best estimate of Afghan civilians killed, so far.

Civilian wounded or maimed numbers are not really tracked, but carry high numeric guesswork, just like the estimated 4 million Iraqi and Afghan refugees who have sought escape from their homelands.

There are invisible and secret numbers before 9/11 and after 9/11 and the harm and sadness of those numbers will never be known in our lifetime, nor admitted to by those who refuse to believe anything prior to 9/11. It is a zero sum argument.

In 2001, I was in Saudi Arabia. My Arab friends were shocked and stunned into disbelief at the events of September 11th. From my Jordanian, Syrian, Egyptian and Saudi workmates and friends came condolences and heartfelt sympathy and empathy at the horror of that day. This was not Islam. This was not right or holy, they told me. And after a suitable period of mourning, we all sat down over tea and dates to discuss those secret invisible numbers that had piled up and then exploded on that September day.

In 2006, I was in Afghanistan when riots erupted from Kandahar to Kabul to Kunduz over the publication of a Danish cartoon disrespectful of the Prophet Muhammad, Peace Be Upon Him. Hundreds of people protested. Scores were injured, with fires and bullets everywhere in the streets.

But it was not only Afghanistan, it was also Somalia, Yemen, Thailand, Indonesia, Syria, Iran and other places.

One cartoon - a dozen countries - thousands upon thousands of protesting Muslims, and hundreds of injuries and deaths were the result.

50 people at the piously named Dove World Outreach Center intend to burn the sacred scriptures of 1.5 billion people and label them "evil" and despised by God.

What new numbers will be generated on the calculator of death and destruction by burning the Qu'ran?

9/11 is a number - A sacred number for us, and them, and the world of war.

One man and then another set the world on fire and millions continue to burn.

One or fifty - it wouldn't take much for -

-PEACE-

Reader Supported News is the Publication of Origin for this work. Permission to republish is freely granted with credit and a link back to Reader Supported News.

Comments

+17 # Guest 2010-09-08 08:47

I was in Istanbul, Turkey on 9/11/01. I had been living there for a couple of years. Needless to say I'll never forget the day, the circumstances, or the similar flood of sincere condolences from Turkish friends and acquaintances.

Burning the Q'uran is clearly foolish and wrong, but it wouldn't be happening if moderate Muslims were more vocal and more visibly condemned what radical Islam seems to be doing nearly every day. Are we really living in the 21st century when a CARTOON can cause millions to metaphorically stampede like mindless herd animals? When a mob can call for the lynching of a teacher who names a Teddy bear Muhammad? And no the problem is not remotely confined to Islam (I myself subscribe to no particular religion). We all need to take a step back and apply a little more reason and a little less faith.

+8 # Guest 2010-09-08 10:25

vincent czyz

i know what you mean and agree with it. but i wish you hadn't used the word "faith." Faith is what enables you to take the next step in the direction you want to go. That's all. That's all that Jesus meant.

People who use "faith" to mean "do what I say even if it doesn't make sense" are misusing the word, and misunderstandin g the religion they claim to "believe in."

So are the people who criticize them. Their problem is not "faith" but the fact that they believe in doing evil in the hope of getting into heaven.

+4 # Guest 2010-09-09 01:48

I think, though, that it's fair to say that pretty much any worldview that is consolidated and consistent (whether by an individual or by some sort of collective agreement) - whether that's an organized religion, a political affiliation, an ideology, etc - requires faith, which is to say belief, in it, in order for it to be sustained. (I believe my thinking on this follows the political theorist William Connolly in a book called _Pluralism_ - which i recommend reading). Faith, understood in this way, isn't inherently good or bad, but it is extremely powerful, and often proves to trump critical thinking. An awful lot of what i find so frightening about the world right now, especially the power that various entities on the far right wield, has to do with the ways that faith and fear are mobilized at the expense of reason.

0 # Vincent Czyz 2010-12-01 20:19

Well THAT is the problem ... sometimes things that don't make sense--flying jumbo jets into buildings--are done on faith.

+3 # Guest 2010-09-08 11:07

No, the problem is not confined to Islam. Our own history is filled with the same kind of mob manipulations and some of it religious, some nationalistic, some seeking revenge for real and perceived wrongs.

I wish we could recognize our own response to calls to our base instincts before we demand it of others. The Bible admonishes us to remove the clump of mud in our own eyes before complaining about the speck of dust in someone else's. In law, it's about coming to court with clean hands. Same notion.

No one is going to take our calls to others to be reasonable when we cannot deal with the fanatics among us. Let's find a way to deal with our mobs and set an example.

I would like to see a large group of citizens surround his church and soak it so no fires could be lit or anything burned. He has no permit. It doesn't matter if it's dead leaves, garbage or sacred texts. He cannot be allowed to pollute the air.

+11 # Guest 2010-09-08 11:50

Jews are slaughtering Palestinians. Christians are slaughtering Muslims. There are fanatics in all religions. All religious fundamentalists are terrorists, be they Christian, Jew, or Muslim.

+3 # Guest 2010-09-09 00:01

We all need to take a step back and apply a little more reason and a little less faith.
Good advice and an excellent post. I am not optimistic that the people who need that advice the most will heed it.

+13 # Guest 2010-09-08 09:18

A small mind is a terrible thing to have.

+8 # Guest 2010-09-08 11:05

Quoting

A small mind is a terrible thing to have.

Yes...and the empathy of the world is a terrible thing to throw away.

+8 # Guest 2010-09-08 09:59

There are fanatics in every religion, and I think that organized religion is not worth the harm it causes around the world. Islam, in its roots, is a beautiful, mystical religion, and if you want to know about it, study Sufism. Sufis are the mystical Muslims, and they are peace-loving and wise. Imam Rauf, who wants to build the community center in Manhattan, is a Sufi. I think, here in the new century, that the religious must give way to the spiritual, if we are ever to stop the madness and come together in peace.

0 # Guest 2010-09-08 10:20

maybe someone should burn his bible at the same time...

+2 # Guest 2010-09-09 06:48

Quoting

maybe someone should burn his bible at the same time...

Another idea for consideration: Try to convince the preacher to burn the hate literature of Muslim extremists instead of the Koran. This would likely meet with the enthusiasm of a majority of Muslims worldwide, demonstrating that most Muslims are not extremists and terrorists and perhaps generate new alliances and a deeper understanding between our peoples.

+1 # eddiethelip 2010-09-09 17:19

No. Burning any book, no matter how much we may disagree with its' treatise, is abhorrent. Remember the book burning by the Nazis? Banning or burning any book underestimates the ability of the reader to decide for themselves the truth or dissembling therein. Even Mein Kampf deserves to be available to be read and, hopefully rejected. I don't need to be reminded that someone once said that no one ever went wrong underestimating the intelligence of the American people but I believe, that when given free access to the facts undistorted by Faux News as well as the mainstream media, the American populus will rise to a level of "smarts" that will allow them to make the right decisions.

+8 # Guest 2010-09-08 10:25

The world seems to be descending into another dark age of non-reason and blind faith led by radical fundamentalists of all stripes. Yes, us moderates need to be more vocal and active. But I guess the same things that make us moderates lead to our inability to act in ways that can stop this foolishness! We are not the book-burners nor the arms takers; yet we suffer from the actions of these bullies!

+3 # Guest 2010-09-09 04:20

What about people's loss of faith in 'fact' because of manipulated science? If scientists don't start policing themselves, they will find themselves all considered illegitimate.

+6 # Guest 2010-09-08 10:54

If we were to read the Muslim press (which we do not) we would find much criticism of the vast excesses of the current jihadi movement (represented by al'Qaeda) as it violates the very tenants of Islam. Our media does not report this because it does not create the tension that increases their ratings.

+6 # Guest 2010-09-08 11:17

19 men with boxcutters did not overcome the entire US military complex. You are severely deluded if you still believe the US government's instantaneously determined, no investigation needed account of that day.

+5 # Guest 2010-09-08 11:23

It's pathetic what this country has come to. That's why I have dubbed America "sick man of the west."

+15 # tuandon 2010-09-08 11:33

And so all Christians will bear the disgrace brought on by a few pseudo-Christians in Florida. I only hope the Islamic world is wise enough to see, to know, that the VAST MAJORITY of Christians do not condone this desecration, anymore than the VAST MAJORITY of Moslems condoned the events of 11 Sept. 2001.

+4 # Guest 2010-09-08 13:01

How "sacred" will 9/11 be once most people understand that it was an inside job by the Bush/Cheney war criminals to incite support for their brutal imperialist agenda?

+4 # Guest 2010-09-08 14:10

To hold 9-11 as "Sacred" is to be misinformed. "Outraged" is more to the point. 19 Mostly Saudi's did not cause the 3 buildings to collapse that day, explosives probably did.

This day would be the day for us to come together and demand a real investigation based upon evidence in the public record for starters, and subpoenas next.

Over 1250 licensed architects and engineers certainly think so.
http://www.ae911truth.org/

+2 # Guest 2010-09-08 14:44

Ed, it's a sacred day to all those who lost loved ones and who suffer continuing illnesses, some of which have already terminated their lives, as well. It was mass murder, and it was without a doubt an inside job, a false flag, not only in your mind and mine, but in the consciousness of a growing number of US citizens and those of other countries. Keep pushing for a new investigation. The "official" version of events is fraying at the edges, and the scraps keep getting bigger.

+2 # Guest 2010-09-08 15:34

The idiots who want to burn the Korans cannot even claim to be supporting our troops. Our military leaders warn that it will cause the death of American soldiers.

+4 # Guest 2010-09-08 15:57

God had a child. And upon learning that the child had been given the opportunity to surpass that which it had been taught, God commanded the child to arise from its knees and accept "responsibility" for its own actions. To treat others as it would want to be treated itself. But no! We cling to ancient religions, often cloaked in cryptic dogma and proclaim that "our" God is stronger, that "he" marches with us into battle, that "we" are blessed or chosen or some other nonsense. This is the whole point. Whether God or no God, humanity must rise up, scrape the dirt and the blood from ten thousand years or more of "civilization" from its morally pernicious, violence-besotted bodies and face up to the fact that we can fight for the next ten thousand years or we can stop this insanity and grow up. We demand no less of our children. If there is indeed a God, and that God is the father, or mother, of the race of beings known as man, then that God is Mad. And the word "mad" either implies anger or insanity.

+1 # Guest 2010-09-09 04:22

There are too many people...we have to get rid of them somehow!

+4 # Guest 2010-09-08 16:46

If we assume that God created the universe, let us consider that the Devil created religions.

How else can we explain the millions of humans sacrificed in name of their religions.

The Devil is winning the battle.

+1 # giraffe 2010-09-10 15:15

naveork - right on

-1 # Guest 2010-09-08 18:07

It seems so unfortunate and ridiculous that so many believe in the mythical sky god creature. The only explanation is that we humans are too ego-centric to conceive of our own non-existence.
I don't care if some dim-wit burns Korans. I don't care if some dim-wit burns bibles. Good riddance!

+2 # Guest 2010-09-09 03:42

Could a small group of citizens to go to the church "Quran burning grounds" and physically, if necessary , prevent the pastor and his misguided followers from actually setting the books on fire?

This pastor is an ignorant bigot with only 50 followers who is attempting to ignite a maelstrom. A few people could send a positive message to Muslims around the world with the simple, albeit risky, response, "we will not allow a single man to put our national core beliefs at risk.

+2 # Guest 2010-09-09 16:59

Zealots exist in all religions and particularly prevalent in western monotheistic traditions, this preacher who is going to burn the Koran is no different than those who have used their own corrupted ideals to orchestrate the attacks at 911.
I am a former christen and a proud Taoist and nothing in ether the Koran or the Bible justifies (I have read both) the preaching of hate as these zealots are doing book burning no matter what book is offensive but it is especially offensive when it is a holy book.
It is christens like him that forced me to examine my own faith that eventually led me to find the Tao. I embrace the notions of Woo Wei and live and let live not might makes right.
I did not burn my Bible when I found the Tao I took all that is good from the Bible with me leaving all the bad behind, I will find my way on the path to enlightenment with all wisdom.

Refresh comments list
RSS feed for comments to this post.

THE NEW STREAMLINED RSN LOGIN PROCESS: Register once, then login and you are ready to comment. All you need is a Username and a Password of your choosing and you are free to comment whenever you like! Welcome to the Reader Supported News community.