Pastor Terry Jones is a disgrace...

For those who do not know what is going on, and want to read about Pastor Jones' plans, this article ( http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-11223457 ) makes it very clear that he and his congregation are acting against the wishes of so many other Americans. In brief, Pastor Jones is the leader of an extremist anti-Islamic church in America, and is planning on burning copies of the Koran (the Muslim holy book) on the anniversary of September 11th. He has been asked to stop, and not to do this, as it will put the lives of Americans around the world in danger and will hurt American-Islamic relations for years to come.

As a United States Peace Corps volunteer serving in Azerbaijan (a Muslim country) I strongly condemn Pastor Terry Jones for his plans to host a public Koran burning on 9/11. He is single-handedly destroying the good work of Americans around the world who are trying to create peace and understanding between our cultures. This man is a sick and pathetic representation of America, and I hope Americans can see the irreparable damage this man will cause. Peace Corps is a non-religious, non-political organization, but we are often affected by both political and religious actions. Pastor Jones' actions are both, and they are both hurtful and counter-productive.

It's ironic that so many Americans hold all Muslims accountable for the actions of less than 50 Muslim extremists, and now the world will hold American accountable for the actions of 50 Christian extremists. I can only hope that more Americans will stand up against this man and publicly condemn hate speech, and stand up for the right of Muslims to practice their faith freely. I find it also ironic that we are willing to go to war to defend our right to freedom of religion, but this man wants to take away the freedom of Muslims. He says he wants to send a message to extremists, but instead all it's going to do is fuel moderate people's dislike of Americans actions.

There is no other way to say it, this man is just insane. On today of all days, the celebratory end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, I'm embarrassed to call him American. He certainly does not speak for me or my beliefs.