hungry media, the cultural oversensitivity of Muslims and the Western democracies' protection of freedom of expression, the tragic events of 9/11 have made it very easy for losers like Pastor Terry Jones to grab their 15 minutes of fame and catapult themselves from nonentity to instant celebrity status. Going by all the media attention this pastor received, I wouldn't be surprised if, in the next 9/11 anniversary, we see another loser springing up with a novel way to offend 1.5 billion Muslims around the world, while taking advantage of the above factors. Muslims and non-Muslims alike should be one with the American people, especially those who were directly affected by the 9/11 atrocity, and remember and reflect about those tragic events. What happened on 9/11 will forever leave an indelible scar not only on the Americans' psyche but also on the psyche of the entire humanity. Remembering the victims of 9/11 should be an event that brings people of all faiths together, not only in mourning and contemplation, but also to stand against extremism, cultural prejudice and religious intolerance. It should neither be exploited for political reasons, as has sometimes been the case in America, nor should it be used to spew religious hatred among people of different faiths. The call to burn copies of the Holy Qur'an on the ninth anniversary of 9/11 by an Evangelical pastor in Gainesville, Florida, was clearly a publicity stunt designed to attract the world's attention to a selfish individual with a lost cause. It is unfortunate that people such as Pastor Terry Jones of the Dove World Outreach Center in Florida can get away with such irresponsible ventures that not only can spark violence and give terrorists one more lame reason to target his fellow-citizens but also undermine his own government's efforts to mend relations and build bridges of understanding with the Muslim World. What, for instance, President Barack Obama has been doing to repair the damage in US-Islamic World relations left by former reckless policies since he took office, could have, and may have to a certain extent, been notably disrupted by irresponsible and destructive initiatives such as that of Terry Jones and his likes. Among the efforts of world leaders to reconcile followers of the different faiths, and rid the world of cultural bigotry and misunderstandings, is Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah's Inter-faith Dialogue Initiative, which has gained international momentum and is beginning to yield some positive results. Such constructive initiatives are also undermined by the initiatives of Terry Jones and the like. It is understandable that in Western democracies individuals have the right to express themselves but this freedom of expression should not be unrestrained. Individuals' absolute freedom of expression can, and has often proved to be, harmful at national and international levels. It is therefore the moral, if not legal, responsibility of democratic societies and governments to ensure that their liberal principles are not in violation of human principles. Individuals can be free to express themselves but should not let their freedom of expression jeopardize human relations and disrupt the peace and stability of the human society. It is also a basic human right for people of any faith, color, race or nationality to be safe from other people's bigotries.
