When are Books more than books?

Maribeth McFaul

Today there's been some chatter about books being just books.  Is the careless disposal of Korans in Afghanistan  just an excuse for pent up anger to break out?  In the west, where books are being replaced by e-readers and even made into altered book art, its really hard for us to imagine that anyone who have this depth of feeling about books.

This is a perfect example of assumptions running past each other, as we talked about on Diversity Day.
We have to listen and use our imaginations which, far from child's play, turns out to be essential tools in diplomacy.

Imagine the most important thing in your life.  It may take a while, and some honesty with ourselves, but all of us have something that is "ultimate," that gives meaning to our lives.
It might be friendship, family members, a particular faith, or set of practices.
Now, imagine that someone treated the person or thing with the utmost disrespect, beating, burning, belittling.  (Have you ever seen someone angry because their mother was direspected?)  Now ramp that up by 1000% and you have an idea of how Muslims feel when a Koran is disrepected.

Most faiths have something that "embodies" the holiest of holies for them.  For Christians it's a person, Jesus.  For Muslims, its the words recorded in the Koran and spoken by believers.

Does this make it right to break out in violent protest?  No.  But it explains why people feel as strongly as they do.  And explains why we need to learn a little more about what we hear in the news.