World Watch
September 9, 2010 4:22 AM

Call Emerges for "Burn the Stars and Stripes Day"

By
Tucker Reals
Topics
In The News ,
World Watch
A radical Islamic activist and lawyer in the U.K. has called on Muslims worldwide to burn U.S. flags outside American embassies on Sept. 11, a "direct retaliation" against a Florida church's plan to burn Qurans on the same day.

Anjem Choudary, former leader of the banned hardline Islamic group Islam4UK, told CBS News in London he was calling for, "an international burn the Stars and Stripes day" on the anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

Choudary, who regularly organizes small demonstrations in Britain calling for the implementation of Islamic law, was the first public figure -- and a likely one -- to call for retaliation against Gainesville, Fla. Reverend Terry Jones' plans to burn at least 100 Qurans.

Above: Anjem Choudary (right) leads a demonstration of fundamentalist Muslims against then-Pakistani President Gen. Pervez Musharraf in front of the Pakistani Embassy in London, July 11, 2007.

Anticipating a volatile reaction from the world's Muslims if Jones' church goes ahead with the stunt on Saturday, the State Department issued a warning to all U.S. embassies on Wednesday advising them to assess their security measures and brace for potential backlash.

Rev. Jones has ignored pleas from the Obama administration and U.S. military commanders to abandon his plans, telling CBS News on Wednesday that he felt the act was still "very necessary" as a warning to Islamic radicals, who he feels are attempting to gain political clout and push their agenda in the U.S.

More Quran Burning Coverage:

Quran Burning Legal? Protest Possibly Protected
Pastor Will Not Cancel Quran Burning
Quran Burning Protests in Afghanistan
Jones: Judaism, Other Religions "Of The Devil"
AG Holder: Quran Burning Idiotic, Dangerous
Pastor: I Know Quran Burning is Insulting
Extended Interview: Rev. Terry Jones
Terry Jones, The Man Behind "Burn A Quran Day"
Petraeus: Burning Qurans Could Endanger Troops
Fla. Church Denied Permit to Burn Qurans

  • Tucker Reals

    Tucker Reals is a senior news editor and overnight site editor for CBSNews.com, based at CBS News' London bureau.

Add a Comment See all 197 Comments
by marrabella September 11, 2010 1:49 PM EDT
Go ahead ---- burn the flag---burn my Bible.
I am educated enough to know the difference between a symbol and what's in my heart.
When you mix 6th century, primitive religions with more advanced civilizations, you get oil and water.
We are all one, yes, but mixing these two diametrically opposed civilizations won't work.
What awe we thinking?
Reply to this comment
by mahdeealoo September 11, 2010 1:50 AM EDT
And if they do actually burn the flags, does not that make them worse than the US nut job? Looks like it's all about sensationalism. Political paparazzi's.
Reply to this comment
by japattison September 11, 2010 1:32 AM EDT
So they are going to burn more of our flags, that's no surprise .... they have been burning Bibles, Crosses, Torahs, Jews and Christians for centuries ..... what's new? Why is O'Bummer running away from a bunch of terrorists like a scared rabbit?
Reply to this comment
by marrabella September 11, 2010 1:55 PM EDT
Obama is running away because he is in the tank for the Saudis!
Dud! Why do you think he hid his college records that will prove where he got his college money?
I am so sick of this president. he's like a man who promised to marry 7 different women and when it comes time to choose, he's got a lot of explaining to do.
This explains why he's always talking out of both sides of his mouth.
by mainer501 September 10, 2010 10:53 PM EDT
"Islam wishes to destroy all states and governments anywhere on the face of the earth which are opposed to the ideology and programme of Islam regardless of the country or the Nation which rules it. The purpose of Islam is to set up a state on the basis of its own ideology and programme, regardless of which nation assumes the role of the standard-bearer of Islam or the rule of which nation is undermined in the process of the establishment of an ideological Islamic State. Islam requires the earth?not just a portion, but the whole planet .... because the entire mankind should benefit from the ideology and welfare programme [of Islam] ... Towards this end, Islam wishes to press into service all forces which can bring about a revolution and a composite term for the use of all these forces is ?Jihad?. .... the objective of the Islamic ? Jih?d? is to eliminate the rule of an un-Islamic system and establish in its stead an Islamic system of state rule." Syed Abul A'ala Maududi - Jihad in Islam
Reply to this comment
by HolyVoice September 10, 2010 7:50 PM EDT
News flash to the rest of the world (and Americans that didn't get the memo): this is what freedom looks like. These things happen in a free country. At the end of the day, it's just a flag and a book. Yes, it's OUR flag and yes, it's THEIR book, but on what planet do inanimate objects equal bloodshed? It's a Constitutional right to burn a flag (even if you disagree with it), just as it's a right to burn a Koran.
by ppaulville September 10, 2010 12:55 AM EDT

Yes, individual rights are what America is all about. Maybe a thousand points of light will be --that many individuals burning the qu'ran on 9/11.

Heck, while were at it, who is supplying the U.S. flags for the Afghani people to burn. American capitalism wants to sell them more (made in Jordan).
Reply to this comment
by effjay4 September 10, 2010 7:38 PM EDT
How about I come over and "knock your teeth out of your fat head day"? How would that go over?
Reply to this comment
by bankersvox September 10, 2010 7:14 PM EDT
http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/canoel.htm

Please read. An American Black Diplomat was tortured and killed by ARAFAT, when NIXON would not release SIRHAN SIRHAN......History the LEFT would rather not teach.

This war has been going on for a long time.
Reply to this comment
by Brian5013MS September 10, 2010 6:56 PM EDT
Nasty muslims!
Reply to this comment
by Brian5013MS September 10, 2010 7:02 PM EDT
Why are the muslims celebrating Rammabum? That koran must tell them to do some pretty weird sex stuff huh?
by roystoll2 September 10, 2010 6:20 PM EDT
Now that the media has gotten every muslim in the world whipped into a frenzy by blowing one man's intolerant action way out of proportion, as is their usual practice to get ratings, now they are stiring up the average American Citizen's ire by reporting one Muslim radical's *** for tat by CREATING a holiday to burn the American Flag. This is surely akin to abusing free speech by "yelling "fire" in a crowded theater" and if I was a law enforcement official I would seek a criminal charge of inciting a riot, because that is exactly what will happen. Are ratings so important that the so called "journalists" have lost all sense of responsibility. At the very least, you are endangering the lives of many people by your selfish actions. I and many other law-abiding American citizens are fed up with the actions of the liberals and/or progressives and their mainstream media supporters who seem bent on the marginalizing of America and our values on every possible issue. I make this statement, not as a threat, but to help you clarify your thought process, do not dare burn or deface any American Flag in my presence. You will not like the consequences of your actions.
Reply to this comment
by Myopinion046 September 10, 2010 5:11 PM EDT
Okay, what part of canceled don't these morons understand?
Reply to this comment
by displeased September 10, 2010 5:33 PM EDT
It's too late. We already sent the message.
See all 197 Comments
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