Palin Condemns Quran Burning, Likens to "Ground Zero Mosque"

By: Stephanie Condon
Topics: In The News ,; Republicans

(Credit: Getty Images/Ethan Miller)

Former Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin Wednesday evening decried a Florida pastor's plan to lead a Quran burning over the weekend, likening it to the plans to build a Muslim community center near Ground Zero.

"Book burning is antithetical to American ideals," Palin wrote in a Facebook note. "People have a constitutional right to burn a Koran if they want to, but doing so is insensitive and an unnecessary provocation - much like building a mosque at Ground Zero."

The so-called "mosque" at Ground Zero refers to plans to build an Islamic community center, which would include space for prayer, a few blocks from the site where the World Trade Center towers stood before the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Polls show that Americans largely believe that the developers of the center have a right to build the Islamic center there, but most Americans also believe it is inappropriate.

"Freedom of religion is integral to our charters of liberty," Palin wrote. "We don't need to agree with each other on theological matters, but tolerating each other without unnecessarily provoking strife is how we ensure a civil society."

She added that the Quran burning would "feed the fire of caustic rhetoric and appear as nothing more than mean-spirited religious intolerance."

The former Alaska governor joins a number of other high profile politicians who have now condemned the anti-Islam demonstration planned by Rev. Terry Jones to mark the anniversary of the terrorist attacks.

President Obama called the burning a "stunt" that would serve as "a recruitment bonanza for al Qaeda." Gen. David Petraeus said images of a Quran burning in the United States would endanger troops. Attorney General Eric Holder, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, former GOP presidential contender Mitt Romney and other leaders have also criticized the event.

Stephanie Condon is a political reporter for CBSNews.com. You can read more of her posts here. Follow Hotsheet on Facebook and Twitter.

Stephanie Condon
Stephanie Condon is a political reporter for CBSNews.com.
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by jamesharris1 September 10, 2010 10:18 PM EDT: Sorry, but the Quranic Jesus is a VERY minor figure, with almost no relationship to Biblical Jesus. Saying "Jesus is a Muslim prophet" is a common way for Muslims to shut down Christian criticism of Islam (and certainly Muhammed designed it that way), but Quranic Jesus has no message, certainly not "turn the other cheek", "love your enemies", or "give to Caesar what is Caesar's", these would have directly contradicted Muhammed (and nobody contradicted Muhammed and lived to tell about it).; Reply to this comment


by magicwolf1 September 10, 2010 4:19 PM EDT: Her divisive idiocy continues. Yes, they have the right to burn the Quran, the Bible or the American Flag. Yes it's pretty stupid and sometimes dangerous to do so. But then she runs right back to her hate mongering ways regarding and Islamic Cneter blocks away from Ground Zero. Not a mosque. Not at Ground Zero. Yes they have the absolute right to build it there. This is Palin's ham-handed attempt to look intelligent and thoughtful, and again she fails miserably. She is actually an extremist Christian fundamentalist who wants to convert the world to Christianity by hook or by crook, since everyone else is going to hell, in her opinion. She is just as intolerant as the nut-job Islamic extremists.; Reply to this comment

by kittenc September 10, 2010 3:47 PM EDT

Sarah Palin is out to make money she could careless about anyones religious freedom. She doesnt care about where the mosque is going to be built she is just pimping the far right out of all their money and at the end when The intelligent Americans send her packing she is going sit back and count all her fat cash and laugh and say dumb ass far right. Sarah is a reality queen who has no subsatance no intelligence couldnt run a general store never mind a country. She knows not one minority group will vote for her as she continues to insult them and let them know she is not for them she will never make it to high office.

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by JV1970 September 13, 2010 2:35 PM EDT: You just can't bring yourself to admit that she's RIGHT about this can you?


by teabagUSA September 10, 2010 11:41 AM EDT: If Palin is offended by the mosque, she would also be offended by these headlines: http://www.teabaggingpatriots.com/index.php/tea-bags/top-10-mosque-esque-headlines/; Reply to this comment


by dibbs977 September 9, 2010 5:45 PM EDT: Thank you Sarah---that is the first time you have said anything I agree with.; Reply to this comment


by tlludwig September 9, 2010 4:10 PM EDT: Personally, I dont think that it is appropriate to burn any book, especially a religious book, but then again I dont think it is appropriate to build a religious building -especially a mosque - at ground zero. These two things are a perfect analogy. Legal/Constitutional rights versus what seems to be morally right or wrong, distasteful/inappropriate.; Reply to this comment


by Dave_P6 September 9, 2010 3:51 PM EDT: Well, except for the Ground Zero reference.; Reply to this comment


by Dave_P6 September 9, 2010 3:50 PM EDT: Wow, Sarah Palin finally says something intelligent. What's the world coming to?; Reply to this comment


by benzc240 September 9, 2010 3:47 PM EDT: Talking heads, the news media and politicans, corperations live very very good lives stirring the opinion pot. These people love the public like Michael Vick loves dogs.; Reply to this comment


by benzc240 September 9, 2010 3:29 PM EDT: Palin says, burning the Koran would feed the fire of "caustic rhetoric". I wish see had as much respect for the POTUS calling him a terrorist seemed caustic and un-patriotic to me. Now,
she's siding with Muslims againest a U.S. citizen practicing his rights as an American, It's just a book? As far as Gen. Petraus goes if he can't handle the heat and get those troops doing what thier trained to do, he can resign, like President Bush said, bring it on.; Reply to this comment