BLOG: Provocative, senseless and deeply offensive - Should the US intervene to stop Koran burning Pastor?

Pastor Terry Jones has been condemned for his planned "Burn a Koran Day."  

As Muslims across the world look forward to celebrating Eid-ul-Fitr after a month of fasting, one Florida-based fame-seeking Pastor, namely Terry Jones, is planning to hold an "International Burn-a-Koran Day" on Saturday, to, in his own words 'send a message to radical Islam.'

Whilst the timing of Eid, being so close to the 9th anniversary of 9/11 is a mere coincidence, the Pastor's intentions of burning the holy book on 9/11 are not. His deeply offensive act is not only an insult to Muslims across the world but to people who believe in the very concept of religion. It has the hallmarks of an act of waging war against Islam and that is exactly how it is likely to be interpreted by the extremist minority that purports to represent Islam in the East. In the end, only the innocent will suffer in the war of the extremists.

So far, we've seen widespread condemnation of this despicable act - from UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon to US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and religious leaders from Christianity, Judaism, Islam and many other faiths. The man at the centre of this, head of the Dove World Outreach Centre in Gainesville, has received more than 100 death threats but remains defiant. He's never read the Koran but wants to burn it. An indicator of the thinking behind this moronic act which negates debate over the content of the book for a provocative and inciting gesture.

So, what WILL happen as we get closer to Saturday? Should the US intervene to stop the Koran burning Pastor? Well, many British Muslims in my hometown of Bradford think that's exactly what will happen (surely they won't allow his flock of 50 odd to burn the Koran). The White House has condemned the Pastor's plans but many expect to see the event being called off or the Pastor being arrested. The likelihood of either is minimal at this moment in time but as national and international pressure grows, the Government will be left with no option but to intervene. The US is supposedly the land of freedom where individual liberty prospers but the senseless event, taking place at a small church in Florida could potentially have global implications - putting the national security of the West (not just the USA) under threat. In such a hostile environment, the US Government must intervene and make its own statement - the burning of a religious text, a crime against the religious, will not be tolerated.

Comments welcome.