Two Things...

First, burning the Koran is a BAD idea. If an American citizen commits a crime, and then says “God told me to do it,” assuming the person is a “Christian,” we don’t go out and burn bibles, or blame the religion, because it wasn’t the religion that committed the crime. In a case like that, we ALL recognize that the crime does not represent Christianity.

No, we call the person a criminal and wonder just how insane they are. We prosecute the criminal. Al Qaeda is a group of criminals -- and Al Qaeda does not represent mainstream Islam. Their view of Islam is just as twisted as any wacko American mass-murderer that kills children in the name of "their" supposedly Christian God.

It is essential that we discern this fundamental difference. Burning the Koran is insulting in the extreme to 1.57 billion people* who adhere to Islamic tenets and an inflammatory act directed toward these people who mostly have no animosity toward us (not in any extreme fashion, anyway). There is nothing smart in doing that. I'm no rosy-lensed optimist -- I do recognize that there are resentments and mistrusts. And to date, we've done very little to lessen those resentments and mistrusts.

Second, planning to place an Islamic cultural center at the site of the World Trade Center would be inflammatory and stupid, when you consider the extreme sensitivity of the American people concerning the events of September 11, 2001. Do they have the right to place their mosque anywhere they choose? Sure. Should they place it anywhere near the WTC site? Not in a million years.

But... I checked on my map, and the proposed site of the Islamic Center is almost 1/2 mile from the nearest part of the WTC site -- in one of the most densely packed city centers in the United States. Just how far away would it have to be before it would be OK?

That said, if they truly want to build bridges of understanding and friendship, they will change their minds about this. If they continue with plans to put that center near the site of what may ultimately be the worst terrorist attack in the history of this country, I think you could almost guarantee there will be attacks on it. It will be a festering wound for some of the unwashed ignorant that will not go away. I’m not saying that’s right – I’m just saying that given the mental capacity and uneducated thought processes that are common in this nation, attacks on this place would be inevitable. Americans have their self-righteous "blood" up and not all of us are stable or even have functioning grey matter.

Update: The Imam says he hardly thinks the site of his Islamic Cultural Center would be anywhere close to being "hallowed" ground -- given the nature of other businesses in the area including a couple of dens of iniquity (my description, not his). Coupled with the physical separation I've already noted, which might as well be 100 miles when you are talking about the urban environment in question, I'd have to say I agree with him. I think perhaps the protests are ridiculous.

*Wikipedia, on 9/10/10, reports 1.57 billion people who profess Islamic beliefs; as a contrast, there are reportedly 2.2 billion Christians on our planet. These numbers are about 23% and 25% of the world's population, respectively. Uh... the Islamists are no more a fringe group than the Christians are. I'm just saying.