Respect for religious feelings is the key to win the hearts of Afghans,” said Stanley Fernandes, S.J., director of the Jesuit Refugee Service of South Asia, commenting on the mass protests that followed the news of the burning of Korans by U.S. soldiers. As many as 30 people have been killed in violence related to the Koran burnings. Father Fernandes, after a recent trip to Kabul, called the situation critical. An official apology from President Obama has been issued, but, he said, “I think it will take time before the situation returns to calm.” Father Fernandes said, “I do not think one risks a religious war against the West, but incidents like this…do not help build confidence and a peaceful atmosphere. In these cases, then, the instinct of the crowd prevails, opening the floodgates to violence.”
Afghanistan Burning
Show Comments (
)
Comments are automatically closed two weeks after an article's initial publication. See our comments policy for more.
The latest from america
“Juror #2” confronts us with an uncomfortable reality: following your conscience often comes at great personal cost.
Before it is a thriller, before it is a dark comedy, “Bad Sisters” is a love story.
In 2023, “Jesuitical” hosts Zac Davis and Ashley McKinless spoke with Cardinal Robert McElroy about his call for a church of “radical inclusion.” This week, Cardinal McElroy was named the new archbishop of Washington, D.C.
In Los Angeles, people stay for the movie credits. After the awful images of these fires are gone, they will stay to rebuild their city, too.