Peace vigil in Gainesville at the Quran burning. St. Pete for Peace.

[madfloridian]

St Pete for Peace vigil in Gainesville

Carpools from the Tampa Bay area

* St. Petersburg: Park-n-Ride, 22nd Avenue and 19th Street North (map).
* Tampa: WMNF parking lot, 1210 E. Martin Luther King Blvd (map).
* Pasco County: 8519 US Highway 19 (in the Denny's parking lot at the Ridge Rd. intersection), Port Richey (map).

Departure time for all three carpools is 2:00pm and return time approximately 10:00pm.

Why are we having a vigil?
As anti-Muslim hysteria rapidly escalates in the U.S., now is the time to take a stand for peace, love and understanding. This Saturday's planned Quran-burning in Gainesville has grabbed the attention of the world. Over the weekend, thousands of Indonesians protested the Quran-burning; there was a similar protest in Afghanistan and even Gen. David Petraeus said the Quran-burning could endanger U.S. troops.

There appears to be an ideological battle occurring before our eyes and the world is watching to see how the citizens of the United States will respond. Will Islamophobia become an acceptable sentiment and a generation of Muslims be subjected to increased oppression and a life of fear? It's a legitimate concern given what has happened in the past to African-Americans (Jim Crow), Japanese-Americans (internment camps) and dissenters (McCarthyism), among others. Right now is the time to stand up to reactionary, bigoted forces and demand that Muslims all around the world be treated with the same level of respect and dignity as Christians, Jews, atheists, agnostics and everyone else.

So, in solidarity with the Muslim community and in support of freedom of religion everywhere, there will be a peaceful, non-confrontational vigil at the "International Burn a Quran Day" on 9/11. We will be there to spread a message of peace and love to counter the message of Islamophobia and hate perpetuated by The Dove World Outreach Center.

[Bluebear]

1. 'now is the time to take a stand for peace, love and understanding'

Yes INDEED!

[Matariki]

2. It would be nice if someone read aloud from the Koran

over a PA speaker so the idiots in the church have to hear it.

"Hold to forgiveness, command what is right; but turn away from the ignorant."

[s-cubed]

3. THANK YOU! n/t

[Rhiannon12866]

4. K&R! A terrific idea!

We not only need more of these wonderful efforts, but need to eclipse the haters in the press coverage... :(

[mrbarber]

5. Or everyone could just get the fuck over it.

It's a book. Thousands of protesters in Indonesia? Really? This is what there protesting? What some bigoted little preacher in the shithole state of Florida is doing has grabbed the attention of the world and Obama and now General Petraeus?

Religious zealots scare the crap out of me.