You can rest easy if you live in Bowling Green, Kentucky and your house catches fire: you can be sure none of the firefighters putting it out are “Islamophobic.” My latest in PJ Media:
The Associated Press account of this incident, published last Saturday, bore the dateline Bowling Green, Kentucky — but it read as if it could have been Dubai or Doha or Jakarta:
Bowling Green officials say a firefighter has retired after a video surfaced showing him burning a copy of the Quran.
Skeptical about the existence of the phenomenon of “stealth jihad” or “creeping Sharia,” i.e., the assertion of Islamic principles in the U.S. as taking precedence over American law?
Doubt no more.
This unnamed firefighter did not retire with a farewell party and a gold watch. From what the laconic AP report does say, it looks as if he retired under pressure brought only because he burned the Qur’an, which is not officially illegal in the state of Kentucky. Now we know better.
Per the AP story:
[C]ity officials said they placed the firefighter depicted in the video on administrative leave. But officials say the firefighter, who has not been identified, retired before they could take other disciplinary action.
Disciplinary action? Why?
All we know from this story is that he burned the Qur’an.
If he was facing disciplinary action for sounding false alarms, or for failing to slide down the pole with alacrity, well, we have not been informed of these charges. All we know is that he burned a book, which, however distasteful an act it may be, is a legal one.
I’m not in favor of burning books. I’d much rather that non-Muslims read the Qur’an and know what is in it than burn it. I’ve even written a guide to the Qur’an, so that non-Muslims can be informed about what’s in the book that incites so much violence.
So I would not have burned a Qur’an myself. But burning the Qur’an is not illegal.
It’s not illegal, that is, under American law, but it is illegal under Sharia.
If burning the Qur’an is illegal in Bowling Green, Kentucky, is Bowling Green, Kentucky, now under the Sharia? If not, what other grounds are there for disciplinary action against this firefighter?
The article continues:
[T]he incident was part of a lawsuit filed this week by former firefighter Jeffrey Queen, who says he faced a hostile work environment.
How was the burned Qur’an part of the hostile work environment Jeffrey Queen says he faced? Did the burned Qur’an belong to him? Did he think it improper for a firefighter to be lighting fires? Did the Qur’an-burning firefighter somehow abuse or threaten Queen? Did Queen worry that the flames from the Qur’an might reach and immolate him?
Or did Queen simply think that it was abominable and intolerable to have to fight fires along with someone who disapproved of the Qur’an?
And so now Queen has apparently left the fire department along with his Qur’an-torching tormenter, but the principle has been established: in order to fight fires in Bowling Green, Kentucky, you cannot express negative opinions about the Qur’an and Islam.
Why? Are those who dislike the Qur’an to the point of burning it not to be trusted around fires? What if they’re at the scene of a raging blaze and, instead of reaching for a fire hose, start tossing Qur’ans into the flames?
That will never do. And now the farsighted city fathers and mothers of Bowling Green, Kentucky, have ensured that such shenanigans will never take place in their fair city. The solid citizens of Bowling Green can sleep soundly knowing that if their house catches fire, all those working to put it out will have the proper respect for the Qur’an.
Think I’m stretching things? Well, the article confirms exactly that:
Bowling Green officials say the allegations in no way represent the city’s values.
Read the rest here.

john spielman says
how in ? can this be happening in the USA, WHICH HAS FREEDOM SPEECH and has allowed US flag burning protests amongst other more disruptive things.
Even though I wouldn’t advocate burning korans because of air pollution; perhaps we should all participate in “shred a koran day” and send the shredded korans to hog farms to be used as bedding!!
Peter the Hermit says
A fantastic idea – bedding for hog farms. But I think a superior tactic would be to push the idea of a regular “Open the Koran” day. The hateful garbage in this book needs to be exposed on a regular basis to the American people.
eagle says
Bowling Green was targeted by the US State Department and its resettlement contractors. The US State Department planned this demographic change! Maybe someday we will know why! The large growth of Bowling Green’s Muslim community occurred in a relatively short amount of time because the city is seen as a good place for refugees to resettle and a lot of those refugees happen to be Muslim, Bowling Green has one of the highest percentages of Muslims in the state, and it’s rare for a city of its size to have two mosques. Bowling Green has two mosques and an estimated 7,000 Muslims, who make up about 10 percent of the city’s population. They have emigrated from as many as 23 countries, including Burma, Iraq and Russia. Someone needs to tell Senator Rand Paul what is happening in his home town. The Bosnian migration was a Bill Clinton project. Bill wanted to help his meatpacking friends get some cheap refugee laborers. I’m guessing he sold out America in exchange for some campaign cash from meatpacking giants. You can bet that Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) was perfectly fine with it, or Kentucky wouldn’t be as high as it is on the list of states “welcoming” refugees. Do these Muslims study the Quran? Or do they have a new version of the Quran called the moderate Quran. Sharia Law is apparently the rule of law in Bowling Green as a no named Kentucky Firefighter found out. He had to take early retirement before they could take other disciplinary action. The Mayor: Bruce Wilkerson should be investigating this over reach. The Muslim cult will not assimilate; instead they infiltrate and impose their Sharia Law over the constitution. At 10% of the town’s population, they now have 100% control. Once again I say: There is only one answer for America and that is to force congress to start passing bills that would reclassify the Muslim Culture as a Hate organization along with CAIR and the Muslim Brotherhood. This can only happen if you vote for Trump.
gravenimage says
Yes–Muslims are being mass-imported into little Bowling Green–and many of the locals are *not* happy about it:
“Bowling Green, KY info meeting on Syrian refugees turned into heated debate”
https://refugeeresettlementwatch.wordpress.com/tag/kentucky/
Lynette says
I reckon hogs deserve better and more superior beddings than shredded korans. Don’t insult the pigs.
Brian says
Sue – He can burn what ever he wants that is his and the process is not impacting any one.
salim says
The irony is: The only way to deal with unwanted Qurans is to burn them. This what Muslims do, certainly what I was taught. Caliph Uthman burned all Qurans in Medina except his four copies. Muslims are not supposed to discard of Qurans in general waste because its not clean. Fire. on the other hand is considered clean.
Angemon says
Related media:
salim says
The funny thing is that Ibn Thabit ( who compiled the Quran) was a – Jew. Muslims don’t know this detail. Perhaps spreading this fact might make muslims start rethinking, considering their incurable hate to Jews.
Kiwi Kaffir says
After 9/11, I bought a Koran. I kept it in the smallest room of my home and worked my way through it at the rate of two or three pages a day.
R Russell says
I haven’t smiled as much for days!!
Lynette says
I just love a good strong grin.
R Russell says
Just another example of the preferential treatment given to Islam. Would any of this happened if he burned a Bible? We know the answer to that. Sharia is creeping in worldwide but most are too blind to see it.
Champ says
“Sharia is creeping” …and sharia is creepy! Only lovers of evil think otherwise.
Bezelel says
Time for a lawsuit. He should have the time to do it now.
Berengaria says
Has every one forgotten that the Military from our country, USA, burned copy after copy of the Christian Bible in Iraq? There were pictures floating around the Internet, to let Americans see what was happening, whenever Christianity surrenders to Islam, DEVIL.
Sandra says
When and why?
Berengaria says
Thank you Sandra Says, the Incident happened about the same time that the Bloody Koran was flushed down the toilet bowl. If you lived in the USA, you were aware of it. Organizations have always sent religious material to soldiers, if they so desired. But this time the Bibles arrived on Posts & were collected by Officers & then committed to the Flames. Remember, we were to win the Hearts & Minds of the enemy, not kill em. The US GOV WAS appalled by the Flushed Koran, so the Holy Bible Caper was done to show ISLAM that Christianity was not part of the Armed Forces of America. About 50% of Americans believed that it was.
gravenimage says
Robert Spencer, PJM: Creeping Sharia: Kentucky Firefighter Forced Out for Burning a Qur’an
…………………..
Appalling. This poor man. And how many others will be driven our of their livelihoods for daring to criticize Islam?
davej says
The insidious influence of Sharia continues to grow.
If an act is not illegal under American law then there are zero grounds for “disciplinary action” or for pressuring a man into early retirement.
This is the thin edge of the sword, so to speak, and we will soon hear about all the other things you cannot do – unless we stand firm against this attempt at domination.
LR says
Doesn’t this go against his constitutional rights?
ACLU should take this case..
Charles R.L. Power says
What’s the big deal? Yes, burning a Koran falls under free expression just as does burning a flag (any flag in protest of the nation it represents). But an employer has the right to maintain a certain image by firing any employee who damages that image by his actions. A firefighter has to serve all members of the public. This firefighter’s action implied that he might be less anxious to save a mosque than a church. Sorry, guys, I have no liking for Islam myself. I believe that “Islamists” and “Jihadists” and “extremists” are making a perfectly reasonable interpretation of the basic texts of Islam, which encourage aggression and oppression, and yes, murder, against non-Muslims. But I’m retired and can say nasty stuff like that. This firefighter got what he should have expected.
Carolyne says
Sorry, Mr Power. When one becomes employed, he does not give up his Constitutional rights as an American citizen. If a law doesn’t exist, it can’t be implemented. There are no laws prohibiting one from burning a Quran or any book. However, it appears that this firefighter might have burned the Quran on Fire Dept property during his work hours. If that is the case, then I can see a reason for disciplinary action. Otherwise, his Constitutional rights have been violated and the city of Bowling Green should have to answer for it. I wrote the mayor of Bowling Green and his response seems to indicate that the book was burnt during the firefighter’s work hours, although I must admit that it wasn’t exactly clear when the mayor said it created a hostile work environment. It requires further investigation to be made clear.
Charles R.L. Power says
The individual has a constitutional right to express himself. He does not have any constitutional right to a particular employment. “Congress shall make no law…” does not extend to employers, nor is an employer obliged to overlook conduct which is inappropriate to the job just because it does not happen on the job.
duh swami says
You are going to love and respect Islam like it or not…president Hillary will see to that…
Carolyne says
Give me 20 million dollars like Saudi Arabia gave the Clinton Foundation and I’ll make a stab at liking it.
Won’t walk around in a garbage bag though.
Carole Kotkiewicz says
Since when did United States firefighters lose their rights as a citizen of the United States of America?