Terry Jones is the infamous Qur’an-burning pastor. I am not a supporter of Terry Jones; I oppose burning books. I believe in free speech and free discourse. The thuggish, authoritarian Left shuts down opposing views and censors those whom it hates. Burning books is the kind of thing they do, if not literally, then by shutting down, smearing and defaming those whom they hate. I am not inclined to emulate them.
All that said, however, Terry Jones lives in a nation that has the First Amendment in its Constitution. It is not illegal for him to dislike Islam or to burn Qur’ans. There is the strong sense in this article that he was rightly fired by Uber (the Post reporter, a Muslim, even called Uber and alerted them to who Jones was, and so is likely responsible for getting Jones fired) for having negative opinions about Islam.
So now your Uber driver has to love Islam; is it acceptable for your plumber to take a dim view of Buddhism? The Left is becoming so totalitarian, so inhospitable to the slightest dissent, that even when a critic of Islam is doing something that has nothing to do with Islam, Leftists move to shut him down. Jones cannot run his french fry stand and he can’t drive for Uber; what can he do? The Left just wants him dead, that’s all. Similarly, when I was scheduled to speak several years ago at an education conference that had nothing to do with Islam, the Left-fascist Nathan Lean of Georgetown University (who has several times posted a link on Twitter to what he thinks is my home address, in an obvious attempt to get me killed by jihadis and/or frighten me into silence) successfully got the host, a Catholic bishop, to cancel the event (it was held at another location) because of my work on Islam. The Left, quite simply, wants to make it impossible for critics of Islam to do anything, impossible for us to make a living, impossible for us to exist. Leftists want us dead. Then everyone who comes after us will be too intimidated to utter the slightest critical word against the advancing jihad.
As for the argument that Jones was endangering passengers because of the death fatwas on his head, it is just more surrendering to violent intimidation, which will only encourage more violent intimidation. Want to render a man unemployable and destitute? Threaten him with death, and the cowards will shun him wholesale. Ask the folks at Saint Anselm College in New Hampshire. People who ride with Jones are incurring a risk? People who are doing anything on the planet are incurring a risk. The idea that Jones cannot hold a job having nothing to do with Islam because he would put people around him in danger of being attacked by Islamic jihadis will only result in encouraging Islamic jihadis to issue more threats, since they see how well they work in our cowardly, pusillanimous society.
Note also the dishonesty of Post reporter Faiz Siddiqui: at the beginning of his article he says that “Jones admits he had been sharing his anti-Muslim message with passengers,” but at the end he quotes Jones saying he only talks about it if people ask him to. That’s Washington Post “reporting” for you — all in a day’s work for the establishment propaganda media.
“The Koran-burning preacher has been driving for Uber,” by Faiz Siddiqui, Washington Post, February 4, 2016:
Even the Koran-burning preacher himself was surprised when he was approved to drive for Uber last month.
“I don’t know how much research they do,” Terry Jones, 65, said from his Florida home Saturday.
If the name sounds familiar, it’s because Jones made headlines worldwide in 2010 when he organized International Burn a Koran Day. It sparked death threats and global protests and earned him a No. 2 spot on an al-Qaeda hit list. There’s a $2 million bounty on his head, and a radical Iranian cleric has called for his execution.
Since then, his financial pursuits have been under scrutiny. He was hoping to relocate his “Fry Guys” french fry stand from one Florida mall to another when managers began figuring out who he was. It was 2015, shortly after the Charlie Hebdo massacre in Paris, and his fry stand became the pulpit for his anti-Islam message. He made the local news.
He recalled how one mall manager took “one good look at me” and said “Fry Guys,” and Jones knew he wouldn’t get the sought-after location.
But Uber, he said, didn’t follow up about his past when he sought work to subsidize his “semi-retirement” earlier this year.
“I wondered if this would be a similar thing,” Jones said. “They didn’t ask.”
After inquiries from a Washington Post reporter, Uber suspended Jones on Saturday to investigate his account and activity on the platform. Jones admits he had been sharing his anti-Muslim message with passengers and carrying a 9mm gun for self-defense — in violation of Uber’s firearms prohibition policy.
The Post learned of Jones’s employment with the company after it was contacted by a customer who had ridden with him, recognized him, and was disturbed.
“If you’re driving people around, it doesn’t hurt to have some type of defense,” Jones said, adding that he didn’t know about Uber’s firearms policy.
Jones had been driving for Uber in the Bradenton, Sarasota and Tampa Bay areas since late last month, around the same time the ride-hailing firm was defending itself for giving rides during a taxi protest of President Trump’s travel ban, and reaffirming its support for immigrants and refugees.
“As Uber’s community guidelines make clear, we maintain a zero-tolerance policy against discrimination,” an Uber spokeswoman said in a statement Saturday. “We expect drivers and riders to always treat each other with respect and nothing less. What’s been described here is totally unacceptable and has no place in our community. We’ve removed the driver’s access and are looking into this matter.”
Jones said he enjoys the opportunity to make money on his own time. He estimates that he made $400 last week, working a little more than 50 hours.
However, the fact that Jones was able to gain employment with the company raises renewed questions about the effectiveness of the company’s screening process for its drivers. Jones is outspoken in his condemnation of Islam, and the Southern Poverty Law Center and the Anti-Defamation League have both placed him on their watch lists of hate groups.
Jones has not tried to hide his beliefs, and he insisted in an interview Saturday that he believes Trump’s travel ban should go even further and stop “all Islamic immigration into America for right now.”
Uber said Jones passed a background check in late January and had been active on the app for less than two weeks. The screenings, which encompass local, state and federal databases and motor vehicle records, go back seven years. While it condemned Jones’s actions, Uber said his past behavior was not disqualifying because two recent arrests of his were dismissed.
One passenger who rode with Jones recently feared for other riders because of the threats on Jones’s life. The passenger included a screenshot of Jones’s account and vehicle information, which The Post confirmed but is not publishing because of concerns he and others could be targeted.
“An innocent customer could get caught up in that insanity,” said the passenger, who asked not to be named out of fear of retaliation.
“This is not a good situation, and I have lost all faith in Uber.”…
Dave Sutton, spokesman for “Who’s Driving You?”, a taxi industry initiative that lists offenses committed by ride-hailing drivers on its website, feared for customers who might ride with Jones.
“With the bounty, you’re potentially placing a target on your unwitting passengers’ heads,” he said. “Someone with these type of extremist views is not going to mix well with his fellow drivers but is very likely to get into an inflammatory argument. That’s a bad setup, it’s a terrible setup.”…
Jones said multiple passengers have recognized him since he began driving. While his views are unchanged, he said, he doesn’t bring them up unless customers ask. In one recent instance, when a customer asked if he believed there were any “good” Muslims, Jones replied: “Yeah, I think there’s good Muslims and bad Muslims, but I don’t think there’s any good Islam.”…

girlgirl says
disgusting and shameful. social justice warriors never stop to amaze me
Saleem Smith says
Uber has now become Sharia compliant! How lovely.
Now that Uber has enforced Islam’s blasphemy laws, will they go on to ban other Haram (forbidden) things such as pork, dogs, alcohol, apostates, etc in their taxi cab services to further accommodate the growing demands of the Muslims? We ex-Muslims know that Islam is an idiotic fraud.
A Harris USA says
Uber can drive it’s self to the poor house as far as I am concerned.. Just like CNN, their sponsors, and other left wing minions, I do not spend my money for their benefit. Just do not use this PC company.. Enough people who realize that supporting these nuts, the sooner they go away.. The lack of support is the best way to end this crap.. Along with mass deportation, and stopping the pigs from coming in here..
TruthWFree says
Unfortunate that our leaders do not listen to you ex-Muslims. You have the greatest credibility relative to the evils of Islam because you leave Islam under the threat of death for apostasy. Islam is a cancer on mankind and should be outlawed not only in America but also the world. Islam is a recipe for eternal fighting and killing among mankind. Satan must be pleased with his death cult religion.
Ian from Liverpool says
Uber can goto hell now I will never again use their service.
Tom says
Me too!! Never Uber again.
Laura says
Lyft treats their drivers quite a bit better than Buber does. But they are both run by hyper-leftists getting rich off people who need to earn a little money – they oversaturate cities with drivers now, so it is practically impossible to earn any money unless you are driving your car into the ground 14 hours a day.
gravenimage says
Uber is building a huge new headquarters not a mile from my home.
Beagle says
The sharia witch hunt continues against anyone who does not accept Islam as our established religion. Amazing. Jones is the person in danger. But the media continues its persecution in a transparent attempt to get him murdered.
Shmooviyet says
How fulfilling, to take a chance at $400.00 a month away from a 65 yr.old semi-retired man– same a..holes who carry signs declaring ‘love trumps hate’ LOL!
One can feel the sense of triumph and self-satisfaction in the author’s tone.
Us Uber You.
Angemon says
Perfectly moral, for the left, to go after one’s job – after all, he’s a “wrongthinker” whose “wrongthink” is in the way of their utopia and thus deserves whatever he gets.
Didn’t we had something like that in some countries? How did that end up in USSR, Cuba or China? Oh, yeah – dead bodies by the millions.
mgoldberg says
And yet will anyone accost the Washington Post, for it’s use of repression to prevent the employ of a man who has not threatened to harm, let alone kill anyone- only to have an opinion about an ideology that does so threaten all others.
Where is the pushback against the Washington Post??
gravenimage says
Angemon wrote:
Perfectly moral, for the left, to go after one’s job – after all, he’s a “wrongthinker” whose “wrongthink” is in the way of their utopia and thus deserves whatever he gets.
………………………
Exactly, Angemon. Would any of us try to get someone fired from a position where one’s political opinions have no bearing on the performance of their job? If, for instance, an Uber driver hated Donald Trump and considered those who voted for him a “basket of deplorables”? So long as he was polite to customers and coworkers, it would make no difference to me. I might disagree with him, but it would never occur to me to try to threaten his livelihood, nor would that be at all ethical.
somehistory says
“An innocent customer could get caught up in that insanity”
Meanwhile back at the ranch, Jones is ***innocent*** of a crime in this. It is not a crime to burn a book. It is not a crime to say what he thinks about islam and moslims.
To think or to express a view or to burn a book….are not crimes.
To be a crime, it must be written in the statutes….and many things are written there that perhaps should not be…but these are not written there as yet.
Anne Smith says
Unfortunately it is now a crime in UK to burn the Quran. Other books? That’s OK. But a Quran? Oh no, that’s a “hate” crime and you will be punished.
gravenimage says
Yes–Jones has done nothing illegal.
mgoldberg says
We need to fight this fascist progressivism, and again here, against one man, the evidence for the tyranny of progressivism is clearly on view. Yet… it is still nearly impossible to even evidence the event let alone get people to comment upon the tyranny it demonstrates. This is a problem the solutions for which need to arrive swiftly. We need to demonstrate all the events of tryanny and repression that have occured and grown up with the left, the progressives and Islam these last 15 yrs or so.
Frank Anderson says
They seem to hire/employ/contract Muslim drivers who despise Infidels every day. Correct? In the US under the legal rule of “fire at will” a person can be fired or refused employment for any reason or no reason at all, as long as it is not part of an illegal discrimination scheme or practice. In Alabama, one of the most egregious cases is Comerford v. International Harvester, from the 1930’s where a man was fired because his wife refused to have sex with his boss. In the 1980’s Comerford was cited and reaffirmed in the case of Meredith v. C.E. Walther. Meredith was fired for joining a suit, an exercise of Constitutionally protected petition of government, over Walther stealing the pension plans as part of taking over the company.
“Hire/Fire at Will” has been addressed to a pitiful extent in Europe by making the practice dirt cheap to protect the employers from claims that should limit the practice. I suggest that good people find a way to take business away from the abusers, starting with their own and spreading the word, until the abusers are removed from their positions of control.
dumbledoresarmy says
From the article – “..he believes Trump’s travel ban should go even further and stop “all Islamic immigration into America for right now.”
AGREE!
I, an Australian, think that the USA would be completely within its rights – and completely sensible – to STOP all further entry of identifiable Muslims, from anywhere, into the USA, *right now*… and forever.
Got Muslims? – Got Jihad.
Got Muslims? – Got Jihad.
*That* is what the myriad Useful Idiots are wilfully refusing to see… and what the equally numerous or perhaps more numerous mohammedans in masks (including, quite probably, a number of nuaym bin Masuds, closet converts to Islam who are busy working to advance their Cult by any means they can) are doing everything possible to *prevent* people from seeing.. until it is too late.
JMB says
I will reply to this post because I am also Australian. You have raised a number of issues;
1, Uber is a very grey area under Australian Law, also I don’t think it has really caught on here. But I get the feeling that most Uber drivers are Indian or Muslim, likewise too many regular Taxi drivers are Indian and/or Muslim. Most female passengers are absolutely frightened of them and a number of sexual assaults have taken place. In one disgusting incident an Indian (regular) taxi driver could not wait to get his grotty paws all over my disabled wife.
2, Entry of Muslims. While many commentators both here and in the USA are being very self righteous about Trump’s immigration controls it should be remembered that Australia has the best “wall” of all, it is called the ocean. But despite strict border controls we still have terrorists and the scum of the earth, as in the taxi driver mentioned above, continue to enter this country in large numbers.
In the meantime the support for the anti-immigration One Nation Party here in Australia is increasing all the time. Ms Hanson who leads this party has called for a Royal Commission into Islam in Australia. This can not happen too soon.
Mark Spahn (West Seneca, NY) says
“the Post reporter, a Muslim”: What is the source of the information that this Washington Post reporter, named Faiz Siddiqui, is a Muslim? I was unable to verify this or to find a personal website where Faiz Siddiqui claims to be a Muslim. What kind of Muslim is he? Ahmadiyah? Shia? Sunni? And by the way, the name Siddiq(u)i is sometimes spelled with, and sometimes without, a “u”. Is this difference significant, or is it just a difference in pronunciation, “-kee” versus “-kwee”?
Anonymous says
Faiz Siddiqui is a muslim name. The u in the name is just a stylized way of spelling it.
With or without the u, it’s always pronounced “-kee”.
Not sure whether he is Sunni or Shia though.
gravenimage says
Yes, definitely a Muslim name.
DFD says
How, rightfully!, outraged you all are. You are where we Euros were about a year ago. Would you like me to foretell your future. No tricks, no crystal ball, no tarrot cards. Just an amazing ability to foresee….
patriotliz says
Too many Americans and Europeans are self-hating and suicidal due to propaganda from the Soros Leftist Globalists to destroy Western Civilization—specifically European nations, United States, Canada and Australia. I’m curious if there is any crackdown on Islamophobia for example in Mexico, Brazil, Japan, India, etc.? India has had Islamic terrorist attacks….China and North Korea crackdown on all religions but don’t think Muslim migrants could even be allowed into those countries. If a Muslim country bans Muslim migrants/refugees…does that make them Islamophobic?
Marty says
I will no longer use uber. Pity. It is convenient, but defense of the First Amendment takes precedence.
SaipanSam says
Muslims burn churches (and worse) and they are welcomed with open arms… Make a constitutionally protected statement and you’re treated as if you’re a murderer
davej says
Remember Obama told us “the future must (will) not belong to those who slander the Prophet”. (2012).
“Slander” means telling an untruth. The critics of Islam are not telling untruths, they are absolutely accurate and backed up with numerous references. There is no need to exaggerate or make things up – the truth is sufficient and incriminating enough.
“Blasphemy” on the other hand does not reference truth, it only means insulting, irreverent or sacrilegious. It is more of a perception, a matter of hurt feelings not lies.
So we critics of Islam may be charged with blasphemy but definitely not slander. On the other hand what was Obama’s ROP line – it was slander.
dumbledoresarmy says
The Muslimspeak definition of ‘slander’ is different from the Infidel definition.
*We* interpret ‘slander’ to mean “saying something bad about someone that is *not true*”.
For *them* – living in an honor-shame culture – ‘slander’ = ‘saying something about so-and-so that so-and-so does not like”. And whether the ‘something’ that is said is true or false is absolutely irrelevant.
Saying *true* things about someone, things that are true but imply a criticism, e.g. “Mohammed raped his girl-wife Aisha” = ‘slander’, from the Muslim POV.
gravenimage says
Spot on, DDA. In Islam, it does not matter if such “slander” is true, so long as it is something the Muslim does not known–or even does not want spoken of critically.
wisdom says
so criticizing Islam now carries a dangerous consequence in the west,meaning no hope for persecuted minorities in Islamic hell holes.Islamic blasphemy laws in the west incredible result of coward ignorant lefty governments.You shouldn’t be pitied,your stupidity destroyed you but your children does not .
citycat says
A line from the War Department Washington to troops
1939?
“the first and major duty Hitler has given his propaganda chiefs is to separate Britain and America and spread distrust between them”
And now it is to divide each
country from within
> > >
JawsV says
The scourge of Islam continues to infect our great Judeo-Christian culture. All the way down to who drives for uber. It’s unbelievable the West’s groveling to inferiors.
Carolyne says
While I, too, disapprove of burning books, I do not disapprove of destroying a book which is one’s own property, no matter what the book is. In fact, who am I to disapprove if this man wants to burn a book which belongs to him? Might do it myself.
What I do disapprove of, and disapprove strongly, is a person losing his livelihood because he opposes a philosophy which wants to destroy his country and kill him and millions of others in the name of their dubious god.
Donovan says
Honestly, this isn’t really a story. Uber rightly considers Terry Jones a liability, keeping in mind he was violating their weapons rule. Jones stoke the flames with the Koran burning stunt and he’s been ostracised ever since. So maybe he’s just bad for business; it’s their right to now want him on board if he has broken two of their corporate codes. The guys was kind of dumb for bringing that much heat towards himself. He ventured off the path of making arguments through words and did something pretty inflammatory, stirring up a bunch of clash-of-religions feelings.
JawsV says
Yes, it’s a story. A 65 year old man who never harmed anyone loses his humble job because the Washington Post Leftists alert his employer about his Islam beliefs. It’s a huge story. Orwellian.
Donovan says
Well, I’m not a Leftist but I would certainly never hire this guy. I wouldn’t want to hire a book-buner in general. I doubt Robert Spencer would treat someone, especially a Muslim, burning the New or Old Testaments in the same way. Anyhow, I like this site but this article tends to show some of the hypocrisies. And a bit the holding to reality.. I don’t really want Koran-thumpers driving me around nor do I want Koran-burners driving me around. Speaking as a secularist.
JawsV says
I couldn’t care less if he burned Korans or not. About a Muslim burning the Bible – who cares? Jews and Christians wouldn’t go bat-shit crazy like the nutcase Mohammedans who can’t control their rage and anger. Terry Jones is a brave guy. He understands the menace of Islam and how it must be stopped. The Koran celebrates death and destruction of others (“Infidels”). The unholy books should be consigned to the trash bin of history.
gravenimage says
Donovan wrote:
Jones stoke the flames with the Koran burning stunt and he’s been ostracised ever since….The guys was kind of dumb for bringing that much heat towards himself. He ventured off the path of making arguments through words and did something pretty inflammatory, stirring up a bunch of clash-of-religions feelings.
…………………….
Don’t you know that critics of Islam who would never consider burning a Qur’an are under death threat from the followers of the violent creed–including the civilized Robert Spencer who runs this site?
I guess anyone who dares criticize the horror of Islam is “kind of dumb for bringing that much heat towards himself”. Really, so much better to just go quietly into submission to Islam…sarc/off
stacy French says
The left in a sense burned books by eliminating the majority of old books from libraries in the mid eighties.
It was accomplished due to a Teacher (leftist) saying that all of the old books were irrelevant. That is why one sees very few old books on the shelves.
The elimination of those books has allowed the left to re-write history and implant their brand of socialism upon America.
Native jo says
Censorship and bullying at its best. How many rapist Muslim cabbies and uber people are there? I’ve read about many. But like a good little Muslim busybody protects the koran over passages.
gravenimage says
Uber driver gets fired for disliking Islam
………………………
*Disgusting*–I would not feel endangered being driven by Mr. Jones.
It sounds as though the Muslim writer wants to make it impossible for him to set up his Fry Guys stand anywhere, either. As Robert Spencer notes, “Want to render a man unemployable and destitute? Threaten him with death, and the cowards will shun him wholesale.”
And note: this is especially insane, given that so many cab and Uber drivers are Muslim–I’ve been hassled by these Muslims for transporting pets in carriers and threatened for being out without my husband. And that is the least of it: others have been assaulted, raped, and killed. Let no one would bar a Muslim driver for his beliefs–or even ask him about his beliefs, in mast cases.
What an injustice.
Carolyne says
Personally, I wouldn’t get into a Uber car. I have read that the majority of the drivers are Muslim and I would not want to be alone with a Muslim man in a car where he could drive me anywhere he likes and do whatever his Koran tells him he can do.
I think they should be put out of business since they are so eager to punish an elderly man for his beliefs.
UNCLE VLADDI says
As leftopaths ARE masochists who automatically Submit to group-might-made-“right,” proudly becoming extortionist gangsters and slavers, of course they’re “intolerant!”
Globalization is simply their ultimate goal, to expand their “rightful” ability to extort and enslave their victims, while simultaneously diluting their own personal responsibility!
solange silverman says
“Koran is not even third grade literature. You can see this man (Muhammad) seems to be not normal. In koran, there is nothing elevating. It is so full of rubbish. It is not a religious book at all. It has come out of a feverish mind and very mediocre. Muhammad’s life was just fighting, killing. On his sword, he has written, ‘My message is peace.”” ~ OSHO, an Indian mystic, guru, spiritual teacher and religious scholar. After intense study of Islam and after being asked for its outstanding qualities, OSHO said he searched intently for them but regrettably had only this to report.
Paul Wheeler says
It is fine for any private company not to hire any person who is not in a protected class (e.g., black, over 40, female, yada yada yada). Private companies have that right and should be free to exercise it.
Uber owes Terry Jones nothing. If Uber believes that its business would suffer by having him as driver, it is not required to commit corporate suicide in order to keep Jones employed.
The above said, one should recall that a) Lenin predicted that the capitalists would sell the Communists the rope to hang them (capitalists) and b ) Joseph Kennedy Sr.’s assertion that all businessmen are pricks.
Jose Luis Toledo says
I am deleting my UBER Apps as of TODAY!
Never will ever use it again.
If we are going to be intimidated every time that we want to defend ourselves, then something will have to give up…. SOON.