Quran burning update: East Lansing offers $10,000 reward

From the Lansing State Journal

"EAST LANSING — Officials are offering up to a $10,000 reward for information leading to the identification of people responsible for burning and desecrating a Quran here.

The Islamic holy book was found at the front door of the Islamic Center of East Lansing at about 1:30 a.m Saturday."

From WZZM Channel 13

"a mob in the Indian city of Malerkotla burned a Christian church in retaliation when they heard of the Quran incident here."

No surprise they would burn down a church in response.

"Sandra Berchtold, spokeswoman for the FBI's Detroit office, said the office continues to assess the situation."

Call in the feds to investigate, that seems extreme.

They are trying to call this a hate crime, but is this only a free speech issue? If people can burn flags, bibles or a copy of the U.S. constitution as free speech, why should burning the Quran be a crime? Was this act a threat or free speech?

An update:

From Detroit Free Press

"The man allegedly burned a Quran and left it outside an East Lansing mosque on the anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks. He surrendered Wednesday to authorities and has been identified as the culprit, Capt. Kim Johnson of East Lansing police said today."

"Johnson said the police investigation is ongoing and will continue. The case is to be forwarded to prosecutors in Ingham County for further review."

I bet they throw the book at him. Lets hope it's not a copy of the Quran that they throw at him.

Originally posted by MichiganSwampBuck
They are trying to call this a hate crime, but is this only a free speech issue? If people can burn flags, bibles or a copy of the U.S. constitution as free speech, why should burning the Quran be a crime? Was this act a threat or free speech?

Burning a Quran is an act of free speech. Burning a Quran on the front door of a mosque is about the same as burning a cross on the front lawn of a black person. Hate crime.

I'm not sure if the culprit burned it some place else then left it there, or burned it at the door step. I do see your point in your comparison to another hate crime.

I don't believe that the written word in the Qran or the Bible is the truth, because they were written by a lot of different people, but I sympathize about the burning of the Qran - that has hurt many people.