The story behind burned Qurans found on the steps of the Islamic Center of Blacksburg serves as a reminder that rash judgments based on emotional responses often are in error.
The Roanoke Times reacted in much the same way as the community when the story broke last month. Only profound contempt of Muslims could motivate such a despicable act, we noted editorially. Writers of letters to the editor agreed, and the Blacksburg Town Council prepared to condemn hate-fueled acts of vandalism. This contemptuous act could not be explained away.
Or could it?
As it turns out, a Muslim studying at Virginia Tech, and preparing for a trip to Egypt, left the charred remnants at the mosque out of respect for the Islamic holy book. Blacksburg police said the man contacted the department to explain the Quran was damaged during a house fire last year. He left the bag at the mosque hoping that the contents would be disposed of properly. The explanatory note he left apparently blew away.
Perhaps the man could have found a better way to communicate with mosque members. But his effort now to contact police from Egypt, upon learning that his benign act was viewed as a malignancy in the community, alleviates concern that Blacksburg's Muslims are targets of hate.
The tendency to overreact to anything connected with Muslims remains an unfortunate lingering consequence from Sept. 11. When some prominent religious and national leaders insist on sowing fear of all things Muslim, linking all to terrorists, their followers tend to react in kind.
And when news stories report that Muslims were offended when U.S. agents desecrated Qurans to entice Iraqi prisoners to cooperate, it is easy to think "copy cat" when burned Qurans turn up at a neighborhood mosque.
But reflexively leaping to protect and defend a group targeted ostensibly by hatemongers, as we did, is just as misguided. The lesson to be learned, yet again: Gather facts, not prejudices, before reaching a conclusion.