Qu'ran Burning On Again, Off Again

This conflict between Reverend Terry Jones and Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf raises two constitutional issues, both involving the first amendment. In the first amendment of the US Constitution, we, as citizens, are guaranteed freedom of religion and freedom of speech. "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech..."  Therefore, Imam Rauf can technically build a mosque near Ground Zero, and Reverend Jones may technically burn Qu'rans in protest.  A quote by Iraq's top Shiite cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani describes my viewpoint of this situation perfectly. "This disgraceful act contradicts the very duties of religious and spiritual leadership to enhance the value of peaceful coexistence and safeguard the rights and mutual respect among citizens." When I first heard about Reverend Jones' plan on the news this morning, my initial thought was that Christianity and Islam have similar roots. According to Imam Rauf, the anniversary of 9/11 should be a time of prayer and reflection for people of all religions. Even this article acknowledges that the Qu'ran is still the word of God, just in a different form. My second thought after hearing about this incident on the news was that burning the Qu'ran isn't a very Christian thing to do, and I wondered how Reverend Jones' parishoners felt. In the article, it said Reverend Jones' parishoners were happy with his decision to cancel the burning of the Qu'ran and that religious centers in the surrounding area were planning on reading passages from it to counteract his protest.