Quran Burning FAIL: Skateboarder Foils Extremist (VIDEO)

Is it news when somebody burns a Quran? It probably shouldn't have been.

Is it news when somebody DOESN'T burn a Quran. No. Well, maybe ...

Enter Jacob Isom, a resident of Amarillo, TX. The 23-year-old skateboarder happend to be nearby when he heard somebody mention burning a copy of the Quran. Apparently that didn't seem too righteous to Jacob, who snatched away the holy book -- already doused in a flammable liquid -- and told the agitator, "Dude, you have no Quran!" before running off.

The Amarillo Globe-News reports that Isom was wearing a t-shirt with the words, "I'm in Repent Amarillo No Joke" handwritten on the back and he accused David Grisham, from Christian fundamentalist group Repent Amarillo, of "trying to start Holy Wars."

Think Progress noticed that there's a happy ending: "As Amarillo Citizens Against Repent Amarillo's Facebook page shows, Isom made sure the book made it into the safe hands of a smiling local Muslim leader."

The incident occurred during a rally against Quran burning organized by the Amarillo Unitarian Universalist Fellowship at Sam Houston Park. No word on whether Grisham wants his Quran back. Apparently he wasn't a fan, anyway.

WATCH:

Comments

[elan4444]

03:05 PM on 09/17/2010

Just remembered a letter in Tuesday's NY Times: "While Americans are encouraged to learn more about Islam in order to combat the widespread misconceptions of that faith, are Muslims being encouraged to learn more about faiths other than Islam? Very few Muslim countries have incorporated the academic study of other religions into their curriculums. How can there be understanding and tolerance if such teaching and learning are mainly on one side?"
Carol Delaney, professor of cultural and social anthropology, Stanford University

[westakhen]

11:49 AM on 09/24/2010

studying islam means you will de facto learn the biblical stories

Islam is an abrahamic faith

like christian study encompasses many aspects of judaism, islamic study encompasses many aspects of chrisitianity and judaism

[MSP79]

08:08 AM on 09/16/2010

I shall show this to any Muslim extremist that would call: Death to America!

Well done Yanks

[MalloMel]

11:44 AM on 09/15/2010

Hello!

[Ishmael1]

05:45 AM on 09/15/2010

The latest news out of Amarillo is that David Grisham, the attempted Koran burner, has been locked out of the Pantex Plant and is under suspension while his Security Clearance is Reviewed. No clearance, No Job.

[KriTiKiT]

06:04 AM on 09/15/2010

Word and a Nod...a....Clue ; )

[ejhickey]

10:45 AM on 09/15/2010

what is your source for this news . I could not find any corroboration of your statement that Grisham has been suspended and his Security Clearance is under review. do you have a link?

also , if DG is terminated and the termination is related in any way to his personal beliefs and not his job performance. He may be eligible for unemployment compensation and have the basis for a wrongful termination lawsuit either through the EEOC an through the courts. If successful , he could collect back wages and punitive damages . Additionally he may have a claim against anyone who pressures his employer to fire him if they provide any false information. Getting DG fired might satisfy some short term revenge motive on the part of some people , but might have long term adverse consequences. be careful what you wish for.

[ssfahrer]

11:50 PM on 09/14/2010

Some might wish we could say "You have no Quran" to all Moslems.... This act may actually BACKFIRE by encouraging radical Christians to STEAL Qurans from Moslems and run like heck, so they can burn them in private or public and post the videos to YouTube....

[HenryDavid]

12:49 PM on 09/14/2010

Jacob,

To put it in the Hoosier vernacular, "You done good!"

[Copperhead]

11:07 AM on 09/14/2010

Funny-the skateboarder rocks.

[AdHack]

10:50 AM on 09/14/2010

I want to see video of the skateboard dude the moment he grabbed the Koran from the deluded loser.

[leftyrock]

09:41 AM on 09/14/2010

Dude got outsmarted by a stoned Napoleon Dynamite!!! yes!!

[rambot02]

08:59 AM on 09/14/2010

For all the posters who are in a lather because Jacob Isom stole property (and this is petty theft at most), are you equally outraged by this case of vandalism and disorderly conduct?

"And they come to Jerusalem: and Jesus went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves." -- Mark 11:15

Just asking.

[kamachanda]

09:24 AM on 09/14/2010

I'm only upset because the people he cast from the temple became investment bankers.

[JStading]

03:48 PM on 09/14/2010

1) You can't be charged with vandalizing your own property. If you could be, you could never paint your own house.

2) It wasn't disorderly conduct. If basic non-combative speech was disorderly conduct, the government could arrest every person who went to any political rally, protested anything, etc., on the grounds that others could get offended.

3) We are not in a theocracy so I don't know what the biblical quote has to do with this.

[rambot02]

04:57 PM on 09/14/2010

Your post makes little sense to me. Please explain:

In response to your first point: Jesus didn't own the property he overturned when he cast the money changers out of the temple so the argument that "You can't be charged with vandalizing your own property" doesn't apply.

Re. Point 2: The disorderly conduct charge wasn't for Jesus' speech but for his actions. You can't upset tables and chairs that belong to others.

Re. Point 3: Of course we don't live in a theocracy. Does that mean that a person can't use a biblical story to make a point about a related incident?

[KriTiKiT]

05:05 PM on 09/14/2010

it has alot to do with it... you can't burn someone's holy scriptures then hide behind the constitution, but then say the book of acts told him to burn it.
This so called "pastor" dave is a extremist wrecking machine, and he will take you money to fund the torment of small businesses and individual citzens to build his "army of god"

[ladyearth]

08:12 AM on 09/14/2010

Divine intervention.

[rbarry647]

07:52 AM on 09/14/2010

Mr. Isom is my new hero, thank you for your courage Jacob.

[blueinannarbor]

07:29 AM on 09/14/2010

Why don't the 'Baggers go to Monticello and burn Thom Jefferson's Koran? That would send a great message wouldn't it? Of course, the 'Bagger message is: "We're a bunch of narcissistic hate mongers who need to get lives." But that would send a great message.

[sunshine14]

07:26 AM on 09/14/2010

Did Christ die only for Christians? Or did Christ die only for Protestants? Or did Christ die only for non-believers? Or did Christ die for believers who are also sinners? Or did Christ die for just Evangelicals, RCC, Muslims, Jews? Or did Christ Die for all, for all were sinners? Or did Christ die only for Land? Which one is it?

God said in His wrath He is going to destroy this second earth by Fire. Sounds like God is not pleased with anyone does it?

God said the earth is my Foot stool, did he not? Who dare pick up the first stone and call themselves so self righteous?

Not even God Christ allow and also rebuke strongly His disciples for calling Christ Good. Christ said. Do not call me good, for only My Father is Good. So were does that leave all who boast of such self righteousness?

[sunshine14]

07:20 AM on 09/14/2010

Not burning the Quarn did not fail it saved many a poor soul from spewing their own h&te, which only saves the one who spew their h&te toward other human beings and those who are falsely accusing other human beings, persecuting them, throw the first stone and judging themselves as being so self righteous, worthly only to enter the Kingdom of Heaven, which both h&te and persecution, falsely persecuting others, is sin,that only destroys the soul who does so. Sad