Don't burn the Koran, plead Church leaders

Catholic leaders worldwide and US officials are protesting against a plan to publicly burn the Koran on September 11.

Larry Jones of Dove World Outreach Center in Gainesville has said that he wants to hold a "Koran Burning Day" on Saturday's anniversary of the 2001 terrorist attacks, reports Zenit.

Archbishop Lawrence Saldanha of Lahore, Pakistan, president of the Pakistan Catholic Bishops Conference, told Fides, "We strongly condemn this intention and this campaign, as it is contrary to the respect due to all religions, as well as contrary to our doctrine and to our faith."

Nazir Bhatti, chairman of the Pakistan Christian Congress, also appealed for the stopping of this initiative as "it could seriously harm Christian minorities in Muslim-majority countries."

This "Koran Burning Day," he said, "will be used by radical Islamists as a pretext to attack Christians."

Cardinal Oswald Gracias, archbishop of Mumbai, India, and president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India and several Christian and Muslim religious leaders said in a joint statement that the proposed act was "contrary to the teaching of Jesus Christ."

The cardinal said: "I condemn this completely insensitive threat that is disrespectful to the Holy Quran, on behalf of the Catholic Church".

Bishop Johannes Pujasumarta of Bandung, Indonesia, secretary general of the Indonesian bishops' conference, told Fides: "We have expressed our disagreement and have launched an appeal to have it cancelled.

"We will continue to pray that nothing unpleasant occurs in Indonesia and throughout the world as a result of this irresponsible act".

Various US leaders have also joined the Church leaders in condemning this initiative, Zenit said. This includes General David Petraeus, commander of the troops in Afghanistan, who said the act could endanger the soldiers under his care.