A Facebook Page of Florida Church to promote “burn copies of Koran”
World News || 31st July 2010
A Florida church was yesterday promoting an event where it will burn copies of the Koran to mark the ninth anniversary of the September 11 attacks on the U.S.
In the announcement on its Facebook page, The Dove World Outreach Center of Gainesville, Florida, asked other religious groups to join in standing “against the evil of Islam. Islam is of the devil!”
View the Facebook page. Click on this link http://www.facebook.com/pages/Everybody-Burn-Quran-Day/128549677181291
The Facebook event has received more than 1,500 “Like” recommendations by users, but had also been attacked with a number of threatening messages posted on the page and corresponding anti-Islam rants.
The church’s pastor, Terry Jones – who has written a book titled “Islam is of The Devil” and sells T-shirts bearing the same message – defended the controversial event.
According to Jones “Islam and Sharia law was responsible for 9/11,”.
“We will burn Korans because we think it’s time for Christians, for churches, for politicians to stand up and say no; Islam and Sharia law is not welcome in the U.S.
“We’ve got many death threats from jihad groups, but we cannot react by fear and we cannot compromise our beliefs. Somebody must stand up.”
The National Association of Evangelicals (NAE) called for the church to cancel the event. NAE said “It sounds like the proposed Koran burning is rooted in revenge,”.
“Yet the Bible says that Christians should ‘make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else.’”
Mainstream Muslim groups also denounced the move and lamented the sentiments promoted by the Gainesville church.
Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) believe “Florida and nationwide in rise of, Islamophobia”.
“The fear scattered as it might create anti-Muslim sentiments and may think this is a legitimate action and may want to attack a mosque or attack a Muslim on the street,”.
