Christian religious leaders condemn bid to burn Quran

LUCKNOW: Several Christian organisations have strongly condemned the plan of an American pastor, Terry Jones, to burn the holy Quran on Saturday (September 11), which is the anniversary of the bombing of the Twin Towers of World Trade Centre in New York.
Bishop Gerald Mathias of the Catholic Diocese of Lucknow in a statement said that this sacrilegious plan of a religious fanatic, a pastor, is unacceptable and condemnable.The Catholic Church in India, led by Catholic Bishop Conference of India has already condemned unequivocally this malicious plan.
President of All India Christian Council, John Dayal, while denouncing the plan of the American pastor, said that this is not a Christian way to register one's anger and sorrow over an act of wanton terrorism. He said that the best way to commemorate the memory of the innocent dead is to renounce violence, especially religion-motivated violence. "As Al Qaida does not represent the Islamic faith, similarly the US pastor certainly does not represent the teachings of Jesus Christ. It is carrying constitutional freedom of expression to ridiculous and dangerous extremes as there can be violent consequences of the little known pastor's Quixotic action,'' said Dayal.
In the same vein, R F Bunny, president, United Christian Welfare Association, condemning the pastor's threat said that hurting sentiments of others and deliberately provoking violence are not the tenets of any religion. Pastor Terry Jones' threat to make bonfire of copies of Quran is a highly condemnable act which deserves condemnation at the international level, said Bunny.