Quran burning draws controversy

by Nishant Ramayan
September 9, 2010

http://www.weeklyblitz.net/974/quran-burning-draws-controversy

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Under tremendous pressure from U.S. officials all the way up to President Barack Obama, a Florida pastor on Thursday called off a Quran burning he'd scheduled for Saturday - the anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks - that had drawn international condemnation and posed a potential threat to national security. Details. Though the program is called off, YouTube is continuing various commercials against Islam and Quran on its sites.

Sensible Americans are terming Pastor Terry Jones as "enemy of peace" and an "agent of anti-American forces inside United States". They demanded his immediate arrest and investigating the patrons of this controversial even. It is already reported that an organization led by a Lebanese woman in USA is funding such activities including killing Muslims by hired killers.

Earlier Interpol issued a global alert to its 188 member countries Thursday, warning of a "strong likelihood" of violent attacks if plans for a burning a Quran in Florida go ahead. Here is a commercial on Burning A Quran Day issued by the organizers to promote the event. Here is another commercial. And here and here and here and here and here and here.

The international police organization said it issued the alert at the request of Pakistani Interior Minister Rehman Malik, who had requested the group's assistance. Interpol said Malik wanted Interpol to warn law enforcement of the increased terrorist threat if plans for the burning are carried out. Reactions to this even are HERE and HERE and HERE.

On the last day of Ramadan, Fl.orida pastor Terry Jones has planned to commemorate September 11 attacks by burning copies of Quran. The church Jones founded in Germany in the 1980s is even condemning the upcoming Quran-burning at Terry's small place of worship in Gainesville, Florida.

For the second time in about 18 hours, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has condemned a Florida pastor's plan to burn copies of the Quran on the anniversary of 9/11. Clinton also expressed her hope that the media will not cover the event on Saturday "as an act of patriotism."

"It's regrettable that a pastor in Gainesville, FL, with a church of no more than 50 people can make this outrageous and distressful, disgraceful plan, and get the world's attention," she told a group at the Council on Foreign Relations. "It doesn't in any way represent America, or Americans, or the American government, or American religious or political leadership," she said, adding that the planned act "will have potentially great harm for our troops."

Stephan Baar of Christian Community of Cologne to Associated Press, "We are surprised and shocked at the extreme radicalism being displayed [by Jones]."

The 60-member church kicked out Jones in 2008. Jones' estranged daughter says, the eviction arose from her father's reported penchant for dipping into the church's till to pay his own expenses.

Jones' wish to burn hundreds of copies of Quran has drawn a wide chorus of protests. General Favid Perraeus said, the action could hurt US troops, while hundreds of Afghans protested in Kabul and burned Jones in effigy. The Gainesville Fire Department has denied Jones a permit for the event – but the pastor says, he plans to go ahead with it anyway.

Commenting on Jones' plan, Vatican said, "the terrorist attacks of 9/11 cannot be countered by an outrageous and grave gesture against a book considered sacred by a religious community.

US Attorney General Eric Holder called the plan "idiotic and dangerous".

Hollywood super star Angelina Jolie spoke out against the plan while visiting Pakistan to raise awareness about the devastating floods. "I have hardly the words that somebody would do that to somebody's religious book", she said.

It is learnt that, a Lebanese born female activist in United States, who reportedly has closer ties with Hezbollah during her stays in that country, is patronizing such activities inside USA with the agenda of putting United States into real diplomatic jeopardy. The female activist is reportedly trying hiring Muslim and non-Muslim killers to kill Muslims inside USA with her mission of combating Islam. Several anti-Semitic and anti-US groups and individuals are putting fund into such activities of the Lebanese woman.

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