World leaders condemn Koran-burning plan
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World leaders and government officials have condemned the Kuran-burning plan of U.S. pastor Terry Jones and raised concerns that the move may spark Muslim outrage around the globe and endanger U.S. interests.
In the latest development on Friday, Jones announced to put on hold his plan to burn hundreds of Koran copies Saturday to mark the anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks, but threatened to go ahead unless his demand to relocate a mosque project in New York is satisfied.
Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari has condemned the plan as "despicable," saying it will inflame "sentiments among Muslims throughout the world and cause irreparable damage to interfaith harmony and also to world peace."
In a statement Thursday, the president called for "doing all that it takes to stop such a senseless and outrageous act."
Indian Interior Minister Palaniappan Chidambaram called on U.S. authorities to take "strong action" to prevent such an "outrage" and urged the Indian media to exercise "great restraint" over the coverage of the act to help maintain peace and harmony.
Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono sent a letter to U.S. President Barack Obama urging him to prevent Jones from fulfilling his plan. In the letter Susilo said the plan is a threat to world peace, and Indonesia condemns the act.
Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki urged the United States to prevent the plan, saying the event could become a pretext for killing. "This ghastly action ... will cause damage in the relations between religions, human and cultural communication between the nations," he said in a statement.
Iran's Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki warned of the reactions of Muslims and followers of other religions and urged U.S. authorities to carry out their duties to guarantee the basic right of American Muslims and prevent the promotion of such offensive acts.
Lebanese President Michel Sleiman denounced the plan as contradicting Christian teachings and humanitarian values such as love and respect. Burning the Koran "is a clear contradiction of the teachings of the three Abrahamic religions and of dialogue among the three faiths (Christianity, Islam and Judaism)," he said.
Secretary-General of the Organization of the Islamic Conference Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu also condemned the plan, warning it would endanger inter-religious tolerance. "The culture of peaceful tolerance and inter-communal and inter-religious tolerance that the international community is trying to achieve is under threat from marginal and extremist fanatics," he said in a statement.
A spokesman of British Prime Minister David Cameron said the government strongly opposes the Jones plan.
Malaysian Foreign Minister Anifah Aman said burning the Koran is the most hideous and unthinkable crime or action, especially when the plan was initiated by the pastor of a church. He said that is no doubt an attack on Muslims, adding it would spark anger among Muslims throughout the world.
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak condemned the initiative as despicable racism against Islam and Muslims and warned it would increase violence, terrorism and extremism worldwide.
Jordan's Islamic Action Front said the plan is a "form of declaring a war on Muslims" and urged all Arab and Muslim governments to take a firm position regarding this crime that provokes all Muslims.
U.S. President Barack Obama has also denounced the Koran-burning plan, saying the "destructive" plan could greatly endanger the lives of American men and women in uniform.
He urged Jones to stop the act. "I hope he understands that what he's proposing to do is completely contrary to our values as Americans," he said Thursday during an interview with ABC's program "Good Morning America."
Obama warned that the proposed plan could serve as "a recruitment bonanza " for al-Qaida and increase suicide bombers in the United States or European cities.
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