Members of a non denominational church in Gainesville
, Florida which goes by the rather unlikely name the Dove World Outreach Centre have vowed to burn the Koran the Muslim holy book on 9/11, its Pastor the fiery Terry Jones known for his strong anti- Islam beliefs (He authored Islam is of the evil) has exhorted Americans to burn a Koran in every home in America every year on this day to show their condemnation of the terrorist strike. The Centre insists that the Koran burning event is neither an act of love nor of hate but a warning against what it calls the threat posed by Islam'.
The call has added to a rather uneasy situation arising on account of Eid falling on 9/11 this year when local Muslims would not want to be found in a celebratory mood and send the wrong signals and also because of President Obama's recent approval to build the Cordoba Centre, an Islamic centre and Mosque by Imam Faizal Al Rauf at ground Zero next to the site of the 9/11 attacks which has made a majority of Americans apprehensive.
The proposed Koran burning has been strongly criticized by a majority of Christians and clergymen across the US, an inter religious meet represented by religious leaders from the Christian, Hindu, Islam and Jewish faiths has strongly condemned the step. The national associations of evangelicals is urging the Florida church to cancel the event as it could cause world wide tension between the two religions.
Strong objection to the planned Koran burning comes from another rather unlikely quarter. General David Petraus the commander of US troops in Afghanistan feels that his men would bear the brunt of any such mindless act, he has warned that a act like this could endanger the safety of US troops not only in Afghanistan but also in different overseas locations where they are stationed and cause a major set back to US efforts in Afghanistan. Petraus has warned that this could come as a handy tool to the Taliban to unleash reappraisals all over the world. A step like burning the Koran would also send moderate Muslims take a militant stand.