Responsible for Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L.) supports our universal human rights of religious freedom, freedom of conscience, and freedom of worship for all people. R.E.A.L. rejects hatred and rejects the activities of those who seek to promote hatred towards identity groups and specific religions. We have reported on a Florida-based Christian church’s plans to burn Qu’rans on September 11, but global Christian activists are denouncing such plans of hate and intolerance.
R.E.A.L. has previously reported on the Anti-Islam Christian Church, Dove World Outreach Center, based in Florida and its plans to hold an “International Burn a Qur’an Day” on September 11, 2010. We have reported on Dove World Outreach’s defense of such plans to burn the Islamic holy book on national broadcasts on CNN. We have reported on those supporters of the Stop Islamization of America (SIOA) group that agree with such Qur’an burning plans and have promoted Dove World Outreach Center on the SIOA Facebook site, as well as the SIOA Executive Director posting of photos of Dove members at one of her rallies in November 2009.
We have reported on the Dove World Outreach Center’s “Islam is of the Devil” campaign, and Dove World Outreach Center’s protest of a Florida mosque on July 4. We have reported the Dove World Outreach Center’s marching and unabashed alliance with the Westboro Baptist Church hate group that protests synagogues and promotes Holocaust Denial. (See Dove article “In Support of Westboro Baptist.”)
Global Christian activists, however, continue to grow in numbers in rejecting the Dove World Outreach Center’s “Burn a Qur’an Day.” Christian activists from various parts of the world have spoken out to reject the plans by U.S. Christian Church Dove World Outreach Center to hold an “International Burn a Koran Day” on September 11.
In the United States, the National Association of Evangelicals denounces the church’s Quran burning event. In the NAE press release, the group stated “The National Association of Evangelicals (NAE) encourages increased understanding and reconciliation between those of different faiths and backgrounds, and it laments efforts that work against a just and peaceful society. The plans recently announced by a Florida group to burn copies of the Qu’ran on September 11 show disrespect for our Muslim neighbors and would exacerbate tensions between Christians and Muslims throughout the world. The NAE urges the cancellation of the burning.” NAE’s press release also stated “The NAE calls on its members to cultivate relationships of trust and respect with our neighbors of other faiths. God created human beings in his image, and therefore all should be treated with dignity and respect. The proposed burning of Qu’rans would be profoundly offensive to Muslims worldwide, just as Christians would be insulted by the burning of Bibles. Such an act would escalate tensions between members of the two faiths in the United States and around the world. ‘We have to recognize that fighting fire with fire only builds a bigger fire,’ said Joel Hunter, Senior Pastor of Northland, A Church Distributed, in Orlando, Fla., and member of the NAE Board of Directors. ‘Love is the water that will eventually quench the destruction.’ Anderson said, ‘The most powerful statement by the organizers of the planned September 11th bonfire would be to call it off in the name and love of Jesus Christ.'”
Indian Christians have also made statements rejecting Dove’s Qur’an burning plans. The Pakistan Christian Post reports on Indian Christian human rights activists sending a letter to the United States Ambassador on this subject, reporting that two Christian human rights activists J. G. Anthony and RL Francis said in a statement released in New Delhi, India that: “We strongly condemn the provocation of Pastors Terry and Sylvia Jones and urge the president of the United States of America Barrack Obama to take legal measures against such hate speech.” According to the Pakistan Christian Post, “the two Christian human rights activists also appealed to the US government to immediately intervene to halt the plan, which they said, could trigger religious conflict around the world. Such insult to any religious holy book in the name of Jesus is insult to the Christianity, such people cannot be called ‘true Christians’, and Muslim brothers must ignore such fanatic statement in the larger interest as this does not represent popular Christian feeling, Stated Poor Christian Liberation Movement (PCLM) president RL Francis.”
In Washington DC at a Pakistan Christian and interfaith conference on August 2, 2010, remembering the continuing attacks on Christian minorities in Pakistan, Christian leaders also objected to Dove’s Qur’an burning plan. Dr. Nazir Bhatti of the Pakistan Christian Congress stated his rejection of the Dove World Outreach Center’s call for burning of the Qur’an, stating, “I would like to express my views on a very recent news item that has appeared in U.S. papers that was from a church that in Florida who plans a ‘Burn a Qur’an Day’. I must express my clear concern on this issue of burning a Qu’ran Day – they have affixed 9/11 as the date when they will collect a lot of Qur’ans over there before they burn them.” Dr. Bhatti told a story of how hatred against Americans in the 1990s led to reprisals against Christian homes, and expressed similiar concerns that such hateful acts against Qur’ans in the United States could lead to reprisals against Christian churches in Pakistan by extremists. (See video, MP3).
Indonesian Christians and Indonesians of other faiths also have objected to the Dove World Outreach Qur’an Burning plans in public statements. The Union of Catholic Asian News has reported that “‘The campaign and provocation of Pastors Terry and Sylvia Jones deserves to be condemned,’ Indonesian religious leaders said in a statement read out by Reverend Henry Lokra of the Communion of Churches in Indonesia and Damien Dematra of the Pluralism Care Movement. The Catholic, Confucian, Hindu, Muslim and Protestant leaders, at their Aug. 4 press conference, described the American church’s proposal as an abuse of Islam, and a violation of religious freedom and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. ‘We condemn the Dove World Outreach Center’s plan and ask the church to immediately withdraw its statement and call off its ignoble plan, which puts other religions in contempt,’ they said. The leaders also called on the US government to immediately intervene to halt the plan which they said could trigger religious conflict around the world.”
In addition to these statements by Christian organizations condemned the Dove World Outreach Center’s plans, groups opposed to the Qur’an burning event have also appeared on Facebook as well.
One such Facebook group, “In Protest of “International Burn a Koran Day,” was apparently organized by a Christian for people of all faiths, who states that “This page does not stand for a certain religion or set of beliefs; we are against the disrespect and intolerance that these people have for the Muslim people. As a Christian myself, I am totally embarrassed to have this event affiliated with my beliefs.”
Another such Facebook group, “Christians AGAINST International Burn a Koran Day,” was created specifically for Christians to take a stand on rejecting the Dove World Outreach “International Burn a Qur’an Day.” The group states “By this group, Christians from the whole world want to express that the vast majority of Christians do NOT approve the initiative of the “International Burn a Qu’ran day” …. WE WON’T BURN THE QU’RAN, BECAUSE JESUS WOULDN’T HAVE DONE IT!!!”
Responsible for Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L.) joins with global Christian activists and people of diverse faiths in denouncing the planned campaign to burn Qur’ans by the Dove World Outreach Center. We urge the Dove World Outreach Center and those who would support their Qur’an burning plans to note that Jesus tells those who believe in him: John 13:34 “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.”
R.E.A.L. urges Christians and people of all faiths and beliefs to join us on September 11, 2010 at Washington DC’s Freedom Plaza in support of freedom of religion, freedom of worship, and freedom of conscience for all.
Find out more at 911Freedom.com
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R.E.A.L. condemns calls for hatred against any identity group, any religion, and R.E.A.L. rejects calls by those who seek to deny anyone’s freedom of religion and freedom of worship.
We urge all those who hate to release the burden of hate from their hearts, and respect their fellow human beings and our universal human rights.
We urge all to Choose Love, Not Hate – Love Wins.
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Other Media Reports:
Press Release: NAE Urges Cancellation of Planned Qu’ran Burning
CNN: National Association of Evangelicals denounces church’s Quran burning event
Pakistan Christian Post: “Indian Christians Denounce Plan against Holy Quran”
AKI: Indonesia: Religious leaders condemn US Koran burning plan
CNN: Church plans Quran-burning event
CNN Video Link
Irish Sun: Florida-based christian group isolated by Quran burning event
Previous R.E.A.L. Postings:
Anti-Islam Hate Pastor Promotes Qur’an Burning on CNN
Anti-Islamic Group Promotes “Burn A Koran Day” Hate
SIOA Supporters Promote “Burn A Koran Day”
Extremist Dove World Group Has Anti-Mosque Protest in Florida
Extremism: Florida Christian “Dove World Outreach” Group Attacks Islam in Columbus, Ohio