September 9, 2010

Profile: Dove World Outreach Center

The plan by the Dove World Outreach Center, a small evangelical church in the US state of Florida, to burn Korans on 11 September has drawn worldwide condemnation.

Its pastor, the Reverend Terry Jones, says that as an American Christian he has a right to burn Islam’s holy book because it is “full of lies”. Despite acknowledging that he has “no experience… whatsoever” of the Koran, he argues that it is “evil” because it espouses something other than Biblical truth and incites radical, violent behaviour among Muslims. The 58-year-old recently wrote a book entitled Islam is of the Devil.

Muslims consider the Koran the sacred word of God and consider any intentional damage or show of disrespect towards it as deeply offensive. There are fears that the planned burning will spark international protests by Muslims on a scale similar to those seen after the publication of satirical cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad in a Danish newspaper in 2006. Already, protesters in Afghanistan have burned an effigy of Mr Jones to chants of “death to America”.

“Even the rumour that it might take place has sparked demonstrations such as the one that took place in Kabul,” warned the top US and Nato military commander in the country, Gen David Petraeus, earlier this week. “Were the actual burning to take place, the safety of our soldiers and civilians would be put in jeopardy, and accomplishment of the mission would be made more difficult,” he added.

Mr Jones says he sincerely hopes burning Korans will not lead to violence, and dismisses the idea that it may put American troops at greater risk. “We must send a clear message to the radical element of Islam. We will no longer be controlled and dominated by their fears and threats,” he says. Mr Jones has received more than 100 death threats in recent days and says he has started carrying a pistol as a precaution.

read more at https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-11226352