MUMBAI: Several Christian organizations in the city have condemned the burning of the Quran by a small Florida church. Pastor Wayne Sapp committed the act on March 20, 2011 under the supervision of pastor Terry Jones, who had threatened to do the same last September to mark the 9/11 anniversary.
"Such reprehensible acts can never be justified under any circumstances," said Dr John Dayal of the All-India Catholic Union.
Representatives of Christian bodies feel such acts vitiate the atmosphere, jeopardizing communal harmony.
"The Christian community in India unanimously condemns the insane and irrational act," said Abraham Mathai, vice-chairman, State Minorities Commission. "It is imperative on the US, which has long claimed to be the beacon of freedom, democracy and justice, to take stern and drastic action against (those who committed) this blasphemous act, (something that) will have disastrous and wide-ranging implications for universal peace and inter-faith relations."
Mathai who is also president of the Indian Christain Voice added that burning of religious books would have been impossible in India because a perpetrator of such crime here can be arrested under Section 153 (A) of the Indian Penal Code for fomenting religious intolerance and bigotry. Such a law doesn't exist in the US.
Christian bodies are unanimous that such acts should not have been allowed at a time when the Islamic world is already seeing a churning. The US bombing of Libya has already angered a section of the Muslims who may not approve of dictatorship of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi but have condemned the killing of civilians in the bombing operations. The burning of the Quran will only add to the Muslims' sense of injury.
"The Christian Catholic Secular Forum (CSF) stands alongside Muslims whose sentiments have been hurt and will work towards a global condemnation of such provocation. It is a crime against humanity and must not be tolerated in the civilized world. We call upon the prime minister, minorities affairs and the foreign minister to let the United States know the feelings of Indians on the issue," said Joseph Dias, The CSF general secretary.
Even the Bombay Catholic Sabha has condemned the act, saying promoters of faith should not act irresponsibly. Gordon D'Souza, president of the Bombay Catholic Sabha appealed to the people in India, especially Muslims, to maintain calm and restraint and not to get provoked by such an uncivilized behaviour of a pastor.
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