ASIA - “Koran burning” has Christians in Asia concerned

Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) – Christians are calling it unacceptable and reprehensible: the “Koran Burning Day,” a campaign launched by Pastor Terry Jones of Dove World Outreach Center in Gainesville, Florida (USA) for September 11. The initiative has been a cause for concern among the Christian communities in Asia.
The religious leaders interviewed in Fides from different countries agree in saying that the basic principle in its relations with other religions is mutual respect. Among what is most sacred to a religious community is their holy book and such an act would deeply hurt the feelings of believers.
"We strongly condemn this intention and this campaign, as it is contrary to the respect due to all religions, as well as contrary to our doctrine and to our faith," Fides was told by Archbishop Lawrence Saldanha of Lahore, President of the Bishops' Conference. Nazir S. Bhatti, chairman of the Pakistan Christian Congress, has asked Rev. Terry Jones to cancel the initiative because “as it could seriously harm Christian minorities in Muslim-majority countries.” “The Koran Burning Day will be used by radicals Islamists as a pretext to attack Christians,” he warned.
In India, home to 130 million Muslims, Cardinal Oswald Gracias, President of the Bishops' Conference, brought together Christian and Muslim religious leaders in issuing a joint statement expressing open disagreement with an act they called “contrary to the teaching of Jesus Christ.” “I condemn this completely insensitive threat that is disrespectful to the Holy Quran, on behalf of the Catholic Church,” said the Cardinal.
There is also serious concern in Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim country, where last weekend parades were held by several Islamic groups in protest of the initiative. Several days ago, the Bishops' Conference organized a meeting with members of the radical Islamic movement FPI (Islamic Defense Front), in which they reiterated the mutual respect between Christians and Muslims. The Front has strongly condemned the act of the Pastor, but it has not instigated a military retaliation attack against Christians. It claims that the only ones to be held accountable for the crime are those who physically burn the Koran, as it is by the sacrilegious act that they “are stained,” and not because they are Americans or Christians.
Bishop Johannes Pujasumarta, Bishop of Bandung and Secretary General of the Indonesian Bishops Conference, told Fides: "We have expressed our disagreement and have launched an appeal to have it canceled. We will continue to pray that nothing unpleasant occurs in Indonesia and throughout the world, as a result of this irresponsible act." (PA) (Agenzia Fides 09/06/2010)