Christians in Madhya Pradesh have condemned a Florida church’s reported plan to burn the Qur’an on the ninth anniversary of the 9-11 terror attacks in the US. A local Hindi language daily in the state reported the US church’s plans on Aug. 1.
Muslims groups have since condemned the move and plan a protest rally in the city on Aug. 6 after Friday prayers in Bhopal, the state capital.
Archbishop Leo Cornelio of Bhopal was quick to issue a public statement. “The Catholic Church does not support any such activity that tarnishes the image of a religion” and hurts the sentiments of its followers, it said.
The statement added that the Church does not associate “a particular religion with terror” and that “the Church condemns all acts of terror.”
Muslim leader Arif Mazood said he could sense “a strong wind of anger against the report” among Muslims in the state.
A “final decision” on the Muslim protest rally would be taken only after top leaders meet, said Mazood, the state co-coordinator of the minority cell of the Congress party.
Archbishop Cornelio told ucanews.com some hardline “fringe groups must have” decided to burn the Qur’an and they should be “taken to task.”
The Church would take “all possible measures to maintain the religious harmony between the Christians and the Muslims” in the state ruled by the pro-Hindu Bharatiya Janata Party.
Minority Christian and Muslim leaders have been complaining that their people have suffered attacks from Hindu extremists with tacit approval from state officials.
Among the state’s 60 million people, 91 percent are Hindus. Christian form less than one per cent with Muslim form 6.4 percent.
SIC: CTHIND