Burning of Quran can derail church from its path in India

Muslims, all over the world, are worried. Reason is: An American church in Florida has decided to burn holy Quran terming it anti-humanity on the eve of 9/11. However, church is trying its best to suppress this news in India as it fears this will create a rift between Muslims and Christians community and ultimate beneficiaries will be enemy Hindus.

Terry Jones, pastor Dove world Outreach Centre, is unfazed from his criticism. He is adamant to burn holy Quran. Dove world Outreach Centre is selling T-Shirts printed with anti-Islamic slogans and anti-Islamic books and litterateurs all over the world. They are getting support from all over the world. Obviously, American government is afraid of the ramifications. Foreign Minister Hillary Clinton has told church to drop this idea. David Petrraeus, apex American Commander in Afghanistan, has told that it will enhance threat for American soldiers who are deployed in war-torn Muslim dominated nations. In a statement issued from Afghanistan he said, “I am deeply aggrieved and it will derail the entire process of normalisation.” Vatican has severely criticised the idea of burning Quran.

Muslims are agitated. On 4 August, Muslim Students Union had protested at Jantar-Mantar in Delhi. Muslim leaders demanded that Indian government should talk to US government in this regard. India is a country where major portion of Muslim population reside and this huge population cannot remain aloof of developments in other parts of world. 20 percent of total population in the country is of Muslims. If American government fails to control any incident of hate, then its impact will be felt in India also. Not long ago, a catholic professor had asked some controversial questions about Mohammed PaIgamber in the college question paper. There was so intense reaction in Kerala of this event that some radical Muslims cut his hand from his body. Though, perpetrators of this heinous act were caught and punished by left-government in Kerala and ramifications were suppressed from flaring-up. Church administration is well aware of the fact that if Quran is burnt, then it will have adverse effect in India. So, they have already started damage control mission.

Church is on hit list of Hindu organisation due to alleged attempt of wide spread conversion in Orissa, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. To continue and run its work smoothly missionaries needs support from Muslim community despite the fact that they have never allowed missionaries to operate in their area. Some days back CM of Jammu and Kashmir Omar Abdullah had ousted missionaries after the news of conversion of some of the Muslims in to Christianity in the valley. Though, this was not at all reported in media.

Catholic Christian Secular Forum on behalf of Archbishop Lio Cornelio of Catholic Arch-Diocese of Bhopal issued an appeal to condemn burning Quran by Florida based church. Respected ArchBishop termed Islam a very human religion in his appeal. Most of the Christian organisations including Vatican have condemned this decision. They are trying to convince Muslims that both Christians and Muslims in India are minorities facing similar problems and share common threat from Hindus. So they should maintain unity at all cost so that enemy could not take undue advantage. Business of hate is continued on the name of peace. Future gameplan of church in India is quite clear from these developments.
 
R L Francis
President
Poor Christian liberation movement

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