World Evangelical Alliance condemns Quran burning in Florida

WEA says the act does not reflect biblical values, violates the call of Jesus to love people.

NEW YORK: The World Evangelical Alliance (WEA), representing around 600 million Evangelical Protestants around the world, has condemned the burning of a Holy Quran copy publicly by controversial US pastor Terry Jones in Florida.

In a press release issued by WEA, secretary general of the alliance, Dr Goeff Tunnicliffe, said that the burning of a “sacred text is wrong and unwanted” and added that the act does not reflect the biblical values.

“We appeal to Islamic leaders worldwide to understand that this self-proclaimed antagonist does not represent Christians. Indeed he violates the call of Jesus to love people everywhere. Such violence does harm to us all,” Tunnicliffe was quoted as saying.

The burning, attended by 20 people and streamed live over the Internet, was carried out by pastor Terry Jones’ church in Gainesville, Florida last month, and video of the burning was uploaded to YouTube by the pastor’s supporting group “Stand Up America Now.”

In March 2011, the US pastor Wayne Sapp under the supervision of Terry Jones burned a copy of the Holy Quran and broadcast the ceremony on the Internet, with the images inciting violence in northern Afghanistan, in which at least 12 people were killed.