International controversy has been stirred up by the plans of the nondenominational Dove World Outreach Center to host their self-styled ‘International Burn a Quran Day.’ Newspaper columns and opinion pieces have been filled with varying reactions, with the majority registering dismay and anger at the insensitivity of the planned event.
In the meantime, various churches and church organizations have pleaded with the Gainesville based church to cancel their plans. The National Association of Evangelicals, America’s largest umbrella evangelical group, issued a statement urging the church to call off the event, warning it could cause worldwide tension between the two religions.
Other local Gainesville faith organizations have decided to work together in protest of the event by organizing a ‘Gathering for Peace, Understanding and Hope,’ which will take place on September 10, the night before the planned burning of the Quran.
The Peace Gathering is the brainchild of the Gainesville Interfaith Forum - made up of Christians, Muslims, Jews and Hindus. Trinity United Methodist Church will host the event and their senior minister, Dan Johnson, said on Monday that their plans had been exceptionally well received by church members throughout Gainesville.
"One member told me after church Sunday that they've never been as proud to be a member of this church as they are now," Johnson said.
Johnson went onto emphasise that:
"We feel compelled to raise our voices to proclaim that the action the Dove World Outreach Center is proposing is absolutely wrong and counter to the life and teaching of the Jesus whom we love, follow and call Savior and Lord."
Despite widespread opposition, Dove World Outreach Center has no plans to cancel the event saying that it is doing this in remembrance of 9/11 victims and to take a stand against Islam, which it repeatedly refers to as a religion that is “of the devil”. On its website and Facebook page, the church invites Christians to burn the Muslim holy book at their premises from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
In other news, it appears that the city of Gainesville has denied a burn permit to the center, said Bob Woods, City of Gainesville spokesman. "It was a question of public safety," said Woods. "The Gainesville Fire Department has notified the center through a letter."
But that isn't stopping the church. The Gainesville Sun reported that, in an e-mail newsletter sent out last Wednesday, the church announced: "City of Gainesville denies burn permit - BUT WE WILL STILL BURN KORANS."
(The image depicts Terry Jones, pastor of the Dove World Outreach Center and the International Burn a Quran organiser, standing in front of his church in Gainesville, Florida).