U.S. embassy, forces condemn planned Quran burning

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: The U.S. embassy and forces in Iraq denounced plans by a small church to burn Quran to commemorate the Sept. 11 attacks, considering it as a provocative act that will endanger the life of Americans working in the region. The joint statement of Ambassador James Jeffrey and Commander of U.S. forces in Iraq Gen. Lloyd Austin called the plan “disrespectful, divisive and disgraceful.” “As this holy month of Ramadan comes to a close and Iraqis prepare to celebrate Eid al-Fitr, we join with the citizens of Iraq and of every nation to repudiate religious intolerance and to respect and defend the diversity of faiths of our fellow man,” they said in a joint statement released by the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad. The Rev. Terry Jones, pastor of Dove World Outreach in Gainesville, Fla., has called for Saturday to be “International Burn a Quran Day” in commemoration of the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001 on the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. The planned action has drawn sharp criticism from Muslims around the world and from U.S. officials. Despite the widespread condemnation, Jones has vowed to go ahead with the event. SH (P)/SR 1