Pakistan Catholic Archbishop: US ‘Must Act Over Quran Burning’
By UCA News
By Mike MacLachlan
The US government should take action over the burning of a Qur’an by the Dove World Outreach Center, Archbishop Lawrence Saldanha of Lahore has said.
The burning, at the non denominational 50-member Christian sect in Florida on March 20, led to protests in which at least 24 people were killed in Afghanistan. Protests have also taken place across Pakistan.
“The US government talks about religious freedom – but we call upon [it] to prevent such actions by extremists and other fundamentalist Christians,” the president of the bishops’ conference of Pakistan told Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) in an interview from Lahore.
In a statement yesterday, ACN’s London office said Archbishop Saldanha questioned reports from Pakistan linking unrest sparked by the burning to recent attacks on three churches but stressed the strength of feeling expressed by Muslim protesters.
“Although there have not been any reactions against Christians, it could become ugly,” he said.
In a statement at the weekend, president Barack Obama said: “The desecration of any holy text, including the Qur’an is an act of extreme intolerance and bigotry.
“However, to attack and kill innocent people in response is outrageous and an affront to human decency and dignity.”
This is part of freedom of speech in America, just like burning a flag, any book or even the bible. The US should do nothing. When bibles are confiscated and burned in other countries, the US isn’t crying foul and demanding action. It is part of living in a free society. get over it.
I compliment the Catholic Archbishop of Pakistan for being bold enough to demand action from the United States government on the burning of the Koran by a publicity seeking pastor. I am amazed that the President condemned it without arresting the pastor and his accomplices who attack another religion in this way. In india we would never allow such behaviour and the pastor would have bene arrested, tried and in jail. It is a sad commentary on the uSA that this kind of hysteria against Islam is tolerated and yet the USA calls itself secular!