Washington:
In an effort to overturn the image of Muslims as fire-breathing, sword-slashing
conquerors and avengers, a Muslim group in America will resort to a pacific
response to the provocative burning of the Quran by a fundamentalist Christian
evangelist.
Pastor
Terry Jones, the notorious Christian extremist who riled Muslims across the
world with his inflammatory burning of the quran in 2011, has upped the ante by
threatening to burn 3000 copies of the Quran on September 11, the anniversary
of the terrorist attack on America that killed nearly 3,000 people. But instead
of getting provoked, the so-called " World Muslim Congress" in the US
said it will "reclaim the standard of behavior practiced by the prophet
concerning scurrilous and hostile criticism of the Quran."
It
cited a quranic verse that says, "To overcome evil with good is good, and
to resist evil by evil is evil," and said it is also strongly enjoined in
the Quran in the same verse 41:34 that "Good and evil deeds are not equal.
Repel evil with what is better; then you will see that one who was once your
enemy has become your dearest friend."
The
Texas-based outfit said many Muslim organizations across America will go on a
"blood drive" to save lives and serve humanity with kindness on the
same day pastor Jones has said he will burn the copes of the Quran.
"As
Muslims and citizens we honor the free speech guaranteed in our constitution.
We have no intentions to criticize, condemn or oppose pastor Terry Jones'
freedom of expression. Instead, we will be donating blood and praying for
goodness to permeate in our society," said Mike Ghouse, an Indian-American
Muslim community leader who has been promoting inter-faith harmony in the US
for several years.
Ghouse
said the organization hoped that the blood drive event and the message will
remind Muslims elsewhere in the world that violence is not the way.
"Muslims, who react violently to senseless provocation, should realize
that, violence causes more violence, and besmirches the name of the religion
that we hold so dear. We believe that Prophet Muhammad was a mercy to the
mankind, and we ought to practice what we believe and preach. We must not
insult Islam by the negative reactions of a few," a statement from the
organization said.
Jones's
Quran burning capers have caused universal revulsion, including in the United
States, and also led to sporadic episodes of reactive violence in some
countries. US government officials, from the federal, state, and local levels,
have repeatedly condemned his antics.
"It's
regrettable that a pastor in Gainesville, Florida with a church of no more than
fifty people can make this outrageous and distressful, disgraceful plan and
get, you know, the world's attention," former US secretary of state
Hillary Clinton said when Jones first announced his provocative move in 2010.
But
Jones has kept at it despite universal condemnation, including promoting a movie
called the "Innocence of Muslims" that vilified Islam and conjuring
up September 11 as "International Judge Muhammed Day." Although
dismissed as a wingnut in the US, he still gets enough attention to rile up
some Islamic extremists.
