US based 'christian body's plan to burn the Holy Qu'ran
The National Council of Churches in India (NCCI) joins the Christian community and the friends belonging to other faith traditions and ideological persuasions both in the country and world-wide in strongly condemning the intention and plan of the persons connected with the Dove World Outreach Centre in the USA to burn copies of the Holy Qu'ran on the 11st of September 2010.
Such an act is contrary to the spirit and essence of the teachings and practices of all faith and secular traditions, and particularly detrimental to the spirit of unity and comradeship that prevails among adherents of different faiths. That it is called for during the sacred days of Ramadan and Eid-al-Fitr is deplorable.
The NCCI calls upon all its constituents - Churches, and Ecumenical Councils, Orgainsations and Agencies, to reach out to the Muslim brothers and sisters with a spirit of goodwill and friendship particularly at this time, which can be used by miscreants to sow seeds of division.
The NCCI recalls the experiences of solidarity and the sense of mutual self-respect shared between the peoples of Muslim and Christian communities in India at all times and particularly when issues relating to religious minorities, including the recent claim of SC status to Dalit Muslims and Dalit Christians, and that of secularism were addressed.
The NCCI requests the brothers and sisters of the Islamic faith tradition to view this call to burn the Holy Qu’ran as that of some pervert minds and not as representative of the whole Christian community which shares with its Islamic sister-faith a heritage of united pilgrimage, more so in India as religious minority communities.
The NCCI seeks the intervention of the Government of India in using its diplomatic channels with the counterpart Government in the United States of America for stopping the proposed act on 11th September 2010. This will send out a strong message of National Solidarity to the Muslim community in India, which is the World’s largest Muslim-minority population
In solidarity with the people of Islamic faith who have been unduly targeted time and again, the National Council of Churches in India will co-ordinate with the National Council of Churches in USA who have already strongly condemned the call for burning the Holy Qu’ran, more than once.
Rt. Rev. Dr. Taranath Sagar Rev. Dr. P.B.M. Basaiawmoit Ms.Sushma Ramswami
President NCCI Vice-President NCCI Vice-President NCCI
Mr. Angelious Michael Adv. Suresh Koshy Rev. Asir Ebenezer
Vice-President NCCI Treasurer NCCI Officiating General Secretary
NCCI release on 6th September 2010
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