India condemns Quran burning move in the US (Minister urges media to exercise "great restraint")

[Turborama]

Source: The Times of India

India has condemned the plan by the pastor of a small Florida church to burn copies of the holy Quran to mark the 9/11 attacks and called on US authorities to take "strong action" to prevent such an "outrage" being committed.

Union Home minister P Chidambaram while deploring Pastor Terry Jones's move to burn copies of Islam's holiest text on September 11 also urged the Indian media to exercise "great restraint" over the coverage of the act to help maintain peace and harmony.

"We condemn the action of the pastor. It is totally unbecoming of anyone who claims to be a man of religion. We hope that the US authorities will take strong action to prevent such an outrage being committed. While we await the action of the US authorities, we would appeal to the media in India--both print and visual media--to refrain from telecasting visuals or publishing photographs of the deplorable act," Chidambaram said in a statement.

The Home Minister also said that the move was aimed at increasing "bitterness and strife" between religious groups. "No one who is interested in maintaining harmony and peace among different sections of the people can condone such action," he said.

Read more: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/India-condemns-Quran-burning-move-in-the-US/articleshow/6524886.cms

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Home Minister Appeals to Media to Help Maintain Communal Harmony in View of U.S. Pastor Threatening to Burn Quran

The Union Home Minister Shri P.Chidambaram has appealed to media to help maintain communal peace and harmony in the wake of reports of a pastor in the United States threatening to burn the holy Quran. In a statement issued here today, the Union Home Minister said that the act is calculated to increase strife between different religious groups. Following is the text of his statement :

“There are reports of a pastor in the United States threatening to burn the Quran on September 11, 2010. The US authorities have strongly condemned the statement of the pastor. Religious leaders all over the world have also condemned his proposed action.

We condemn the action of the pastor. It is totally unbecoming of anyone who claims to be a man of religion. It is obviously calculated to increase bitterness and strife between different religious groups. No one who is interested in maintaining harmony and peace among different sections of the people can condone such action.

We hope that the US authorities will take strong action to prevent such an outrage being committed. While we await the action of the US authorities, we would appeal to the media in India – both print and visual media – to refrain from telecasting visuals or publishing photographs of the deplorable act. We would also appeal to the media to exercise great restraint over the next couple of days and help in maintaining communal peace and harmony.”

From: http://pib.nic.in/newsite/erelease.aspx

[SpiralHawk]

1. "Cowardly silence." - Republicon Homelander Moral Midgets

[bossy22]

2. i agree that its a deplorable disgusting act

but i disagree that the Government try to ban it from happening. This pastor is an idiot, no doubt, and i think the govt should do what it can to discourage it- short from prohibiting an activity. Worse than this book burning would be if we banned this book burning. Freedom of speech is a treasured value in this country

[cosmicone]

3. The government cannot do anything but the media can

Media can collectively decide that this is not "news" and not give ANY publicity to this stupid stunt.