Lahore, Pakistan, Apr 6, 2011 / 03:59 am
Archbishop Lawrence Saldanha of Lahore has asked the U.S. government to take action over the burning of a Quran by a Christian pastor in Florida.
“The U.S. government talks about religious freedom – but we call upon the U.S. government to prevent such actions by extremists and other fundamentalist Christians,” the president of the Pakistan bishops’ conference told Aid to the Church in Need.
“The U.S. government should detain the pastor for some time,” the archbishop continued. “In view of the effects his actions have had all over the world, he should be controlled and understand the harm that has been done.”
On March 20, Florida pastor Terry Jones of the non-denominational 50-member Dove World Outreach Center in Gainesville, Florida presided over what he called an “International Judge the Koran Day.” He supervised the burning of the book in front of about 50 people.
Video posted on the church’s website showed a kerosene-soaked book going up in bright flames in a metal fire pit located inside the church.