-- We condemn such acts as disrespectful,
intolerant, divisive, and un-representative of
American values. While we respect the right of
Americans to exercise their freedom of speech, we
are deeply concerned about all deliberate attempts
to offend members of any religious or ethnic group.
-- Public condemnation of this event has come from
a variety of organizations, including the National
Association of Evangelicals, the Southern Baptist
Convention, and the Anti-Defamation League. The
Islamic Society of North America held an interfaith
summit on September 7th to unify faith communities
to promote tolerance and counter anti-Muslim
rhetoric. Representatives included prominent
Christian, Jewish, and Muslim leaders.
-- As Secretary Clinton said at the September 7th
State Department Iftar, "We sit down together for
this meal on a day when the news is carrying reports
that a pastor down in Gainesville, Florida plans to
burn the Holy Koran on September 11th. I am
heartened by the clear, unequivocal condemnation of
this disrespectful, disgraceful act that has come
from American religious leaders of all faiths, from
evangelical Christians to Jewish rabbis, as well as
secular U.S. leaders and opinion-makers. Our
commitment to religious tolerance goes back to the
very beginning of our nation. Many of you know that
in 1790, George Washington wrote to a synagogue in
Newport, Rhode Island, that this country will give
'to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no
assistance.'"
-- We believe firmly in freedom of religion and
freedom of expression; they are universal rights,
enshrined in the U.S. Constitution and in the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights. We reaffirm
our position that the deliberate destruction of any
holy book is an abhorrent act.
-- We also believe the best answer to offensive
speech is dialogue and debate. As President Obama
said in Cairo: "Suppressing ideas never succeeds in
making them go away." In answering offensive
speech, we encourage people to follow the examples
of citizens and religious, political, and community
leaders around the world who engage tirelessly in
constructive and respectful dialogue, and who
respond to such speech by refuting it through
principled arguments, bridging communities and
faiths and treating each other with dignity and
mutual respect.
-- Religious freedom and religious tolerance are
fundamental pillars of U.S. society, and as
important bedrocks of our values today they were at
the time of the country's founding. A copy of the
Quran is part of the White House library, and a
member of Congress took his oath of office on a
Koran once owned by Thomas Jefferson - one of
America's founding fathers.
-- Citizens and officials in Gainesville, and
across Florida, have mobilized against this pastor
and his small congregation who are sponsoring the
event. Craig Lowe, Mayor of Gainesville has
condemned the plan and signed an interfaith
solidarity day in Gainesville on 9/11.
