US Quran burning would be 'outrageous': Vatican

Pope Benedict XVI blesses the faithful gathered at the Vatican for his weekly general audience. 

VATICAN CITY: The planned mass burning of copies of the Quran in the US state of Florida would be “an outrageous and grave gesture,” the Vatican said on Wednesday.
The Vatican’s Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue said in a statement it had “received with great concern the news of the proposed 'Quran Burning Day,'” scheduled for the anniversary of the September 11 attacks.
“Each religion, with its respective sacred books, places of worship and symbols, has the right to respect and protection,” the council said.
A small church, the Dove World Outreach Center in Gainesville, Florida, has vowed to mark Saturday's ninth anniversary of the September 11 attacks by burning Qurans as they
remember the almost 3,000 people killed by Al-Qaeda hijackers.
The council said “deplorable acts of violence” like the September 11 attacks by Al-Qaeda cannot be counteracted by such acts.
“Each religious leader and believer is also called to renew the firm condemnation of all forms of violence, in particular those committed in the name of religion,” the council said.
The planned stunt was condemned by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and the White House said it could trigger outrage around the Islamic world and endanger the lives of US soldiers.
Both NATO chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen and the commander of US and coalition troops in Afghanistan, General David Petraeus had already said the protest would endanger allied troops in Afghanistan. – AFP