Proposed Qur'an burning hits snag

Yesterday, the Gainesville Fire Department refused to issue a permit to the Dove World Outreach Center, a New Testament end times church located in Gainesville. The church had sought a permit to build a bonfire to burn Qur’ans on Sept 11th as a way to protest Islam, which they say is of the devil. The planned book burning was not permitted due to city ordinances that specifically prohibit the open burning of papers, which would include books. The Gainesville Fire Department said that it doesn’t matter what books were planned to be burned, you simply aren’t allowed to burn them in an open fire in Gainesville. The Dove World Outreach Center is planning to hold the book burning anyway despite city ordinances, which prohibit outside and open burnings.

In the meantime, Atheist and Humanist organizations have come out in opposition to the proposed book burning. The Atheists of Florida, whose main offices are located in Tampa is planning to launch a new group in Gainesville. The first activity for this new group will be to counter protest the burning of Qur’ans by the church. The Atheists, in a press release say they “categorically denounce the planned ritual burning of copies of the Muslim scripture.” Their event is billed as a civilized alternative to book burning.

The International Humanist and Ethical Union (IHEU), which is the world union for Humanist representing Humanists in 40 countries, also condemned the Dove World Outreach Center for their plans. In a statement made yesterday, IHEU president Sonja Eggerickx said, “Burning books symbolizes ignorance and hatred.” After noting that this was the same tactic the Nazi’s used to silence great Jewish writers she goes on to say “If the Church has arguments against the teachings of the Qur’an they should give voice to them, but to resort to burning suggests they want to silence Muslims with force rather than persuade them with reason.”

Ms. Eggerickx added that Humanists work to defend freedom of belief and of expression “so we defend these Christians’ right to criticize Islam and even their legal right to burn books. But while they can choose to burn books, we choose to speak out against their hatred, their ignorance and their complete lack of tolerance for different beliefs.

Matt Cherry, who leads the IHEU delegation to the United Nations in New York, agreed with Ms. Eggerickx assessment that what the Dove World Church is planning to do shows not only their ignorance but their intolerance saying, “the real clash of civilizations is not between Islam and the West, or the religious and the non-religious, it is the clash between the intolerant and the tolerant, between those who burn books they disagree with and those who read them. And when it comes to that great divide, the Dove World Outreach Center is placing itself on the same side as the Muslim extremists.”

For more information:

• Read the IHEU statement - http://www.iheu.org/world-union-humanists-and-atheists-condemn-quran-burning
• Atheists of Florida event information – http://www.meetup.com/Gainesville-Atheists/calendar/14370142/
• Dove World Outreach Center - http://www.doveworld.org