Quran Burning Video Message to Muslims and Pastor Terry Jones

The following Video at You Tube is about how Muslims will respond to Pastor Jones buring of 2998 copies of Quran – Koran
  
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VsQq-tbJ89k&feature=youtu.be

We are concerned about the violent reactions to Quran burning by some of the fringe elements among Muslims elsewhere in the world, the perceptions that get slapped on to Muslims for the actions of a few, and safety of fellow Americans and American Embassies.

As American Muslims, we plan to respond to pastor Terry Jones' planned burning of 3000 copies of Quran on September 11, 2013 with grace and dignity.  We honor the free speech guaranteed in our constitution for every American and have no intentions to criticize, condemn or oppose Pastor Terry Jones expression.  Instead, we will be donating blood and praying for the goodness to prevail.

We hope, our mercy based message will remind Muslims to follow the examples of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), a mercy to mankind to contribute towards a better world.  We believe it may also bring a change in the attitudes of followers of Pastor Jones, and in the behavior of those Muslims who reacted violently the last time Pastor sought notoriety.

Our response would be to show unity and solidarity with fellow Americans and the fellow humanity – we will establish a system to respond to conflicts.  Americans of all traditions and religions will come together and express our goodness through fellowship and prayer, and rededicate our pledge to the safety, security and unity of our nation.

What exactly will Muslims do?
Details at: www.UnitydayUSA.com 

Mike Ghouse
(214) 325-1916 text/talk
. . . . . 

Mike Ghouse is a speaker, thinker and a writer on pluralism, politics, peace, Islam, Israel, India, interfaith, and cohesion at work place. He is committed to building a Cohesive America and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day at www.TheGhousediary.com. He believes in Standing up for others and has done that throughout his life as an activist. Mike has a presence on national and local TV, Radio and Print Media. He is a frequent guest on Sean Hannity show on Fox TV, and a commentator on national radio networks, he contributes weekly to the Texas Faith Column at Dallas Morning News; fortnightly at Huffington post; and several other periodicals across the world. His personal site www.MikeGhouse.net indexes all his work through many links.

From Muslims in America, a novel protest against quran burning

Courtesy: Times of IndiaWASHINGTON: In an effort to overturn the image of Muslims as fire-breathing, sword-slashing conquerors and avengers, a Muslim group in America will resort to a pacific response to the provocative burning of the Quran by a fundamentalist Christian evangelist. 

Pastor Terry Jones, the notorious Christian extremist who riled Muslims across the world with his inflammatory burning of the quran in 2011, has upped the ante by threatening to burn 3000 copies of the Quran on September 11, the anniversary of the terrorist attack on America that killed nearly 3,000 people. But instead of getting provoked, the so-called " World Muslim Congress" in the US said it will "reclaim the standard of behavior practiced by the prophet concerning scurrilous and hostile criticism of the Quran." 

It cited a quranic verse that says, "To overcome evil with good is good, and to resist evil by evil is evil," and said it is also strongly enjoined in the Quran in the same verse 41:34 that "Good and evil deeds are not equal. Repel evil with what is better; then you will see that one who was once your enemy has become your dearest friend."

The Texas-based outfit said many Muslim organizations across America will go on a "blood drive" to save lives and serve humanity with kindness on the same day pastor Jones has said he will burn the copes of the Quran. 

"As Muslims and citizens we honor the free speech guaranteed in our constitution. We have no intentions to criticize, condemn or oppose pastor Terry Jones' freedom of expression. Instead, we will be donating blood and praying for goodness to permeate in our society," said Mike Ghouse, an Indian-American Muslim community leader who has been promoting inter-faith harmony in the US for several years. 

Ghouse said the organization hoped that the blood drive event and the message will remind Muslims elsewhere in the world that violence is not the way. "Muslims, who react violently to senseless provocation, should realize that, violence causes more violence, and besmirches the name of the religion that we hold so dear. We believe that Prophet Muhammad was a mercy to the mankind, and we ought to practice what we believe and preach. We must not insult Islam by the negative reactions of a few," a statement from the organization said. 

Jones's Quran burning capers have caused universal revulsion, including in the United States, and also led to sporadic episodes of reactive violence in some countries. US government officials, from the federal, state, and local levels, have repeatedly condemned his antics. 

"It's regrettable that a pastor in Gainesville, Florida with a church of no more than fifty people can make this outrageous and distressful, disgraceful plan and get, you know, the world's attention," former US secretary of state Hillary Clinton said when Jones first announced his provocative move in 2010. 

But Jones has kept at it despite universal condemnation, including promoting a movie called the "Innocence of Muslims" that vilified Islam and conjuring up September 11 as "International Judge Muhammed Day." Although dismissed as a wingnut in the US, he still gets enough attention to rile up some Islamic extremists. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/From-Muslims-in-America-a-novel-protest-against-quran-burning/articleshow/21982162.cms

A proper response to an inflammatory act - Saudi Gazette

A proper response to an inflammatory act

http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentid=20130821177617Last updated: Tuesday, August 20, 2013 10:10 PM

Tariq A. Al-Maeena
 

 REMEMBER the contentious Pastor Terry Jones out of Florida, who rose to fame back in 2010 with his controversial declaration of burning a copy of the Qur’an, an act that was surely meant to inflame passions within Muslims the world over?

Well guess what? He is now planning something on a much bigger scale. On Sept. 11, 2013, the pastor and his disciples will carry out an “International Burning of 2,998 Qur’ans” to “send Islam a very clear warning.”


The 2,998 figure is meant to signify the number of people who died during the World Trade Center (WTC) attacks.

In a message he said: “On September 11, 2013, to remember those who were murdered by radical Islam, and to send Islam a very clear warning that they will not get their foothold in the American Constitution as they have done in Europe, we will be holding an International Burning. The radical hand of Islam shows itself with violence against anyone who dares to stand up and speak the truth. … We will not be silent.”

This time around an American and his associate have decided to counter the pastor’s intended inflammatory actions with a carefully executed response that smacks of ‘turning the other cheek.’

Mike Ghouse, a speaker, thinker and a writer on pluralism, politics, peace, Islam, Israel, India, interfaith, and cohesion at work and social settings is spearheading a move to meet the pastor’s response head-on with a worthy response. Mike, who is zealous toward building a cohesive America and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day is planning “to respond to Pastor Terry Jones' planned burning of 2,998 copies of Qur’an on September 11, 2013 in positive terms.”

In a press release, Mike and his associate Mirza Beg speaking for the organization
(www.worldmuslimcongress.com) said: “Our response — we will reclaim the standard of behavior practiced by the Prophet concerning “scurrilous and hostile criticism of the Qur’an. It was "To overcome evil with good is good, and to resist evil by evil is evil." It is also strongly enjoined in the Qur’an in the same verse 41:34, “Good and evil deeds are not equal. Repel evil with what is better; then you will see that one who was once your enemy has become your dearest friend.”

“God willing Muslims will follow the divine guidance and pray for the restoration of Goodwill, and on that day many Muslim organizations will go on a “blood drive” to save lives and serve humanity with kindness.”
“We invite fellow Americans of all faiths, races, and ethnicities to join us to rededicate the pledge, “One nation under God”, and to build a cohesive America where no American has to live in apprehension, discomfort or fear of fellow Americans. This event is a substitute for our 10th Annual Unity Day Celebration (www.UnitydayUSA.com) held in Dallas, but now it will be at Mulberry, Florida.

“Unwittingly Pastor Jones has done us a favor by invigorating us by his decision to burn nearly 3,000 copies Qur’an on September 11, 2013. Obviously he is not satisfied by the notoriety he garnered by burning one Qur'an last year.

“As Muslims and citizens we honor the free speech guaranteed in our constitution. We have no intentions to criticize, condemn or oppose Pastor Terry Jones' freedom of expression. Instead, we will be donating blood and praying for goodness to permeate in our society.

“We plan to follow Jesus Christ (pbuh), a revered prophet in Islam as well as Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) — that of mitigating the conflicts and nurturing good will for the common good of the society.

“We hope, this event and the message will remind Muslims elsewhere in the world as well, that violence is not the way. Muslims, who react violently to senseless provocation, should realize that, violence causes more violence, and besmirches the name of the religion that we hold so dear. We believe that Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was a mercy to the mankind, and we ought to practice what we believe and preach. We must not insult Islam by the negative reactions of a few.

“We can only hope it will bring about a change in the attitude of the followers of Pastor Jones, and in the behavior of those Muslims who reacted violently the last time the Pastor sought notoriety — We hope this small step towards a bridge to peaceful coexistence would propel us towards building a cohesive society.
“Like most Americans a majority of Muslims quietly go about their own business, but it is time to speak up and take positive action instead of negative reaction. May this message of peace and goodwill reverberate and reach many shores.

“Lastly, we appreciate the Citizens of Mulberry, Florida, Honorable Mayor George Hatch, City Commissioners, police and fire chiefs for handing this situation very well. This will add a ‘feather of peace’ in the city’s reputation. We hope Mulberry will be a catalyst in showing the way in handling conflict with dignity and peace.

“We thank the media for giving value to the work towards peace rather than conflict.”

Thank you for your commitment towards a peaceful solution, Mike. It is the media who should thank you for your commendable cause.


— Tariq Al-Maeena can be reached at talmaeena@aol.com and followed @talmaeena

Muslim Group Will Protest Quran Burning

Muslim Group Will Protest Quran Burning

By Suzie Schottelkotte
THE LEDGER
Published: Tuesday, August 20, 2013 at 4:31 p.m.

http://www.theledger.com/article/20130820/NEWS/130829938?Title=Muslim-Group-Will-Protest-Quran-Burning-

MULBERRY | As a Florida pastor plans to burn 3,000 Qurans in protest at a home near Mulberry next month, members of the Dallas-based World Muslim Congress are planning a counter demonstration of their own.

 

Mike Ghouse, the organization's president, said he hopes his group's peaceful gathering in Mulberry will stand in contrast to Terry Jones' burning of the Muslim holy book.

 

 

“Everybody in the world is going to be watching what happens in Mulberry,” he said. “We want them to know violence is not a behavior that will be tolerated.”

 

 

The Muslim group is moving its Unity Day ceremony, held annually in Dallas since the 2001 attacks on the United States, and will stage the Sept. 11 event in Mulberry.

 

 

“We usually have about 500 people of all denominations at the ceremony,” he said today. “I don't expect that many people to come to Mulberry, but we're hoping people from the community will turn out.”

 

A separate group of residents in Mulberry already is planning its own protest to the burning. Suzanne Carter-Moore, a Lakeland resident who works and grew up in Mulberry, initiated a local effort upon learning of Jones' plans in July.

 

“I just don't want Mulberry to appear like we are condoning his actions,” she told The Ledger last week.

 

Jones, who couldn't be reached for comment Tuesday, is planning to burn the Qurans in Mulberry also on Sept. 11. He has said he plans to burn a holy book for every person who died in the 2001 attacks.

 

He said he chose the Mulberry area after a resident, Bill McKinney, offered his property for that purpose. Jones has sold the Gainesville property where his church, Dove World Outreach Center, was the setting for a similar burning in 2011 that sparked deadly riots in Afghanistan

Quran Burning and exemplary Muslim reaction.

The following responses were given to Questions 
PRESS RELEASE is at:  http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2013/08/planned-muslim-response-to-quran_18.html

At least we can expect two outcomes, as it will be watched world wide and some one will torch our embassy somewhere or become destructive and media will go berserk. 

1. Let the Muslims around the world watch, and they will, that violence is not the behavior of Muslims- that is not what Prophet taught or Qur'an says. They all know it, but a reminder is good, isn't it? 

2. Let the World know that there is a standard set of behavior for the followers of the man who is considered a mercy to mankind - those who don't follow, did not get their religion right, and hope some sane minds will consider that and not blame Islam, but blame the individual criminals for their wrong doing. 

Just because nothing is happening now, it does not mean that many a people think Islam is the religion of peace like every religion. should we wait something to happen and react?

No religion should ever be blamed for the acts of individuals, get the rascals and punish them and get it over instead of nagging the religion for ever. NO religion, yes, No religion ever teaches to hate, kill, maim, rape, loot and violate others freedom. 

Prophet Muhammad was a man of peace, like Jesus, Moses, Krishna, Buddha, Zarthustra, Mahavira, Nanak, and several others in formal and informal religious traditions along with Gandhi, MLK and others.

To build cohesive societies, we have to remove the myths about each other. Place the blame where it belongs, punish the wrong doer individual and keep the society safe. You cannot punish, kill, hang, bury or beat up religion- its intangible,so why blame?Each one of us has to contribute our individual share of good in building cohesive societies, and this is our humble effort. If it fails, so be it. We are not here to win or loose, but to do our Dharma and let God's grace work its own ways. 

REQUEST

We are preparing to publish, "What do they say" - a collection of sane wisdom in response to the Press release below. If you could compose a note in 100 words (not a word more please), we will place it before our advisory to select those that go towards building cohesive societies, where we all can get along and live without fear of each other. Please remember, it is not a Muslim thing, it is an American thing and about living in America.

 

THANK YOU

Planned Muslim Response to Qur'an Burning by Pastor Jones on September 11 in Mulberry, Florida

PRESS RELEASE
August 19, 2013| Dallas, Texas

Mike Ghouse
Text/Talk: (214) 325-1916
MikeGhouse@aol.com

Mirza A Beg
(205) 454-8797
mirza.a.beg@gmail.com

www.WorldMuslimCongress.com


PLANNED MUSLIMS RESPONSE TO QUR'AN BURNING BY PASTOR JONES ON 9/11/13 IN MULBERRY, FLORIDA

We as Muslims plan to respond to pastor Terry Jones' planned burning of 3000 copies of Quran on September 11, 2013 in positive terms.

Our response - we will reclaim the standard of behavior practiced by the Prophet concerning “scurrilous and hostile criticism of the Qur’an” (Muhammad Asad Translation Note 31, verse 41:34). It was "To overcome evil with good is good, and to resist evil by evil is evil." It is also strongly enjoined in the Qur’an in the same verse 41:34, “Good and evil deeds are not equal. Repel evil with what is better; then you will see that one who was once your enemy has become your dearest friend.”  

God willing Muslims will follow the divine guidance and pray for the restoration of Goodwill, and on that day many Muslim organizations will go on a “blood drive” to save lives and serve humanity with kindness.

We invite fellow Americans of all faiths, races, and ethnicities to join us to rededicate the pledge, “One nation under God”, and to build a cohesive America where no American has to live in apprehension, discomfort or fear of fellow Americans.  This event is a substitute for our 10th Annual Unity Day Celebration (www.UnitydayUSA.com) held in Dallas, but now it will be at Mulberry, Florida.

Unwittingly Pastor Jones has done us a favor by invigorating us by his decision to burn nearly 3000 copies Quran on September 11, 2013. Obviously he is not satisfied by the notoriety he garnered by burning one Qur'an last year. 

As Muslims and citizens we honor the free speech guaranteed in our constitution. We have no intentions to criticize, condemn or oppose Pastor Terry Jones' freedom of expression. Instead, we will be donating blood and praying for goodness to permeate in our society.

We plan to follow Jesus Christ (pbuh), a revered prophet in Islam as well as Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) – that of mitigating the conflicts and nurturing good will for the common good of the society. 

We hope, this event and the message will remind Muslims elsewhere in the world as well, that violence is not the way. Muslims, who react violently to senseless provocation, should realize that, violence causes more violence, and besmirches the name of the religion that we hold so dear. We believe that Prophet Muhammad was a mercy to the mankind, and we ought to practice what we believe and preach. We must not insult Islam by the negative reactions of a few.

We can only hope it will bring about a change in the attitude of the followers of Pastor Jones, and in the behavior of those Muslims who reacted violently the last time Pastor sought notoriety – We hope this small step towards a bridge to peaceful coexistence would propel us towards building a cohesive society.

Like most Americans a majority of Muslims quietly go about their own business, but it is time to speak up and take positive action instead of negative reaction. May this message of peace and goodwill reverberate and reach many shores. 

Lastly, we appreciate the Citizens of Mulberry, Florida, Honorable Mayor George Hatch, City Commissioners, police and Fire Chiefs for handing this situation very well.  This will add a ‘feather of peace’ in the City’s reputation. We hope Mulberry will be a catalyst in showing the way in handling conflict with dignity and peace.

We thank the Media for giving value to the work towards peace rather than conflict.

URL- http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2013/08/planned-muslim-response-to-quran_18.html 
 

Thank you.

Pastor wants to burn 3,000 Korans in Polk County

Follow us: @myfoxtampabay on Twitter | FOX13TampaBay on Facebook

Posted: Aug 22, 2013 4:53 PM CST Updated: Aug 22, 2013 4:56 PM CST

By: Ken Suarez, FOX 13 Polk Bureau Reporter - bio
Follow us: @myfoxtampabay on Twitter | FOX13TampaBay on Facebook

Video at:  http://www.myfoxtampabay.com/story/23233567/2013/08/22/pastor-wants-to-burn-3000-korans-in-mulberry