Dove World Outreach Center Quran-burning controversy

Created by Terry Jones of Gainesville, Florida, US In July 2010, Terry Jones , the pastor of the Christian Dove World Outreach Center in Gainesville, Florida , U.S., announced he would burn 200 Qurans on the 2010 anniversary of the September 11 attacks . He gained media coverage, resulting in international outrage over his plans and pleas from world leaders to cancel the event. Jones' threat sparked protests in the Middle East and Asia, in which at least 20 people were killed. In early September 2010, Jones cancelled and pledged never to burn a Quran. Nevertheless, on March 20, 2011, Jones held a "trial of the Quran" in his Gainesville church. Finding the scriptures guilty of " crimes against humanity ," the Quran was burned in the church sanctuary. Protesters in the northern Afghanistan city of Mazar-i-Sharif and elsewhere attacked the United Nations Assistance Mission , killing at least 30 people, including at least seven United Nations workers, and injuring at least 150 people. The killing of two US soldiers by an Afghan policeman on 4 April 2011 was attributed to anger over the burning of the Quran. American news analysts criticized and blamed Hamid Karzai , President of Afghanistan, for drawing attention to the Quran burning. The New York Times . PressTV – Afghans continue protests over Qur'an desecration . "Why did Karzai spotlight Terry Jones's Quran burning?" , Christian Science Monitor (April 5, 2011).

2010 burning of Qurans by Christian preacher Terry Jones in Gainesville, Florida, USA In July 2010, Terry Jones , the pastor of the Christian Dove World Outreach Center in Gainesville, Florida , U.S., announced he would burn 200 Qurans on the 2010 anniversary of the September 11 attacks . He gained media coverage, resulting in international outrage throughout the Islamic world over his plans and pleas from world leaders to cancel the event. Jones' threat sparked protests in the Middle East and Asia, in which at least 20 people were killed. In early September 2010, Jones cancelled and pledged never to burn a Quran. Nevertheless, on March 20, 2011, Jones held a "trial of the Quran" in his Gainesville church. Finding the scriptures guilty of " crimes against humanity ", the Quran was burned in the church sanctuary. Protesters in the northern Afghanistan city of Mazar-i-Sharif and elsewhere attacked the United Nations Assistance Mission , killing at least 30 people, including at least seven United Nations workers, and injuring at least 150 people. The killing of two US soldiers by an Afghan policeman on April 4, 2011, was attributed to anger over the burning of the Quran. American news analysts criticized and blamed Hamid Karzai , President of Afghanistan, for drawing attention to the Quran burning. The New York Times . "Why did Karzai spotlight Terry Jones's Quran burning?" , Christian Science Monitor (April 5, 2011).

2010 burning of Qurans by Christian preacher Terry Jones in Gainesville, Florida, USA In July 2010, Terry Jones , the pastor of the Dove World Outreach Center in Gainesville, Florida, United States, announced plans to burn 200 copies of the Quran on the ninth anniversary of the September 11 attacks. The announcement attracted significant media attention and sparked international outrage, particularly throughout the Islamic world. Numerous world leaders urged Jones to cancel the event. His threat led to protests across the Middle East and Asia, resulting in at least 20 deaths. In early September 2010, Jones announced the event was cancelled and pledged not to burn the Quran. Despite his earlier statement, on March 20, 2011, Jones held a "trial of the Quran" at his church in Gainesville. During the event, the Quran was declared "guilty" of crimes against humanity and was subsequently burned in the church sanctuary. The act triggered widespread protests in Afghanistan, including a violent attack in the city of Mazar-i-Sharif , where demonstrators stormed a United Nations compound, killing at least 30 people, including seven UN staff members, and injuring more than 150 others. On April 4, 2011, two U.S. soldiers were killed by an Afghan police officer, an act that was attributed to outrage over the Quran burning. American news analysts criticized and blamed Hamid Karzai , President of Afghanistan, for drawing attention to the Quran burning. Pastor Terry Jones: 'We will not burn the Quran' , NBC News (November 9, 2010). The New York Times . Protests continue in Afghanistan against Quran burning , CNN (April 5, 2011). "Why did Karzai spotlight Terry Jones's Quran burning?" , Christian Science Monitor (April 5, 2011).