Religious Intolerance Will Not Be Tolerated : American Minorities Cry

By ETHAN Markoff

WORLD NEWS (Washington) - An unexpected and rather extraordinary "emergency meeting" was held in the capital city Washington Tuesday to reprehend about the outright prejudice against American Muslims during the controversy over a proposed Islamic community center near ground zero.

Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick the emeritus Roman Catholic archbishop of Washington lamented and said in a fiery tone in front of several clergy members and religious leaders at a news conference at the National Press Club, "this is not America, the nation was not built on hate."

In a recent times America has witnessed a considerably high Muslim intolerance. The anti Muslim craziness, precisely because of terrorist attacks and a Afghan and Iraq wars where large number of US citizens were killed. There are a few incidences, for example attacks at several mosques, has sharply pointed out the growing animosity among Americans against Muslims.

In the meeting the common consensus was that this type of anti Muslim frenzy could divide the country and disturb the peace. Moreover, they feared this hatred could degrade the nation's image of religious freedom and diversity.

There is a foggy news about the clandestine plan by the White House, the State Department and the top American military commander in Afghanistan, to burn copies of Koran on the anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks.

Gen. David H. Petraeus warned that if the footage of burning religious book leaks, it would have incited violence around the world and inflame public opinion.

The religious leaders in Washington strongly condemned such sacrilege act.

“To those who would exercise derision, bigotry, open rejection of our fellow Americans of a different faith, I say, shame on you. As an evangelical, I say to those who do this, you bring dishonor to those who love Jesus Christ.” Said the Rev. Richard Cizik, president of the New Evangelical Partnership for the Common Good.