NEW YORK, Sept. 7 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The American Jewish Committee urged that provocative acts timed to mark the ninth anniversary of the September 11, 2001 Al Qaeda atrocities - including a mass burning of copies of the Qu'ran and a conference showcasing 9/11 conspiracy theorists - not divert Americans from the principal aim of commemorating that tragic day in a dignified manner.
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Two of the events causing grave concern are:
A threatened mass burning of thousands of copies of the Qu'ran, the Muslim holy book, by Pastor Terry Jones of the Dove World Outreach Center in Gainesville, Fla. Although Jones heads a marginal Church with a membership of only 50 families, his planned provocation has fueled worry about rising anti-Muslim sentiment in America. Jones's proposed act has resulted in a warning from Gen. David Petraeus, head of Multinational Forces in Afghanistan, that the Qu'ran burning could incite further violence against U.S. soldiers and civilians in the Islamic world.
A march and conference in Lower Manhattan that will feature supporters of terrorism and 9/11 conspiracy theorists. Organized by the group "We Are Change," the march will proceed to Ground Zero. Among the speakers at the subsequent conference are: former US Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney, who has described the U.S. government as being under the control of "Zionist agents;" former British parliamentarian George Galloway, who is an outspoken supporter of the Hamas and Hezbollah terrorist organizations; and Wayne Madsen, a conspiracy theorist who claims that the 9/11 attacks were carried out by the Israeli intelligence agency, Mossad.
"As we prepare to mark the ninth anniversary of 9/11, extremists are exploiting the atrocities of that day to further their sinister agendas," said AJC Executive Director David Harris. "That they are protected in doing so is a mark of what makes our country distinct - and is a necessary price we pay for our cherished principles of free speech. Those very same principles mean we are confident Americans will reject these hatemongers and their insidious messages."
SOURCE American Jewish Committee
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