Azernews.Az

BAKU – Azerbaijan’s clerical leader has strongly condemned the recent burning of a Koran by a preacher in the United States, warning that such acts will spark stand-off if they are not countered.

A congregation at a Florida church, led by pastor Terry Jones, burned the Muslim holy book in public on March 20. The move sparked angry protests in Afghanistan and other Islamic countries. The protests began last Friday when thousands of demonstrators in the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif poured into the streets after prayer services and overran a UN compound, killing three UN staff members and four Nepalese guards.

"The Holy Koran honorably refers to Moses, Jesus, Virgin Mary and other saints, and Islam recognizes them," the Caucasus Muslims Office chairman, Sheikh Allahshukur Pashazada said in a statement. "Burning this book without knowledge of the high values it signifies is essentially a revolt against the Bible and the Gospel."

Pashazada called upon US officials, NGOs and clerical leaders to condemn the burning of the Koran and vigorously work to prevent such provocations that threaten to awaken stand-off.

"We deem as important for all clerical leaders to denounce such an insulting attitude toward the holy Muslim book and demand bringing to justice the so-called pastor over his sinister attempt to stir religious hostility that has already claimed lives," the statement said.

Pashazada warned that such actions could trigger a heavy loss of human lives in the whole world.

"There was a tsunami in Japan and a lot of people were killed. This could be worse than a tsunami," he added.

US President Barack Obama has condemned the burning of the Koran and strongly opposed the killings of innocent people that followed.