ISLAMABAD – Angelina Jolie on Wednesday condemned a Florida
church's threat to burn copies of the Muslim holy book to mark the
ninth anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks.
The 35-year-old actress spoke out against the proposed burning
during a trip to Pakistan to raise awareness about the floods that
have devastated the largely Muslim country over the last six weeks.
She visited in her capacity as a goodwill ambassador for the U.N.'s
refugee agency.
Jolie's criticism echoed that of top U.S. officials, who have
described the church's plan as a disgraceful act and have even
warned that it could endanger U.S. troops in Afghanistan and
Americans worldwide.
"I have hardly the words that somebody would do that to
somebody's religious book," Jolie told reporters in Islamabad after
visiting refugees camps in northwestern Pakistan _ one of the areas
of the country hit hardest by the floods.
The Christian minister organizing the Quran burning, Pastor
Terry Jones, has said he plans to go ahead in spite of concerns. He
is part of the Dove World Outreach Center, a tiny, evangelical
Christian church in Gainesville, Florida, with an anti-Islam
philosophy.
The issue has not gotten much attention in Pakistan, where
officials and residents have been trying to cope with the
devastation caused by floods that first hit the country at the end
of July following extremely heavy monsoon rains. The floodwaters
have killed more than 1,700 people and have affected over 18
million others.
"I was shocked especially by how high the floodwaters went,"
said Jolie, who wore a long dress and covered her hair with a black
scarf in keeping with local Muslim custom. "In some of the people's
houses, it was nine feet (three meters) high."
U.N. officials have expressed hope that Jolie's visit would help
spark the fundraising campaign to help Pakistan, which has stalled
in recent days. The U.N. issued an appeal for $460 million in
emergency funds on Aug. 11, but only $294 million, or 64 percent,
has been received so far even though it is one of the worst natural
disasters in recent years.
"There's lots of speculation about why this one has not gotten
the attention it deserves," Jolie said. "Even all of the wonderful
coverage ... is not getting the response that usually it's able to
get."
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Burning Quran does not address the issue , it will only worsen
the hatred.
it only highlights the church deep seated ignorance
