Assemblée parlementaire de l'OTAN
HomeMEDIA RESOURCES20108 September 2010 - STATEMENT BY JOHN TANNER, PRESIDENT OF THE NATO PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY

8 September 2010 - STATEMENT BY JOHN TANNER, PRESIDENT OF THE NATO PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY

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As President of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, I condemn in the strongest terms the plans of the Dove World Outreach Center to burn the Koran on September 11, 2010. Such actions run counter to the traditions and values of the members of the NATO alliance and can only serve to deeply insult the very people with whom we must forge an enduring partnership to address the most urgent threats to our mutual security and our civilization.

The millions of Muslims in the Middle East, South Asia and elsewhere are not only our critical allies in the fight against terrorism, but they are also the main victims of those radical Islamists who misrepresent the Koran in an effort to justify their campaign of terror. Fighting radical hate filled fundamentalism with hate filled rhetoric and senseless acts of disrespect have never served a constructive purpose.

I am particularly concerned about how this action could undermine our efforts to build confidence and stability in Afghanistan.   The vast majority of Afghans are practicing Muslims who reject the extremism of the Taliban and Al Qaeda.   Muslim Afghan soldiers fight side by side with troops from NATO member countries to rid their country of those terrorist groups.   Burning the Koran would be a grave affront to those brave Afghan soldiers who risk their lives on a daily basis in partnership with our troops and it would only add to the difficulties our brave forces face in the fight against terror.
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