Concerned religious leaders and the head of Indonesia’s hard-line Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) have met to condemn plans by a Florida-based church group to burn Qur’ans later this month.

Sacred Heart Bishop Petrus Canisius Mandagi of Amboina and Bishop Johannes Pujasumarta of Bandung, from the Indonesian Bishops’ Conference (KWI) met FPI chairman Habib Rizieq Shihab and 30 other of the group’s officials at the KWI’s offices in Jakarta.

Communion of Churches in Indonesia (PGI) chairman Reverend Andreas A. Yewangoe and several Buddhist, Confucian and Hindu leaders also attended the one-hour meeting.

During the discussion, the leaders of each religious organization read out statements denouncing the Dove World Outreach Center’s plan to burn Qur’ans on Sept. 11 to mark the 2001 terrorist attacks in the USA.

“We are deeply hurt by this group’s plan to harm a religious symbol which is highly respected by Islam. We strongly denounce the plan and any similar action committed by any party elsewhere,” the KWI statement said.

Reverend Yewangoe read out a letter the PGI had written to President Barack Obama.

“We are very worried, because the plan threatens relations between Christians and Muslims in various parts of the world and will stir hatred among Muslims against Christian congregations,” it said.

Shihab said he welcomed the support from the KWI and PGI and thanked them for meeting him.

“This is an opportunity for us to build dialogue. The FPI appreciates this since it has done much to maintain harmony among religious communities, especially between Muslim and Christians in Indonesia,” he said.

He also called on Muslims in Indonesia not to overreact to the Qur’an burning plan.

“There must be no burning of holy books of any religion. This is what we want to make clear,” he said.

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