Our correspondent

NEW DELHI: Indian Muslims have strongly condemned the attacks on Christian properties and asked the government to take stern legal action against the culprits.

It is reported that a church in Malerkotla in Punjab and school in Kashmir valley were destroyed and burnt down on Monday night by some miscreants in protest against US Pastor’s threat to burn a copy of Holy Quran in commemorate of 9/11.

“We strongly condemn the attacks on Christian properties and institutions. We urge the authorities concerned to take stern legal action against the culprits”, Muslim leaders from different organizations said in a join statement.

They said that they disapprove disrespect to any religion or desecration of any sacred scripture or vilification of any religious personality or attack on any religious place, anywhere in the world, and consider it a despicable and uncivilized act. “Islam specifically prohibits such acts and behaviour”, the statement said.

Muslim leaders also appealed their community people in India and elsewhere to show restraint in such situations and protest in peaceful manner.

"We appeal our Muslims in India and elsewhere to show restraint in such situations and limit their disapproval and protest against such incidents to peaceful demonstrations, press statements and memoranda to the authorities concerned," they said in a statement.

The signatories include President, All India Muslim Majlis-e Mushawarat, Syed Shahabuddin, Secretary General, Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, Nusrat Ali, Leader of Majlis Ittehadul Muslimin and MP Asaduddin Owaisi, President, Interfaith Coalition & Zakat Foundation of India, Dr Zafar Mahmood,
General Secretary, Movement for the Empowerment of Muslim Indians (MOEMIN) Navaid Hamid and the Milli Gazette editor & ex-President, AIMMM Dr Zafarul-Islam Khan.