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(CNN) -- U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has condemned the planned burning of Qurans on the anniversary of the 2001 attacks on the United States as criticism mounts from Muslims around the world.
Speaking Tuesday at an iftar meal in Washington to celebrate the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, Clinton said she welcomed the concerns.
"I am heartened by the clear, unequivocal condemnation of this disrespectful, disgraceful act that has come from American religious leaders of all faiths ... as well as secular U.S. leaders and opinion makers," she said.
On Wednesday the U.S. Embassy in Pakistan also condemned the Florida church's plan to burn the Quran, the Muslim holy book, as "disrespectful, intolerant and divisive," in a statement.
The statement comes days after the top U.S. military commander in Afghanistan, Gen. David Petraeus, warned that the plan could put U.S. troops' lives at risk.
The pastor of the church, Terry Jones, told CNN Tuesday his flock was taking the warning seriously but had not decided to cancel the event, planned for September 11.
Jones, pastor of Dove World Outreach Center in Gainesville, Florida, told CNN's "American Morning:"We have firmly made up our mind, but at the same time, we are definitely praying about it."
Later Tuesday, Jones had a response to the statement from Petraeus.
"The general needs to point his finger to radical Islam and tell them to shut up, tell them to stop, tell them that we will not bow our knees to them," Jones said on CNN's "AC360."
"We are burning the book," Jones said. "We are not killing someone. We are not murdering people."
The planned action has drawn sharp criticism from Muslims around the world and from U.S. officials.
The U.S. Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Tuesday issued a statement saying the U.S. government "in no way condones such acts of disrespect against the religion of Islam, and is deeply concerned about deliberate attempts to offend members of religious or ethnic groups."
It emphasized that it strongly condemned "the offensive messages, which are contrary to U.S. government policy and deeply offensive to Muslims especially during the month of Ramadan."
With about 120,000 U.S. and NATO-led troops still battling al Qaeda and its allies in the Islamic fundamentalist Taliban movement, Petraeus warned that burning Qurans "is precisely the kind of action the Taliban uses and could cause significant problems -- not just here, but everywhere in the world we are engaged with the Islamic community."
Petraeus said he was concerned about the political repercussions of the church's plan.
"Even the rumor that it might take place has sparked demonstrations such as the one that took place in Kabul yesterday," he said. "Were the actual burning to take place, the safety of our soldiers and civilians would be put in jeopardy and accomplishment of the mission would be made more difficult."
Thousands of Indonesians gathered outside the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta, Indonesia, on Sunday to protest the planned Quran burning.
"The burning is not only an insult to the holy Quran, but an insult to Islam and Muslims around the world," said Muhammad Ismail, a spokesman for the hard-line Indonesian Muslim group Hizb ut-Tahrir.
Jones said his congregation was aware that the action was offensive.
"We realize that this action would indeed offend people, offend the Muslims. I am offended when they burn the flag. I am offended when they burn the Bible. But we feel that the message that we are trying to send is much more important than people being offended."
Jones said Muslims are welcomed in the United States, if they observe the Constitution and don't try to impose Sharia law, or Muslim law. The message, he said, is directed toward the "radical element of Islam."
"Our message is very clear," he said. "It is not to the moderate Muslim. Our message is not a message of hate. Our message is a message of warning to the radical element of Islam, and I think what we see right now around the globe provides exactly what we're talking about," he said.
The center says it was founded in 1986 as a "total concept church for the rich, the poor, the young and the old." Its purpose is to "stand up for righteousness and for the truth of the Bible." It stresses that "Christians must return to the truth and stop hiding."
"We need to speak up against sin and call the people to repentance. Abortion is murder. Homosexuality is sin. We need to call these things what they are and bring the world the true message: that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life," it says on the church's website.
It also emphasizes its dislike of Islam, and on its website, it blog posts an item called "Ten Reasons to Burn a Koran.
"Any religion which would profess anything other than this truth is of the devil. This is why we also take a stand against Islam, which teaches that Jesus is not the Son of God, therefore taking away the saving power of Jesus Christ and leading people straight to Hell," the site says.
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Video After The JumpAkon'slatest artist French Montana links up with the newest members of his Coke Boys team T-Bird and Duly better known as Skyy High for these latest visuals.
Be on the lookout for their combo mixtape 'Theater Seats' coming sooner than than you think!
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Video After The JumpCocaine City's French Montana continues his assault on the streets by dropping another banger "Go Hard". Directed by LyMe LyTe, this joint is off his soon to drop mixtape 'Mac N Cheese 2'
Since signing with Akon, French has shown no signs of slowing down. Expect more heat in 2010 from The Bronx rapper.
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Madonna and Britney Spears’ kiss at the MTV Video Music Awards has been voted Top Kiss in a new poll.
The on stage smooch during a performance of Madonna’s track 'Like A Virgin’ in 2003 was voted the most famous smooch of the last decade, according to the poll conducted by UK department store Selfridges.
The performance - which also saw Madonna kiss Christina Aguilera – made headlines across the world and is one of the most shocking moments in the history of the music channel’s annual awards.
A source said: 'Madonna performing with both Britney and Christina was a big enough event in itself, but nobody – even the MTV people - expected what happened. It is one of the most memorable moments ever.'
Same sex kisses scored highly in the with Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal’s famous gay kiss in 2005 film 'Brokeback Mountain’ being voted third.
'Bruno’ actor Sasha Baron Cohen and Will Ferrell’s re-enactment of Madonna and Britney’s kiss at the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) also made the top ten.
Female on female kisses also proved memorable with the Lindsay Lohan and Samantha Ronson’s first public kiss outside New York’s Mercer hotel making the top ten list, as well as Scarlett Johansson and Penelope Cruz locking lips in film 'Vicky Cristina Barcelona’.
Other popular smooches were on screen embraces by rumoured real life couples such as Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart’s steamy scene in 'Twilight’ and Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt in 2005’s 'Mr. and Mrs. Smith’ – which did blossom into a real romance.
Selfridges conducted the poll ahead of its Valentine’s Day kissing booth opening at its London store on February 12.
Top ten most famous kissing moments of the last decade:
1. Britney Spears and Madonna, MTV Music Video awards 2003
2. Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst, 'Spider-Man’ 2002
3. Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal, 'Brokeback Mountain’ 2005
4. Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart, 'Twilight’ 2008
5. Scarlett Johansson and Penelope Cruz, 'Vicky Cristina Barcelona’ 2008
6. Lindsay Lohan and Samantha Ronson, Mercer Hotel NYC 2008
7. Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, 'Mr. and Mrs. Smith’, 2005
8. Freida Pinto and Dev Patel, 'Slumdog Millionaire’ 2009
9. Sasha Baron Cohen and Will Ferrell, MTV Movie Awards 2007
10. Jennifer Aniston and Winona Ryder, 'Friends’ 2001Music-News Underground
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