Students, community to protest planned ‘burning of Koran’

A tiny right-wing Christian religious sect in Gainesville, Fla., is threatening to burn copies of the Koran (Qur’an) — the central book of the Muslim religion — on Sept. 11. The local chapter of the Students for a Democratic Society at the University of Florida has called a counter-protest that has the sympathy of many students and Gainesville residents.

The sect calls itself the “Dove World Outreach Center,” a name that belies its violent plans for Sept. 11. The Dove Center has a history of anti-gay bigotry most recently directed against Gainesville’s Mayor Craig Lowe. It also dresses children in t-shirts with the vile slogan, “Islam is of the Devil” printed on them.

Gainesville SDS has its own history of activism, in its case thoroughly progressive. It led protests by students and community members against police brutality on campus after an African student, Kofi Adu-Brempong from Ghana, was shot in the face by campus police last spring. SDS has also held actions defending immigrant rights and in support of the Immokalee farm workers.

In a media advisory issued Aug. 26, the SDS chapter stated it would “stand up against the extremist sect’s plan to burn Muslim holy books,” even though there had been threats from a militia group — later withdrawn — to protect the anti-Muslim book burners.

“Despite this attempt at intimidation,” read the advisory, “Gainesville SDS is calling on all organizations opposed to this vile act of hatred in Gainesville and across Florida to join them in protesting outside the Dove World Outreach Center on 9/11.”

Workers World spoke with Gainesville SDS spokesperson Justin Wooten on Aug. 24 and asked him about the level of support for the group’s protest.

“The University of Florida campus is generally outraged at the Dove Center’s book-burning,” said Wooten. “We expect there will be a large turnout. We expect also that our friends from the police brutality protests will come out, too.

“The local media usually avoid giving the Dove Center lots of publicity. In this case, however, the strong community revulsion over the book-burning has led to widespread coverage, so everyone knows about the event,” Wooten added.

“The Muslim community is understandably concerned that the media might portray them negatively if they appeared confrontational. They have engaged instead in other types of counter-actions, like feeding the homeless and poor, to show they are an asset to the community and the university.

“The local authorities have refused to give Dove a permit to burn, which is required in Gainesville,” said Wooten. “Mayor Lowe, who Dove viciously opposed with the slogan, ‘No homo mayor,’ has also spoken out against this bigoted event. He called Dove a ‘tiny fringe group and an embarrassment to our community.’”

Lowe was the first openly gay person to be elected mayor in northern Florida, winning by a very narrow margin last April against a Republican businessman.

Local religious spokespeople have also condemned the Dove group’s plans and intend to protest, but in a symbolic way, on Sept. 12, the day after the planned book-burning. The SDS-led protest aims to be right at the scene. For more information, see sdsgainesville.blogspot.com.