South Africa blocks burning of Bibles

While there has been no burning of Korans yet, the radical act proposed by American pastor Terry Jones has already ignited protest around the world. A South African businessman had plans to burn copies of the Bible in response to Jones' threats, however a Johannesburg court prevent the move.

South African high court judge Sita Kolbe issued a warrant prohibiting Mohammed Vawda from burning copies of the Bible. "Judge Kolbe ruled that freedom of expression is not unlimited if one exercises freedom of expression that is harmful to others,” lawyer Yasmin Omar of the Scholars of the Truth organization said.

Vawda acknowledged that he erred in planning to burn Bibles and claimed he did not intend to hurt Jews or Christians but to put a different perspective on the pastor's plans. “I was angry and enraged by Pastor Jones’s threats to burn the Koran, " he said.

Omar said that his clients had requested that all religious books be included in the injunction. The request will be discussed at a later stage.

A spokesperson for the South African Muslim legal council called Jones to open a Koran and try to understand it.

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