The Vatican has spoken out against an American evangelical pastor's plan to burn copies of the Koran to commemorate the Sep 11 terrorist attacks, which killed about 3,000 people, calling it 'an outrageous and grave gesture'.

'These deplorable acts of violence, in fact, cannot be counteracted by an outrageous and grave gesture against a book considered sacred by a religious community,' the Vatican's interfaith body said statement.

'Each religion, with its respective sacred books, places of worship and symbols, has the right to respect and protection,' said the Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Affairs.

Terry Jones, the pastor at the Dove World Outreach Center in Gainesville, Florida and author of a book entitled 'Islam is the Devil' plans to mark the Sep 11 attacks by burning copies of the Koran at his tiny church Saturday.

Despite having a congregation of just 50, Jones' plans have gained worldwide notoriety, sparking demonstrations in Afghanistan and Indonesia.

--IANS/AKI

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