'Politicians should resolve the problems in their own country,' says Muslim Daisy Kahn. She believes Geert Wilders should not travel to New York to protest against the building of an Islamic centre close to Ground Zero.

And Secretary of State Hillary Clinton opposes an announced Qur’an burning on 11 September. Tension is rising in the United States as the commemoration of the 9/11 terrorist attacks in 2001 approaches.

Hillary Clinton is furious with the Reverend Terry Jones in Florida, who says he plans to burn copies of the Qur’an on Saturday, 11 September. At a Ramadan meeting in her ministry, she said:

"I am heartened by the clear, unequivocal condemnation of this disrespectful, disgraceful act that has come from American religious leaders of all faiths, from evangelical Christians to Jewish rabbis, as well as secular US leaders and opinion-makers. Our commitment to religious tolerance goes back to the very beginning of our nation."

Safety in Afghanistan
The reverend’s plan has led to fierce protests in Afghanistan, where US General Petraeus is concerned about the safety of his troops. In the United States, government and religious leaders have held meetings to discuss the increase in anti-Islamic sentiments in society with the commemoration of the 9/11 attacks coming up.

Dutch politician Geert Wilders will give a speech in New York on Saturday at a protest rally against the building of an Islamic centre close to Ground Zero, the site where the twin towers of the World Trade Centre once stood.

Daisy Khan is one of the people behind the Islamic centre on Park 51. She stresses that it is not a mosque, but a community centre where all Manhattan residents can come together. She calls herself a bridge builder, who works for harmony against extremism. There will also be a prayer room in the building, she says.

Challenge
Ms Khan thinks that Geert Wilders and other foreign politicians should not interfere with internal US matters:

“Each community has its own challenges. If there is a problem in the Netherlands, that challenge should remain in the Netherlands and should be resolved by Dutch people and the Dutch Muslim community. It would be prudent for other politicians to also just... Try to resolve the issues in their own backyard.”

Dishonest
Daisy Khan is aware of Mr Wilders ideas and his right-wing populist Freedom Party (PVV)

"Several years ago he spoke to the Congress. I thought that was intellectually dishonest, because you cannot stand for the freedom of expression and the freedom of speech and than call for a ban of the Qur’an, which more than one billion people adhere to"

Wilders has told journalists he thinks the idea of burning Qu'rans is "not a good plan". He didn't want to comment any further as he is participating in difficult negotiations to form a government coalition in the Netherlands. Nevertheless he is determined to speak at the protest rally in New York on Saturday.

* Park 51 blog