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Sigh: Florida Pastor Rethinks Cancellation Of Koran Burning
By
Jen Chung
Published Sep 9, 2010
Modified Sep 10, 2010
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By
Jen Chung
Published Sep 9, 2010
Modified Sep 10, 2010
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Of course, Pastor Terry Jones wasn't going to let go of his time in the spotlight. Now the leader of a tiny Florida church claims that he may not cancel his September 11 Koran burning after all. He told reporters, "We're definitely going to think it over and reconsider it. Now we're in somewhat a state of limbo, and we have to rethink of course our position."
To recap: Jones was planning on burning Korans to protest Islam, claiming that it incites violence. Pretty much everyone else was horrified, and after President Obama said it would be a "recruitment bonanza" for Al Qaeda and others said Americans overseas would likely be targets of violence , the possibly disturbed Jones folded. But he said he was only canceling the stunt because the developers of the Park 51 mosque and community center in NYC said they'd move that mosque (and not because everyone would hate him). Jones claimed a local imam, Muhammed Musri, helped broker the deal. However, the Park 51's imam, Feisel Abdul Rauf, said, "I am glad that Pastor Jones has decided not to burn any Qurans. However, I have not spoken to Pastor Jones or Imam Musri. I am surprised by their announcement. We are not going to toy with our religion or any other. Nor are we going to barter. We are here to extend our hands to build peace and harmony."
Further, CNN reports there was apparently different versions from Jones and Musri:
The back-and-forth over the mosque location and the meeting continued into the evening Thursday. Jones insisted he had been told of a deal on moving the center, but Musri said instead he was brokering a meeting with Rauf.
"We are canceling the event because they have agreed to move the ground zero mosque," Jones said, claiming his announcement was based on several conversations with Musri.
But the latter said he had not spoken with Rauf and was not authorized to say the Islamic center would be moved. Jones may have "stretched" their conversations to say there was a deal, Musri told CNN. He said he believes Jones knows there was no deal on the mosque.
The NY Times wonders if the media is to blame with this whole Jones thing, "Mr. Jones was able to put himself at the center of those issues by using the news lull of summer and the demands of a 24-hour news cycle to promote his anti-Islam cause. He said he consented to more than 150 interview requests in July and August, each time expressing his extremist views about Islam and Sharia law." Well, hey, some of the media was at least willing not to show images of Korans burning or cover it if it happened, right?
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florida
koran
koran burning
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terry jones
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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