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Pastor & Wannabe Koran-Burner In NYC, Still Doesn't Like Islam
By
Ben Yakas
Published Nov 17, 2010
Modified Nov 17, 2010
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By
Ben Yakas
Published Nov 17, 2010
Modified Nov 17, 2010
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The controversial Florida mustache-enthusiast who threatened to burn a bunch of Korans on Sept. 11, didn't, and then got a free car out of the deal, returned to Ground Zero yesterday a humbled man. Pastor Terry Jones was in Manhattan to announce his latest project, an organization called Stand Up America, whose aim is to foster communication and understanding for Americans about Islam in an attempt to atone for his incendiary antics last September. Or...not: the initiative actually aims to "teach about the dangers of radical Islam."
Jones cajoled a bunch of journalists into paying attention to his latest publicity stunt at the site of the Park51 project. It exposed yet again just how desperate some people are for any kind of attention. Jones was not joined by an entourage however: because of his failed attempts at Koran-burning, he lost most of the flock from his Dove World Outreach Center in Gainesville, Fla. Jones said his people left because "they are not interested in the truth" about radical Muslims' attempts to take over the US: "People come to church and want to hear, 'God loves you, you're a good person.' That's true. God does love you. But there's more we need to tell people, and they don't want to hear it."
So while he may have lost his followers, and he may have a $200,000 bill hanging over his head, it's good to know his willfully ignorant nature hasn't changed: the Post asked Jones if he purposefully made his announcement on the start of Eid al-Adha, a Muslim holiday. Jones responded that he wasn't even aware it was a holiday, and only chose this week to visit because it lined up with his Thanksgiving plans. You mean it had nothing to do with Movember?
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ground zero
islam
muslim
park51
pastor
stand up america
terry jones
Ben Yakas
Ben Yakas is a former Gothamist reporter.
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