“International Burn a Koran Day” – Qur’ans to Be Burned on 9/11

[Lady Macbeth]

A small, 50-member Christian church in the United States state of Florida plans to burn Qur’ans, the holy book of Islam, on the ninth anniversary of the coordinated 9/11 terrorist attack. Led by Pastor Terry Jones, the group intends to burn 200 copies of the Islamic holy text at their location: the Dove World Outreach Center. The church has already prepared the firewood for the fire despite the worldwide reactions of outrage and dissaproval.



The news of the planned Qur’an burning comes with the raging fervor over the construction project of the ‘Ground Zero’ mosque. Pastor Jones remarked that the Holy Qur’an burning is not a message of ‘defiance’ against all Muslims but simply the Muslim extremists and terrorists. “Why don’t we send a warning to them? Why don’t we send a warning to radical Islam and say, don’t do it. If you attack us, we will attack you.”
As the video below shows, courtesy of Russia Today, Muslim populaces were outraged at Reverend Jones’ plans despite his best intentions. Effigies of Reverend Jones were burned as angry Afghans protested the planned book burning.
More than 100 death threats were reported to have been sent to the 58 year old Terry Jones which has prompted him and his aides to carry firearms for self-protection. Reverend Jones also spoke of the rampant vandalism of his “International Burn a Koran Day” signs out on church property.

The U.S. federal government along with the United States military command in Afghanistan warned that the Qur’an burning would enrage countless Muslims and drastically drag down the war’s progress in Afghanistan. Moreover the act would project the wrong image of America to the rest of the Muslim world; a terrible blow on U.S. President Obama’s efforts to mend relationships with the Middle East in his early presidency.
Other religious leaders condemned Jones’ plan as unproductive and a cry for attention. Some expressed concern for troops overseas as unnecessary violence over there wrought by unnecessary actions back here would be the last thing “any of our guys would want”.
New York City’s Mayor Michael Bloomberg who has supported the construction of the Ground Zero mosque commented on the planned Qur’an burning as unpleasent but firmly said the Qur’an burning was to be protected “because of the First Amendment” which overrules the need for a burning permit in Jones’ area.
The Dove World Outreach Center stated it took the reactions and the government’s cautions “very seriously” but insisted it will still burn copies of the Qur’an this Saturday. The Christian pastor also said the burning was to honor the memory of the 9/11 victims. Which begs this question: would the Muslim individuals who died in the 9/11 attacks be pleased by the burning of their holy text?

“International Burn a Koran Day� – Qur’ans to Be Burned on 9/11 | iNewp.com

[Lady Macbeth]

I hope no one on this forum gets angry when he gets a fatwa on his head, as I for one would say he got down on his knees and begged for it (I bet the 2percent bad radical muslims heard his call to suicide loud and clear.....what size vest fits him by the way?)!!!!

[vinod2070]

This is really a pathetic and hateful thing to do.

Hope he gets the sense to see that it helps no one and causes offense to people who had nothing to do with 9/11.

[Neo]

Pastor Jones should be arrested and shipped of to Guantanamo Bay; he's no less terrorist than those who're actually behind 9/11.

[Neo]

Decision to suspend Quran-burning met with relief

LHOKSEUMAWE, Indonesia – Religious and political leaders across the Muslim world welcomed a decision by a small American church to suspend its plans to torch copies of their holy book — but some said Friday the damage has already been done.

The Rev. Terry Jones from the Dove Outreach Center in Gainesville, Florida triggered international outrage when he announced he would burn the Quran on the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, with hundreds of angry protesters in Afghanistan and Pakistan burning U.S. flags and chanting "Death to the Christians."

His decision to hold off, made overnight when many in Asia were sleeping, was met with relief.

"Quran burning plan aborted! Sanity prevails," Malaysia opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim told followers on the social networking site, Twitter. "Praise be to Allah. Our challenge: promote peace and justice."

But cleric Rusli Hasbi told 1,000 worshippers attending Friday morning prayers in Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim country, that Jones had already "hurt the heart of the Muslim world."

"If he'd gone through with it, it would have been tantamount to war," the Indonesian cleric said in the coastal town of Lhokseumawe. "A war that would have rallied Muslims all over the world."

Pakistani protesters rally in reaction

In Afghanistan, local officials estimated up to 4,000 people took part in Thursday's demonstration in Mahmud Raqi, capital of Kapisa province. NATO spokesman James Judge said there were 500 to 700 protesters.

A cleric in Balkh province said if the burning wend ahead a protest would be held Monday in the provincial capital, Mazar-i-Sharif. NATO-led troops are stationed in the city.

In the central Pakistani city of Multan, about 200 people marched and burned a U.S. flag.

"If Quran is burned it would be beginning of destruction of America," read one English-language banner held up by the protesters, who chanted "Down with America!"

Decision to suspend Quran-burning met with relief - Yahoo! News

[vinod2070]

Pastor cancels Quran-burning, then reconsiders
By ANTONIO GONZALEZ, Associated Press Writer Antonio Gonzalez, Associated Press Writer 50 mins ago

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – An anti-Islamic preacher backed off and then threatened to reconsider burning the Quran on the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, angrily accusing a Muslim leader of lying to him Thursday with a promise to move an Islamic center and mosque away from New York's ground zero. The imam planning the center denied there was ever such a deal.

The Rev. Terry Jones generated an international firestorm with his plan to burn the Quran on Saturday, the ninth anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, and he has been under intense pressure to give it up. President Barack Obama urged him to listen to "those better angels" and give up his "stunt," saying it would endanger U.S. troops and give Islamic terrorists a recruiting tool. Defense Secretary Robert Gates took the extraordinary step of calling Jones personally.

Standing outside his 50-member Pentecostal church, the Dove Outreach Center, alongside Imam Muhammad Musri, the president of the Islamic Society of Central Florida, Jones said he relented when Musri assured him that the New York mosque will be moved.

Musri, however, said after the news conference that the agreement was only for him and Jones to travel to New York and meet Saturday with the imam overseeing plans to build a mosque near ground zero.

Hours later, Jones said Musri "clearly, clearly lied to us."

"Given what we are now hearing, we are forced to rethink our decision," Jones said. "So as of right now, we are not canceling the event, but we are suspending it."

Jones did not say whether the Quran burning could still be held Saturday, but he said he expected Musri to keep his word and expected "the imam in New York to back up one of his own men."

Jones had never invoked the mosque controversy as a reason for his planned protest. He cited his belief that the Quran is evil because it espouses something other than biblical truth and incites radical, violent behavior among Muslims.

But he said Thursday afternoon that he prayed about the decision and concluded that if the mosque was moved, it would be a sign from God to call off the Quran burning.

Fla. pastor, imam at odds over Quran-burning deal - Yahoo! News

[vinod2070]

This attention seeker obviously wants to milk the free publicity for all it's worth.

Not sure if he has really canceled it or indulging in some plain old taqiyya.

[Neo]

It's a meagre 50 member community; I wonder what good this negative publicity would do for a small group of religious extremists who'll probably alienate themselves for other US christians.

[vinod2070]

Well, he is now known across the world. Just for making a few provocative statements. No one knew of him till the other day and now he is a sort of celebrity (even if in a negative sense).

Perhaps the media should have just ignored him. He was not worth it.

[Neo]

Maybe the same media should pay more attention to the movie "Agora" starring Rachel Weiss. The theme is about the campaign to forcefully Christianise Egypt, starting from Alexandria; The first Pastor was responsible for torturing and murdering of masses under the name of "The Holy Bible".

Those Christians were responsible for plundering and destroying the Library of Alexandria and burning of what should be a world heritage now.
Almost every single book was burt! :(