Tag: Pastor Terry Jones

Let’s Make a Deal: Qur’an Burning for Manhattan Muslim Center

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Orlando Sentinel photo of Mohammad Musri talking to reporters
The head of Orlando’s Islamic Society of Central Florida was among the many folks in Gainesville lining up to see Pastor Terry Jones, the leader of the 50-member Dove Outreach Center, who plans to spend Saturday night burning Qur’ans. But unlike the FBI agents and members of the press gathered nearby, Mohammad Musri was making an offer.

Mohammad Musri, of the Islamic Society, went to the church for the second day in a row Thursday afternoon, this time to make a deal. He said if Jones agrees to call off the Quran burning, he will urge Feisal Abdul Rauf, the controversial Imam behind the proposed mosque and community center near New York’s “ground zero,” to relocate the planned mosque in New York City.

No word on Jones’ decision.

It’s been a busy day for Jones, as he counts down to the fateful moment at 6 p.m. Eastern time on Saturday when he has promised to burn Qur’ans in commemoration of the events of Sept. 11, 2001.

Obama: “Yeah. I hope he listens to…those better angels.”

FBI sources tell ABC News that the agents were there to brief Jones on all the death threats he’s received and to discuss how they’re going to protect him and the church on Saturday.

Protecting University of Florida Gator football fans is also a major issue, as the home team plays cross-state rival Tampa’s University of South Florida Bulls in a game that kicks off at 12:21. What with the press, protestors, and supporters flocking to Gainesville to witness the Qur’an bonfire, Gainesville police have their hands full. Add thousands of drunk football fans and who knows what will happen?

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93-Year-Old Stetson Kennedy Vows to Arrest Qur’an Burner

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stetsonkennedyLocal (in my neck of the woods anyway) legend Stetson Kennedy, best known for his ground-breaking journalism exposing Ku Klux Klan members in the 1940s, is taking on the Qur’an burning church. The 93-year-old Kennedy has vowed to perform a citizen’s arrest of Pastor Terry Jones of Dove World Outreach Center on Sept. 11.

Stetson Kennedy says he’ll be in Gainesville this weekend, and will conduct a citizen’s arrest on Dove World Outreach Center Pastor Terry Jones on the grounds of inciting violence and rioting.

“Any citizen in the presence of a crime in progress may make a citizen’s arrest,” Kennedy said.

“In this case, I would intend to take the Reverend Jones to the nearest U.S. Attorney.”

Kennedy plans to arrest Jones on grounds of sedition, which can be defined as inciting people to disturb the public peace. It’s a bit of a reach, but it makes more sense than Jones’ own plan to paint all of Islam with one brush, based on the attack by Osama bin Laden’s followers nine years ago.

Around the world, others are making a similar error of generalization in mistaking Jones’ idiocy as representative of all America, or all of Florida, or even all of the Missouri-born Jones’ operating base of Gainesville, with some Muslims vowing revenge for Jones’ ignorant actions against Americans, including troops, abroad.