Florida pastor firm on his plan to burn Quran

Florida: A pastor at a church in Florida plans to burn a Quran on the 9/11 anniversary even after being warned by the US military.

Despite being criticised by the US government, Terry Jones said he would go ahead with his plans. But people from his own community say they see the plan to burn the Muslim holy book as a threat.

"I see it as a sign of terror. He's trying to terrorise my community," 14-year-old Gainesville resident Adil Kabeer said.

A sign advertising the event now spray painted with the word "Nazi" is located within a feet of the Gainesville Islamic's Center front door along southwest 13th street.

"I see it as a sign of putting fear and terror into my children. I see it as a sign of bringing hatred into Gainesville. I see it as a sign of fascism, a sign of evil," said a local.

"This sign has been here for just a short while. Many see it as just another way Jones is seeking attention."

The property where the sign stands is registered to a man in Pinellas County, Florida. As to why he would allow the sign to go up remains unclear. "To me, it tells me he sympathises or empathises with Jones's vision of America," said a resident.

Gainesville's Muslim community says it has reached out to Jones not once but twice, hoping to bridge the differences. They say Jones's refusal to accept their invitation illustrates his refusal to be open to them.

"His intentions were not really to search for the truth. This was someone who was finally able to go for the gold as they say. He's been bashing everyone."

According to this community member, going for gold in this case is to attack Islam for international notoriety that has led the top US commander in Afghanistan, General David Petraeus, to warn that the burning of the Quran could "endanger troops and could endanger the effort". He went on to say the Quran burning would be exploited by the Taliban.

In Gainesville, members of one centre of worship have this to say to the leader of another who plans to burn their most sacred book. "Instead of preaching peace to the community, as a pastor you show signs of ignorance over and over again."

"I bid to him just because I know what it's going to be like on the day of judgement to have to answer to throwing dirt on what other people thought to be sacred."

Countrywide condemnations have poured in. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called the act was disgraceful and US State Department spokesperson P J Crowley also called it provocative.

"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," Clinton said.

The US State Department on Tuesday vigorously condemned the intention of the Florida preacher. In an unusually blunt language, Crowley said the plan of Jones, who leads a small fundamentalist Christian church with a congregation of 50, was "provocative, disrespectful, intolerant, divisive and un-American".

"We would like to see more Americans stand up and say that this is inconsistent with our American values. In fact, these actions themselves are un-American," Crowley said.

On a website of his church, the Dove World Outreach Church in Gainesville, Florida, Jones characterises Islam as an "evil religion" and sharia law as an evil form of justice. He says that the plan to burn the Quran is retribution for the 9/11 attacks.

"We're sending the message that we can go beyond talk. If you push us too far, we can go beyond talk. There's a time the talk is over. There's a time that we must stand up and battle," Jones said.

Jones's inflammatory speeches continue. He has called the Quran an evil book and urged all Muslims to convert. "We are burning the book. We are not killing someone. We are not murdering people. We are not dragging people out of the cars, who are doctors, and killing them. We are simply burning a book. The General needs to point his finger to radical Islamists and tell them to shut up. Tell them to stop. Tell them that we will not bow our knees to them," he said.

Jones added: "I wish all Muslims would get saved. I wish they would all convert to Christianity. Christianity is the one and only true religion. The Quran, in our opinion, is an evil book."

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#Quran #Florida pastor #9/11 #Hillary Clinton #Gainesville Islamic Center