Aa
Florida Pastor calls off Quran Burning
(CNN) -- The Florida pastor who had planned to burn copies of the Quran on Saturday has called it off.
The Rev. Terry Jones of the Gainesville, Florida-based Dove World Outreach Center made the announcement Thursday.
Earlier Thursday, President Obama said Jones' plan, which had triggered worldwide controversy, would be a "recruitment bonanza for al Qaeda."
"You could have serious violence in places like Pakistan or Afghanistan" as a result of the proposal by Jones, Obama said on ABC's "Good Morning America." "This could increase the recruitment of individuals who'd be willing to blow themselves up in American cities, or European cities."
Jones had previously said he would proceed with the plan Saturday -- the ninth anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks -- despite increased pressure to abandon the proposal and warnings that going ahead could endanger U.S. troops and Americans worldwide.
There were several developments prior to Jones' cancellation announcement:
-- Local governments said they were going to bill Jones for the extra cost of security for Saturday's event.
-- Interpol on Thursday issued a global alert to its 188 member countries, warning of a "strong likelihood" of violent attacks if the Quran burning proceeds.
Video: Gauging reaction to Quran burning
Video: No permit to burn Qurans?
Video: Call for tolerance RELATED TOPICS
Terry Jones
Islam
First Amendment Rights
-- An armed Christian organization, which withdrew its support for the Quran-burning event last month, said the administration "needs to stay out of this" and pledged to defend the Dove Center's right to hold the event, despite its disagreement.
-- The FBI warned local law enforcement that the plan, along with other recent controversies involving the American Muslim community, could lead to hate crimes and could encourage extremist rhetoric, although a federal law enforcement official said there was no credible information that attacks were planned.
The FBI visited Jones at the Dove Center on Thursday, according to Jeffrey Westcott, special agent in charge of the Jacksonville, Florida, bureau. The FBI also visited him a few weeks ago, he said, but would not say what was discussed.
Discussions were taking place within the Obama administration about the possibility of intervening, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs told reporters Thursday. Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell said the possibility of calling Jones is under consideration, and that Defense Secretary Robert Gates was participating in the discussions.
Earlier this week, the top U.S. military commander in Afghanistan, Gen. David Petraeus, warned that the plan "could cause significant problems" for American troops overseas.
Jones has rejected the pleas, saying his message targets radical Islamists. "The general needs to point his finger to radical Islam and tell them to shut up, tell them to stop, tell them that we will not bow our knees to them," Jones said on CNN's "AC360." "We are burning the book. We are not killing someone. We are not murdering people."
Meanwhile, Obama told ABC, "As commander in chief of the armed forces of the United States, I just want him to understand that this stunt that he is talking about pulling could greatly endanger our young men and women in uniform who are in Iraq, who are in Afghanistan. We're already seeing protests against Americans just by the mere threat ... this is a destructive act that he's engaging in."
The Council on American-Islamic Relations, a Muslim civil liberties and advocacy group, announced an initiative called "Learn, Don't Burn" on Thursday and will distribute Qurans to replace the burned copies.
Awad said the group is concerned that the plan may lead to hate crimes against Muslims. Cross burnings by the Ku Klux Klan were an indication of hate crimes to follow against African-Americans, he said, and Nazis started with burning books and "ended up burning people."
CAIR has been working with attorneys, and no basis has been found to stop the burnings under the law, he said, but he added that if the plan is going to incite violence, the government should step in.
"I can assure you that on September 11, you will not see a bonfire of Qurans being burned at the Dove Church," Imam Mahdi Bray, head of the Muslim-American Society, told reporters.
He said he has just returned from Gainesville, where city officials told him Jones will not receive a burn permit and any sort of incendiary material will violate the city code. A fire truck will be nearby to douse any flames, he said.
Gainesville Mayor Craig Lowe said Jones' requests for burn permits have been denied, and city officials hope that he will comply. If he breaks the law, action can be taken against Jones, with the response based on whatever the infraction might be, he said. Lowe has declared Saturday "Interfaith Solidarity Day."
City Communications Manager Bob Woods said the city will tally up costs related to the event and present Jones with the bill.
Alachua County Sheriff's Office spokesman Art Forgey says " we do plan to compile and send a bill to Mr Jones."
"I don't know that we have the teeth to enforce it, though" Forgey added. Instead, the bill may just end up being a statement to Jones about how much the event cost local citizens, the spokesman said.
The Gainesville Students for a Democratic Society said Thursday it will bus in students from as far away as Chicago, Illinois, and will have about 600 on hand Saturday to protest at a nearby park, then march to the church to picket the event.
Meanwhile, two websites associated with Jones and his church were down Thursday.
Rackspace Hosting took down the two sites because the church "violated the hate speech provision of our acceptable use policy," said spokesman Dan Goodgame.
The company investigated a complaint in the past couple days and made the determination after reviewing both sites, said Goodgame, adding that Rackspace was under no pressure to act.
"This is not a constitutional issue. This is a contract issue," he said.
The Rev. Terry Jones of the Gainesville, Florida-based Dove World Outreach Center made the announcement Thursday.
Earlier Thursday, President Obama said Jones' plan, which had triggered worldwide controversy, would be a "recruitment bonanza for al Qaeda."
"You could have serious violence in places like Pakistan or Afghanistan" as a result of the proposal by Jones, Obama said on ABC's "Good Morning America." "This could increase the recruitment of individuals who'd be willing to blow themselves up in American cities, or European cities."
Jones had previously said he would proceed with the plan Saturday -- the ninth anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks -- despite increased pressure to abandon the proposal and warnings that going ahead could endanger U.S. troops and Americans worldwide.
There were several developments prior to Jones' cancellation announcement:
-- Local governments said they were going to bill Jones for the extra cost of security for Saturday's event.
-- Interpol on Thursday issued a global alert to its 188 member countries, warning of a "strong likelihood" of violent attacks if the Quran burning proceeds.
Video: Gauging reaction to Quran burning
Video: No permit to burn Qurans?
Video: Call for tolerance RELATED TOPICS
Terry Jones
Islam
First Amendment Rights
-- An armed Christian organization, which withdrew its support for the Quran-burning event last month, said the administration "needs to stay out of this" and pledged to defend the Dove Center's right to hold the event, despite its disagreement.
-- The FBI warned local law enforcement that the plan, along with other recent controversies involving the American Muslim community, could lead to hate crimes and could encourage extremist rhetoric, although a federal law enforcement official said there was no credible information that attacks were planned.
The FBI visited Jones at the Dove Center on Thursday, according to Jeffrey Westcott, special agent in charge of the Jacksonville, Florida, bureau. The FBI also visited him a few weeks ago, he said, but would not say what was discussed.
Discussions were taking place within the Obama administration about the possibility of intervening, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs told reporters Thursday. Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell said the possibility of calling Jones is under consideration, and that Defense Secretary Robert Gates was participating in the discussions.
Earlier this week, the top U.S. military commander in Afghanistan, Gen. David Petraeus, warned that the plan "could cause significant problems" for American troops overseas.
Jones has rejected the pleas, saying his message targets radical Islamists. "The general needs to point his finger to radical Islam and tell them to shut up, tell them to stop, tell them that we will not bow our knees to them," Jones said on CNN's "AC360." "We are burning the book. We are not killing someone. We are not murdering people."
Meanwhile, Obama told ABC, "As commander in chief of the armed forces of the United States, I just want him to understand that this stunt that he is talking about pulling could greatly endanger our young men and women in uniform who are in Iraq, who are in Afghanistan. We're already seeing protests against Americans just by the mere threat ... this is a destructive act that he's engaging in."
The Council on American-Islamic Relations, a Muslim civil liberties and advocacy group, announced an initiative called "Learn, Don't Burn" on Thursday and will distribute Qurans to replace the burned copies.
Awad said the group is concerned that the plan may lead to hate crimes against Muslims. Cross burnings by the Ku Klux Klan were an indication of hate crimes to follow against African-Americans, he said, and Nazis started with burning books and "ended up burning people."
CAIR has been working with attorneys, and no basis has been found to stop the burnings under the law, he said, but he added that if the plan is going to incite violence, the government should step in.
"I can assure you that on September 11, you will not see a bonfire of Qurans being burned at the Dove Church," Imam Mahdi Bray, head of the Muslim-American Society, told reporters.
He said he has just returned from Gainesville, where city officials told him Jones will not receive a burn permit and any sort of incendiary material will violate the city code. A fire truck will be nearby to douse any flames, he said.
Gainesville Mayor Craig Lowe said Jones' requests for burn permits have been denied, and city officials hope that he will comply. If he breaks the law, action can be taken against Jones, with the response based on whatever the infraction might be, he said. Lowe has declared Saturday "Interfaith Solidarity Day."
City Communications Manager Bob Woods said the city will tally up costs related to the event and present Jones with the bill.
Alachua County Sheriff's Office spokesman Art Forgey says " we do plan to compile and send a bill to Mr Jones."
"I don't know that we have the teeth to enforce it, though" Forgey added. Instead, the bill may just end up being a statement to Jones about how much the event cost local citizens, the spokesman said.
The Gainesville Students for a Democratic Society said Thursday it will bus in students from as far away as Chicago, Illinois, and will have about 600 on hand Saturday to protest at a nearby park, then march to the church to picket the event.
Meanwhile, two websites associated with Jones and his church were down Thursday.
Rackspace Hosting took down the two sites because the church "violated the hate speech provision of our acceptable use policy," said spokesman Dan Goodgame.
The company investigated a complaint in the past couple days and made the determination after reviewing both sites, said Goodgame, adding that Rackspace was under no pressure to act.
"This is not a constitutional issue. This is a contract issue," he said.
Amen! Love the sinner. Hate the sin. It's like when my kids were little. I would tell them how much I loved them but how much I didn't like what the did. Separate the action from the person. And I am one who feels Christianity is under attack. Yes, some have done some despicable acts in the name of Jesus. The protests and flag burning by that Baptist church at soldier's funerals for one. They do not represent the majority of Christians. Just as jihadists do not represent the majority of Muslims.
But getting back to the Qaran burning, I don't know if this self proclaimed pastor is a genius or a nut job. He brilliantly illuminated the difference between Christianity and Islam. When the Bible was burned, there were no threats, veiled or otherwise. Just disappointment and prayer. Just threaten to burn the Qaran (not actually do it) and here come the death threats and protests worldwide. I don't think he meant to show this difference so well but he did. And all from a self proclaimed pastor with a congregation of less than 50. Amazing world we live in.
But getting back to the Qaran burning, I don't know if this self proclaimed pastor is a genius or a nut job. He brilliantly illuminated the difference between Christianity and Islam. When the Bible was burned, there were no threats, veiled or otherwise. Just disappointment and prayer. Just threaten to burn the Qaran (not actually do it) and here come the death threats and protests worldwide. I don't think he meant to show this difference so well but he did. And all from a self proclaimed pastor with a congregation of less than 50. Amazing world we live in.
"They say God gave us free will, so I have to laugh at stupid people, who think they know better than God or try to correct God, by saying gays are bad, or Muslims are bad, or we should take away government help for the needy, and all the other things they say. I'm sorry to say, but so many that say they are Christian, just sound sooooo unChristian and hypocritical. "
flagmagi, not here to argue with you or change the subject but it's God who said homosexuality was a sin. Christians didn't make it up. So, if you have a beef with it, maybe you should take that up with God instead of blaming "stupid Christians".
It's not just in the Old Testament as some like to claim, saying it no longer applies. It's also in the New Testament. Here are just two scriptures pertaining to homosexuality but there are many others. Does this mean we are to hate any person, no matter what sin they are caught up in? Of course not, we are to love them. Something people get very confused about is thinking Christians hate the person when God instructs us to hate the sin, or act, not the person. You really can seperate the two.
These are just two scriptures of what GOD says:
If we are going to call ourselves Christians then we can't just pick and choose what scriptures we like and ignore the rest. And yes, there are scriptures that we may not like but it's God's word, not something stupid Christians made up.
Leviticus 18:22 - "Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman; that is detestable." (NIV)
Romans 1:26-27 - "Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion." (NIV)
I'm not sure how much clearer God can get than that but of course if a person is caught up in sin then they don't want to see that and will argue till the sun goes down. I'm not here to argue, only wanted to show you what God himself said.
I'm tired of people saying Christians are hateful because of this or that, just because they follow the bible and take God at his word. Like I said, God says we are to love all people but hate sin, that includes sin in our own lives.
I'm sure this will get deleted but I hope not before you get a chance to see it because I really think it's unfair to call people stupid because they follow the word of God. Like I said, it was God who said these things, people didn't make it up. And yes, it really is possible to love the person but not the act.
flagmagi, not here to argue with you or change the subject but it's God who said homosexuality was a sin. Christians didn't make it up. So, if you have a beef with it, maybe you should take that up with God instead of blaming "stupid Christians".
It's not just in the Old Testament as some like to claim, saying it no longer applies. It's also in the New Testament. Here are just two scriptures pertaining to homosexuality but there are many others. Does this mean we are to hate any person, no matter what sin they are caught up in? Of course not, we are to love them. Something people get very confused about is thinking Christians hate the person when God instructs us to hate the sin, or act, not the person. You really can seperate the two.
These are just two scriptures of what GOD says:
If we are going to call ourselves Christians then we can't just pick and choose what scriptures we like and ignore the rest. And yes, there are scriptures that we may not like but it's God's word, not something stupid Christians made up.
Leviticus 18:22 - "Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman; that is detestable." (NIV)
Romans 1:26-27 - "Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion." (NIV)
I'm not sure how much clearer God can get than that but of course if a person is caught up in sin then they don't want to see that and will argue till the sun goes down. I'm not here to argue, only wanted to show you what God himself said.
I'm tired of people saying Christians are hateful because of this or that, just because they follow the bible and take God at his word. Like I said, God says we are to love all people but hate sin, that includes sin in our own lives.
I'm sure this will get deleted but I hope not before you get a chance to see it because I really think it's unfair to call people stupid because they follow the word of God. Like I said, it was God who said these things, people didn't make it up. And yes, it really is possible to love the person but not the act.
Australia is a wonderful country. Many Canadians make travelling there part of their agenda at some point and time. I am told the people that live there are fabulous and very hospitable. I have not yet had the pleasure of going there, but I will!
Canada is one country that did not go to Iraq. We took an incredible amount of flak for it...even some veiled threats, but we held our ground, and to be truthful, I fully support the decision not to go. We are in Afghanistan though, and have been since the beginning. I am proud of our troops.
I 100% agree that religion and politics are a dangerous mix. There are many countries still in the world governed by religious beliefs, and most of us would not want to live there.
Back on track a bit about the beginning of this thread....did anyone else see the special on last night about the New Jihadists (on CNN). Talked about where Bin Laden fits into things today, and other "top radicals" and where they come from, recruitment, etc. It was interesting and quite eye opening. Several moderate Imam's were interviewed, and it seems the general theme is that more then anything, Islam is at war internally...moderates and radicals. They also talked about the belief some have that the US is at war with Islam and it made sense. What we see on TV is all the negative stuff...the radicals in the Middle East burning the flag, chanting threats against the US, etc. So many tend to begin to believe that belief system encompasses all of the MIddle East. Well, what they see on TV is some of the radical stuff that can happen here...the Mosque burning, threats to burn the Qaran, etc. so they begin to think the same thing...that alll Westerners hate Islam. Makes sense if you think about. The media isn't going to report on the peaceful folks on both sides that just go about their daily lives...they report on the radical stuff.
Canada is one country that did not go to Iraq. We took an incredible amount of flak for it...even some veiled threats, but we held our ground, and to be truthful, I fully support the decision not to go. We are in Afghanistan though, and have been since the beginning. I am proud of our troops.
I 100% agree that religion and politics are a dangerous mix. There are many countries still in the world governed by religious beliefs, and most of us would not want to live there.
Back on track a bit about the beginning of this thread....did anyone else see the special on last night about the New Jihadists (on CNN). Talked about where Bin Laden fits into things today, and other "top radicals" and where they come from, recruitment, etc. It was interesting and quite eye opening. Several moderate Imam's were interviewed, and it seems the general theme is that more then anything, Islam is at war internally...moderates and radicals. They also talked about the belief some have that the US is at war with Islam and it made sense. What we see on TV is all the negative stuff...the radicals in the Middle East burning the flag, chanting threats against the US, etc. So many tend to begin to believe that belief system encompasses all of the MIddle East. Well, what they see on TV is some of the radical stuff that can happen here...the Mosque burning, threats to burn the Qaran, etc. so they begin to think the same thing...that alll Westerners hate Islam. Makes sense if you think about. The media isn't going to report on the peaceful folks on both sides that just go about their daily lives...they report on the radical stuff.
Take the million Iraqi deaths with a grain of salt. You've got to figure in all of the radicals that are blowing themselves and other Iraqis up. Its horribly unfortunate, but that area of the world has been in turmoil for ever..... religious beliefs have seperated those people, and the dying has been happening for hundreds of years.
I can tell you without a doubt, that if all American and Allied troops vacated Iraq, you would still have Iraqi's killing Iraqis.....it *****, but thats the way it is.
I can tell you without a doubt, that if all American and Allied troops vacated Iraq, you would still have Iraqi's killing Iraqis.....it *****, but thats the way it is.
In my opinion, we've got to keep religion out of politics. Religion is one thing, politics is something completely different. What we can take from all religions and institute into politics is the morals.
Tolerance should be at the forefront. We are all different, and the majority of us all want the same things. Regardless of religion, we all want to be able to earn a fair wage for a hard days work, we wnat to be able to take care of our families, we want freedom to say what we want without persecution, we all want to be able to feed and cloth our families....we all want to be treated fairly, judged justly. Regardless of religion, the majority of people in this country feel along those lines.
It is the hard line of politics that seperate/divide us. Intolerance of others beliefs, religious or otherwise is what will continue to keep politics in the sewer. Listen to a lot of the people in the news preaching about tolerance. Quite often, they sound like the least tolerant!
Tolerance should be at the forefront. We are all different, and the majority of us all want the same things. Regardless of religion, we all want to be able to earn a fair wage for a hard days work, we wnat to be able to take care of our families, we want freedom to say what we want without persecution, we all want to be able to feed and cloth our families....we all want to be treated fairly, judged justly. Regardless of religion, the majority of people in this country feel along those lines.
It is the hard line of politics that seperate/divide us. Intolerance of others beliefs, religious or otherwise is what will continue to keep politics in the sewer. Listen to a lot of the people in the news preaching about tolerance. Quite often, they sound like the least tolerant!
There are quite a few countries helping in the Iraki effort. I read that to date over a million iraki people have been killed as a result of this occupation.
http://www.projectcensored.org/top-stories/articles/1-over-one-million-iraqi-deaths-caused-by-us-occupation/
All cause we were looking for weapons of mass destruction. Were not those terrorists responsible for 9/11 from Saudi Arabia? Most of em I will say. Was not Bin Laden in Afghanistan at that time? I am trying to get a handle on the timeline here.
http://www.projectcensored.org/top-stories/articles/1-over-one-million-iraqi-deaths-caused-by-us-occupation/
All cause we were looking for weapons of mass destruction. Were not those terrorists responsible for 9/11 from Saudi Arabia? Most of em I will say. Was not Bin Laden in Afghanistan at that time? I am trying to get a handle on the timeline here.
You must join this user group in order to participate in this discussion.
You are reading content posted in the Current Events . . . Group
A list of national and international resources and hotlines to help connect you to needed health and medical services.
Herpes sores blister, then burst, scab and heal.
Herpes spreads by oral, vaginal and anal sex.
STIs are the most common cause of genital sores.
Condoms are the most effective way to prevent HIV and STDs.
PrEP is used by people with high risk to prevent HIV infection.
