The James Logan Courier

By Farah Ali, Courier Staff Writer

On Saturday, a church located in Gainesville, Florida planned to host an “International Burn a Quran Day” to commemorate the ninth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. Pastor Terry Jones said he planned to cancel the burning, but then reconsidered that decision.

Jones said that Imam Muhammad Musri tricked him prior to his creation of “International Burn a Quran Day”. Jones also said he made a deal with Musri: Jones would put his Koran burning to a stop if the New York City mosque's establishment was halted. However, since the mosque is still being built, Jones is reevaluating his judgment.

In New York, Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf and his ally, a real estate developer Sharif el-Gamal, stated that they never made any deal to break off their plans for the mosque and also said that they never spoke to Musri or Jones.

President Barack Obama demanded a stop to the Koran burning event. During an interview Obama said, “If he's listening, I just hope [Jones] understands that what he's proposing to do is completely contrary to our values as Americans; that this country has been built on the notions of religious freedom and religious tolerance. We're already seeing protests against Americans just by the mere threat that he's making."

Religious leaders all across the globe are outraged by what they believe is a racist and unjust act, protesting against Jones. Afghanistan's streets are flooded with protesters, throwing rocks and other items while yelling, “Death to America”.

President Asif Ali Zardari of Pakistan stated that the burning of the Quran would “inflame sentiments among Muslims throughout the world and cause irreparable damage to interfaith harmony and also to world peace."