[hang nadim] US minister cancels burning of Qurans on Sept. 11

GAINESVILLE, Florida: The anti-Muslim leader of a tiny Florida church says he was lied to and is rethinking his decision to cancel burning Qurans to mark 9/11.

Pastor Terry Jones earlier Thursday had backed off his threat to burn the Quran after he said he was promised that a planned Islamic center and mosque would be moved away from New York’s ground zero. Muslim leaders denied there was such a deal.


Pastor puts Quran burning on hold, for now

Imam Muhammad Musri of the Islamic Society of Central Florida, right, speaks to the media as Pastor Terry Jones of the Dove World Outreach Center looks, Thursday, in Gainesville, Fla. (AP Photo/Phil Sandlin)


Later outside his church he said that the imam he thought he made the deal with “lied to us” about moving the mosque.

Jones and Imam Muhammad Musri stood side by side in a news conference where the pastor said he would cancel Saturday’s event.

Musri later told The Associated Press there was only an agreement for him and Jones to travel to New York and meet Saturday with the imam overseeing plans to build a mosque near ground zero.-AP

US minister cancels burning of Qurans on Sept. 11

GAINESVILLE, Florida (AP): The leader of a tiny church on Thursday backed off his threat to burn the Quran, saying he gave up the plan in exchange for a deal to move a planned Islamic center and mosque away from New York's ground zero. The imam planning the center, however, quickly denied any such deal.

The Rev. Terry Jones had been under intense pressure to back off, including a statement from President Barack Obama and a personal call from U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates. Jones made his announcement outside his church alongside Imam Muhammad Musri, the president of the Islamic Society of Central Florida.

After the news conference, Musri told The Associated Press there was an agreement for him and Jones to travel to New York and meet Saturday - on the actual anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks - with the imam overseeing plans to build a mosque near ground zero.

"I told the pastor that I personally believe the mosque should not be there, and I will do everything in my power to make sure it is moved," Musri said. "But there is not any offer from there (New York) that it will be moved. All we have agreed to is a meeting, and I think we would all like to see a peaceful resolution."

Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf said he was surprised by the announcement and that he would not barter.

Speaking to reporters later, Jones was adamant that he was promised that the Islamic center would be moved, and said he would be "very, very disappointed" if it were not.

Jones, the pastor of a Florida Pentecostal church of 50 members, has said that he believes the Quran is evil because it espouses something other than biblical truth and incites radical, violent behavior among Muslims.

Jones on Thursday said he prayed about the decision and that if the site of the mosque was moved, it would be a sign from God to call off the Quran burning.

"We are, of course, now against any other group burning Qurans," Jones said during the news conference. We would right now ask no one to burn Qurans. We are absolutely strong on that. It is not the time to do it."

His decision comes after a firestorm of criticism from leaders around the world. President Barack Obama, the top U.S. general in Afghanistan and several Christian leaders had urged Jones to reconsider his plans. They said his actions would endanger U.S. soldiers and provide a strong recruitment tool for Islamic extremists. Jones' protest also drew criticism from religious and political leaders from across the Muslim world.

They warned that the plan would put Americans in danger around the world. In Afghanistan, hundreds of angry Afghans burned an American flag and chanted "Death to the Christians" to protest the planned Quran burning.

Musri thanked Jones and his church members "for making the decision today to defuse the situation and bring to a positive end what has become the world over a spectacle that no one would benefit from except extremists and terrorists" who would use it to recruit future radicals.

Russ Blackburn, Gainesville city manager: "It's very good news for Gainesville and good news for everyone involved."

Jones' neighbors in Gainesville, a city of 125,000 anchored by the sprawling University of Florida campus, also have said they disapprove. At least two dozen Christian churches, Jewish temples and Muslim organizations in the city have mobilized to plan inclusive events - some will read from the Quran at their own weekend services.

Jones' Dove Outreach Center is independent of any denomination. It follows the Pentecostal tradition, which teaches that the Holy Spirit can manifest itself in the modern day. Pentecostals often view themselves as engaged in spiritual warfare against satanic forces.

Paderi akan akur jika Obama meminta tak terus rancangan

GAINSEVILLE: Seorang paderi Florida yang mengundang kecaman dunia kerana merancang membakar beratus al-Quran esok, berkata beliau mungkin membatalkan hasratnya itu jika Presiden Amerika Syarikat Barack Obama meminta beliau untuk tidak melakukannya.
Terry Jones, Ketua Dove World Outreach Center, memberitahu akhbar USA Today setakat ini beliau belum dihubungi Rumah Putih berhubung rancangannya membakar kita suci Islam itu sempena menandakan ulang tahun kesembilan serangan pengganas 11 September.
“Jika Obama meminta kami membatalkannya sudah semesti kami akan menimbangkannya. Saya tidak akan dapat mengabaikan panggilan dari Rumah Putih,” katanya.

Obama semalam memberi amaran tindakan membakar al-Quran akan hanya menguntungkan kumpulan pengganas Al-Qaeda yang didakwa melancarkan serangan terhadap AS pada 2001 itu yang membunuh hampir 3,000 orang.

“Anda tahu, tindakan berkenaan akan mencetuskan keganasan serius di tempat seperti Pakistan atau Afghanistan,” Obama memberita rangkaian televisyen ABC.

Walaupun pelbagai kritikan diterima daripada pegawai tertinggi Amerika Syarikat, tentera, Vatican dan pemimpin agama lain, gereja terbabit sebelum ini menyatakan ia tetap enggan menangguhkan rancangan membakar al-Quran itu.
Jones memberitahu satu sidang media kelmarin gereja beliau menerima banyak mesej yang menyokong tindakan itu.

Jones menjelaskan beliau sudah berdoa untuk mendapatkan panduan sama ada meneruskan acara itu selepas amaran dari komander Amerika Syarikat di Afghanistan, Jeneral David Petraeus bahawa Amerika Syarikat dan tentera sekutu akan menjadi sasaran balas dendam.

“Kami faham mengenai kebimbangan jeneral terbabit dan kami masih lagi mempertimbangkan mengenainya,” kata Jones tetapi berkata beliau dihubungi seorang askar pasukan khas yang memberitahu beliau bahawa ‘mereka di medan perang 100 peratus di belakang kami.”

Paderi yang pernah menerima ancaman bunuh itu berkata acara selama tiga jam esok itu bertujuan menghantar mesej kepada kumpulan radikal Islam bahawa mereka perlu mematuhi perlembagaan Amerika Syarikat.

“Pembakaran al-Quran ini adalah untuk menarik perhatian bahawa ada sesuatu yang tidak kena. Dan ia adalah masa yang sesuai untuk kami dalam satu cara baru untuk bangkit dan menentang keganasan,” katanya.

Rancangan membakar sejumlah 200 al-Quran yang kebanyakan didermakan kepada gereja dibuat menyusuli satu perdebatan yang membangkitkan kemarahan mengenai rancangan membina sebuah pusat kebudayaan Islam di New York berhampiran dengan tapak bekas Pusat Dagangan Dunia.

Ramai bimbang jika al-Quran dibakar ia akan membangkitkan lagi sentimen antiIslam. – AFP

Jolie kutuk cadangan bakar al-Quran



ANGELINA JOLIE bercakap pada sidang akhbar di Islamabad, Pakistan semalam.

ISLAMABAD - Pelakon terkenal, Angelina Jolie semalam mengutuk tindakan sebuah gereja di Florida, Amerika Syarikat (AS) yang mengancam untuk membakar sejumlah kitab suci al-Quran pada ulang tahun kesembilan serangan 11 September 2001 yang dilakukan oleh pengganas.

Aktres berusia 35 tahun itu yang kini popular dengan filem Salt menyuarakan pendapatnya itu semasa melakukan lawatan ke Pakistan untuk meningkatkan kesedaran mengenai banjir yang melanda negara tersebut.

Kritikan Jolie mengulangi pendapat pegawai-pegawai AS yang berpendapat bahawa rancangan gereja tersebut merupakan tindakan yang memalukan.

Pegawai-pegawai itu turut memberi amaran bahawa tindakan membakar al-Quran akan membahayakan nyawa askar AS di Afghanistan dan rakyat Amerika di seluruh dunia.

"Saya sukar memikirkan bahawa ada orang yang sanggup membakar kitab suci agama lain," kata Jolie.

Paderi yang mengetuai rancangan untuk membakar kitab tersebut, Pastor Terry Jones, memberitahu, dia akan meneruskan rancangannya itu walaupun mendapat bantahan ramai.

Banjir di Pakistan telan menyebabkan lebih 1,700 orang maut dan menjejaskan kehidupan 18 juta penduduk. - AP