NYC Imam says 'No Deal' after Florida Pastor Cancels Burning of Quran

Imam says planned mosque will not be moved

Pastor Terry Jones announced Thursday that he was cancelling the burning of copies of the Quran in response to a decision by the Imam in New York City to relocate the mosque. He also stated he would be traveling the NYC to meet with the Muslim leader. In quick response, Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf refuted the report saying all was moving ahead as planned.

WASHINGTON, DC (Catholic Online) - Not long after Rev. Terry Jones announced he was cancelling the buring of the Quran and meeting with NYC Mosque leaders, Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf of the planned city worship center issued his own statement, indicating he was surprised by the announcement and that he would not barter.

As was reported earlier, Imam Muhammad Musri, president of the Islamic Society of Central Florida, said to the Associated Press after a news conference, "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. 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."

It is still unclear whether a meeting is to take place. ABC News reported that a statement from SoHo Properties indicated, "The Muslim Community Center called Park51 in Lower Manhattan is not being moved."

"We are, of course, now against any other group burning Qurans," Jones said earlier today 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."

President Obama, members of Congress and General Patraeus and others condemned to action of burning copies of the Quran. They indicated that such an act would put troops in harm's way and intensify the determination of Islamist extremists. While most of them chose to communicate to Jones only by way of the public media, it was Secretary of Defense Robert Gates who actually called the pastor personally and discuss the situation.

Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell said, "Secretary Gates reached out to Pastor Jones this afternoon. They had a very brief phone conversation during which the Secretary expressed his grave concern that going forward with the Quran burning would put at risk the lives of our forces around the world, especially those in Iraq and Afghanistan, and he urged the Pastor not to proceed with it."

Federal, state and local law enforcement agencies had increased security for the pastor and his church, Dove Outreach Center, an independent Pentecostal church in the firestorm of controversy surrounding the proposed activity. Counter-demonstrations had already begun to take place in other parts of the world as news of the burning spread. In Kabul, Afghanistan, hundreds of protestors burned an American flag while chanting, "Death to Christians."

President Obama received a letter from Indonesian President Susilo Bamban Yudhoyno  requesting that he stop "this hideous act." Iran's foreign minister, Manouchehr Mottaki, issued a warning that Muslims would react harshly to the burning. He went on to blame Washington for failing to protect the rights of American Muslims.

We earlier reported that Rev. Terry Jones, the controversial pastor who announced his intentions to publically burn approximately 200 copies of the Quran on September 11 called it off. He stated that the reason for his change was that the leader of the proposed NYC mosque has agreed to move locations.

News agencies were not able to confirm that report but a Florida Imam, Muhammad Musri, told The Associated Press that what he offered was a meeting with Jones, the New York imam planning the Islamic center and himself to discuss the location of the mosque.

The AP reported that Musri, who is president of the Islamic Society  of Central Florida, told Jones that he did not believe the mosque should be built near the World Trade Center site and would do everything in his power to make sure it is moved. The pastor indicated he trusted Musri's sincerity and was willing to participate in this new plan.

Jones, who pastors a church with less than 50 members, drew international attention with his "Burn the Quran" day protest. Objectors to this event publically urged the minister to cancel, calling his actions irresponsible, outrageous and dangerous. The President, members of Congress and the Military warned Jones that he would be putting the US military overseas in harm's way. The Vatican also condemned the proposed action.

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