Pastor says he's rethinking canceling Quran burning event

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.

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

"Given what we are now hearing, we are forced to rethink our decision," Jones said. "So as of right now, we are not canceling the event, but we are suspending it."

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.

Jones announced Thursday afternoon that he would be flying to New York City to discuss the location of the planned mosque near the ground zero site with Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf.

"The American people do not want the mosque there and Muslims do not want us to burn the Quran,'' Jones told a throng of reporters shortly before 5 p.m. at a news conference outside his Dove World Outreach Center church.

Jones had been under intense pressure to back off, including a statement from President Barack Obama and a personal call from Defense Secretary Robert Gates. Jones planned to stage an "International Burn-a-Quran Day" on the ninth anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks.

Earlier media reports quoted Jones as saying the imam in New York City had agreed to move the controversial mosque - which he called a sign from God that he should cancel the burning.

But Jones later clarified his remarks to say that it was Muhammad Musri, an imam and the president of the Islamic Society of Central Florida, who had made the pledge.

"I have his word that he will move the mosque to a different location,'' Jones said. "It is my understanding and we have his word. We have accomplished our goal. We would like to ask no one to burn the Quran.''

But Musri says no deal has been reached to move the mosque near ground zero.

Musri said he offered a meeting among Jones, the New York imam planning the Islamic center and himself to talk about the mosque location.

Musri said he had talked to the wife of the imam and she invited Jones and Musri to meet with her husband. Musri will also travel to New York on Saturday to attend the meeting.

"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."

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

While discussing the situation with Musri this afternoon, Jones received a call from Defense Secretary Gates, who urged Jones to cancel the event.

Jones said he wasn't getting pressured, and simply listened to Gates' concerns. The Defense Department issued a statement that Gates expressed his grave concern the Quran burning would put at risk the lives of soldiers around the world, especially those in Iraq and Afghanistan, and urged Jones to cancel. Gen. David Petraeus in Afghanistan had expressed similar concerns.

A few minutes later, Jones and Musri walked out of the Dove World chapel to announce the burning was canceled.

Musri told Jones that "I will work my level best" to convince the imam in New York to move the site of the mosque. Musri said Jones was fine with that.

"He told me he understands it will not happen overnight."

Musri said that he believes Jones has abandoned the idea of burning Qurans. "He said as far as he is concerned, it's over."

The minister said he would not change a thing that he had done over the past days as worldwide attention turned to the small church in the middle of the college town.

"We have at this time no regrets," Jones said. "We are very, very pleased and happy with the outcome.
"This has been a very, very difficult and trying time,'' the reverend said. "We have been in very much thought and prayer over this period. We have thought it over many times.''

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.

Jones also is urging other Christian churches and groups to not burn Qurans.

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

Jones said that although he had been defiant this week as world leaders pressured him to cancel the event, he also considered the U.S. military concerns that burning Qurans would endanger troops.

"We definitely were praying on it," Jones said. "It definitely weighed heavy on our hearts if any soldiers were injured. But at this particular time, we have no regrets."

City of Gainesville spokesman Bob Woods welcomed Jones' announcement.

"We spent a lot of time preparing for an event that didn't reflect the values of this community," Woods said. "I think it's safe to say that the community is collectively breathing a sigh of relief."