Texas evangelist says '100 percent' that Quran-burning is off Saturday

A Texas evangelist working with the Rev. Terry Jones on Friday gave assurances that no Qurans will be set ablaze today, even though there had been no contact with the New York City imam planning to build a mosque near the site of the 9-11 attacks. Jones' plan to desecrate the Islamic holy text in a bonfire on the ninth anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks ignited protests around the world and rained condemnation on the obscure pastor from international political, military and religious leaders, who implored him to call it off. The plan to burn the books sparked protests Friday in Afghanistan, where at least 11 people were injured. Police in the northern province of Badakhshan say several hundred demonstrators ran toward a NATO compound where four attackers and five police were injured in clashes. Protesters also burned an American flag at a mosque after Friday prayers. In western Farah province, police said two people were injured in another protest. There were protests near Jones' church, too. Fifteen people gathered across the street to oppose the book-burning, including Dave Schneider, 20, a University of Florida political-science student and graduate of Timber Creek High School in Orlando. Schneider yelled into a bullhorn: "Being a Muslim is not a crime." Others held signs, including, "Drop the hate at the gate" and "Bad men, funny moustaches," with a caricature of Jones with his distinctive white moustache and of Adolf Hitler. President Obama also disagreed with the Rev. Terry Jones viewpoints about burning the Quran. President Obama said Friday that the idea that "we would burn the sacred texts of someone else's religion is contrary to what this country stands for." A Texas evangelist finally was able to convince Jones not to go through with the Quran burning based on three reasons. His reasons included the sacred regard of the Quran held by more than a billion believers around the world; a concern that the act would endanger Christian missionaries, nuns and others working in humanitarian efforts internationally; and the fear that it would needlessly imperil U.S. military forces.

 I personally do not agree with Rev. Terry Jones viewpoints and feel as though his reasons behind doing it are completely absurd. Everyone who studies Islam is not a terrorist and by doing this it would probably cause chaos around the world and as a result cause many to want to burn the Bible as retaliation or worse. I understand that everyone has the right to do what they want and has the right to freedom of speech, but wonder what everyone else thinks? Do you think he went too far or do you think this whole quran-burning has been blown out of proportion?

http://www.latimes.com/news/os-florida-quran-burning-cancelled-20100910,0,850913.story