US pastor ’seriously considering not burning Quran’ (Intro Nightlead)

WASHINGTON - The pastor at a Florida church who had planned to burn copies of the Quran on the anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attack Friday said he was “seriously considering not burning” the Islamic holy book.

Terry Jones, pastor of the Gainesville, Florida-based Dove World Outreach Center, told CBS’ “The Early Show” programme that “we have called the event off”.

“We are seriously, seriously, seriously considering not burning the Qurans. That is absolutely right,” Jones was quoted as saying.

When Jones said “we are hoping that we can come to a conclusion”, a reporter asked “Are you or aren’t you?”, to which he replied: “We’re actually not prepared to answer that right now.”

Jones said he is scheduled to travel to New York Friday night for a meeting with the imam in charge of the Islamic center planned near Ground Zero, the CNN reported.

The meeting, Jones said, was part of what convinced him to halt the planned burning.

He said the meeting was promised Thursday by Florida imam Mohammad Musri, who also told him the Islamic center would be moved in exchange for the burning being called off.

Musri, however, said Friday that he made no such promise, and both Musri and the imam in charge of the center, Feisal Abdul Rauf, said there was no agreement on a meeting or relocation of the center.

Asked who was telling the truth about what Musri may or may not have promised, the imam told CNN Friday: “Of course, I am.”

“I made it very clear to him: ‘I have no control over the project in New York’,” Musri said.

“I am just a mediator here. I promised to set up the meeting and take him along, pay for it, but no guarantee that I can move that mosque. It’s not my decision.”

Musri said Jones “stretched it and exaggerated” the outcome of their Thursday meeting once he went before the cameras, telling reporters that Musri promised the meeting in New York and that the Islamic center would be moved.

“That’s not what I offered him,” Musri said.

The imam also said he feels Jones is a “good person at heart” who got himself into a difficult position and could not back down despite calls from world leaders.

“He could not back down, and I felt that it’s my responsibility, as the Muslim leader in central Florida, to go up to him and speak one-on-one with him and explain that he’s putting American lives in danger and he should reconsider.”

Wayne Sapp, an associate pastor of the church, told CNN that the Quran burning scheduled for Saturday was postponed until the proposed meeting in New York is confirmed.

The church will wait 24 hours to confirm the meeting will take place before making any further decision about the Quran burning, Sapp said.