Quran-burning Pastor No Stranger to Controversy

Rev. Terry Jones

Pastor Terry Jones has told interviewers he never expected the storm of media coverage and international protests that followed his announcement. That could be true. He's said and done provocative things before as pastor of Dove World Outreach Church that have drawn much less attention.

Last year, for example, when he posted big signs on church property saying Islam is of the devil. Religious leaders in town asked him to remove them. City officials did the same, saying they violated municipal code. He refused.

Jones says he's not changing his plans to burn Qurans this weekend at the church in Gainesville, despite concerns raised by Gen. David Petraeus the burning could endanger American troops.

“Okay, we're going to burn the Quran,” Jones said in a Sunday sermon. “Now we do that because we actually believe certain things. We believe it's a bad book, evil book. It's against the Bible. It's against God.”

Dove World Outreach Church is on the outskirts of Gainesville, the college town that's home to the University of Florida. But although it has a small congregation, just some 50 members, in Gainesville, it's become well known.

Gainesville's new mayor, Craig Lowe, is no stranger to the church's confrontational style. Earlier this year, during the mayoral campaign, the church posted signs that read: No Homo Mayor - a reference to Lowe, who's gay.

“They do have a history of making some very provocative statements for the purpose of attracting media attention,” Lowe said.

In this case, the city denied the church's request for a burn permit necessary for an outside bonfire. On Saturday, Lowe says, police and fire personnel will be on hand to take whatever action is necessary.

But with General Petraeus' new warning, Lowe says, Jones may still back down.

“It is an irresponsible action to threaten to do, and I just hope that something will sink in,” Lowe said.

Jones has told interviewers he's received numerous death threats. Even so, he says, he'll hold the Quran burning on the church lawn Saturday evening.

City officials are taking steps to handle what's expected to be an invasion of outside groups and individuals. The police say they'll set up checkpoints in the neighborhood on Saturday to try to protect the security of residents.

One reason Terry Jones' plan to burn Qurans is having such an impact is that it fits into a larger national context, at a time when plans to build or expand mosques in California, Tennessee and New York City have become swirled in controversy.

Ramzi Kilic of the Council on American-Islamic Relations in Tampa says for the American Muslims he speaks for, Jones' action by itself has little significance.

“You know, it's not necessarily the burning of the Quran that harms us, the community, but more of the intention that he has. He's just trying to, I think, upset and provoke Muslims further than what he's already said,” Kilic said.

Last week, a group of 20 Muslim, Christian and Jewish religious leaders joined together in Gainesville and asked Jones and his church to call off the Quran burning. Kilic says that's actually been a positive development. Opposition to the Quran burning, he says, has promoted interfaith understanding in Gainesville.