Jones: 'I Cancelled the Quran Burning Before I Suspended It'

Is it off or isn’t it? Pastor Terry Jones canceled his Qu’ran burning festival, then announced that he’d only suspended it, then said he felt duped because he talked with an Imam who said he was going to change the location of the “Ground Zero mosque.” These are confusing times indeed.

We all cheered when Jones announced that “The Imam has agreed to move the mosque. We have agreed to cancel our (Qur’an burning) event on Saturday.”

 

But then it was revealed by every news agency in the country that the Imam in charge of the Islamic Community Center (not mosque) that is planned near Ground Zero (not atop the rubble) hadn’t actually talked to Jones at all, and definitely hadn’t agreed to relocation.

The world was left to wonder, how is it possible that Jones cut a deal with Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf when Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf denies even speaking with Jones, let alone relocating the proposed community center? Is it proof of what Tea Baggers across the country are saying – that Muslims are untrustworthy liars who will say what they need to in the moment in order to get what they want in the long run? Or is this another case of a religious nutjob so drunk on prayer that he accidentally mistook the word of God for ... 

the words of his own misguided idealism (per Dubya)?

Soon after the reporters started asking questions, it was revealed that the Imam Jones said was relocating the “mosque” wasn’t actually Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, but some other Imam. Jones was quick to brush off his gaffe of mistaking one Muslim for another, but his flipflopping on the Quran burning festival was even more revealing. It showed America that Jones is so well versed in the art of modern political rhetoric that he can announce with a straight face that he was for the Quran burning festival before he canceled it, and that he was against the cancelation before he suspended it.

 

Whatever happens, America better be wary of the alleged “meeting” – conversation, discussion, negotiation – that Jones says is planned with the Imam on Saturday. Given what we know of this guy, it’s entirely possible that Jones will land in LaGuardia, hop into a cab and start negotiating with the driver. Let’s just hope he doesn’t stab anyone in the neck if things don’t go his way.