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| Terry Jones |
Florida pastor Terry Jones burned a Koran and broadcast the images to the Muslim world—inciting an Afghan mob to kill U.N. staffers. Leon Dische Becker meets the congregants.
In early September 2010, the Dove World Outreach Center, a tiny Christian congregation from Gainesville, Florida, commanded the attention of the world media for several news cycles, with their plan to burn a pile of Korans on the anniversary of September 11. A day before the anniversary of the attacks, facing considerable pressure from government officials, the church abruptly canceled the bonfire. The church pastor, Terry Jones, promised never again to burn Islamic holy books. By March 20th of this year, starved for attention, he'd apparently reneged. Broadcasting live on a Coptic satellite channel, available throughout the Middle East, Jones and his followers put the Koran on mock trial, and eventually convicted it on murder, rape, and terrorism charges. Visitors to the church website got to vote for the appropriate penalty and overwhelmingly chose incineration. The Arabic channel broke off its live stream for the incendiary portion of the proceedings, but Jones made sure the scene was available on his website. Assistant pastor Wayne Sapp doused the book in gasoline and set it on fire with a stove lighter.
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http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2010-09-11/terry-jones-inside-his-church-and-quran-burning-plans/?om_rid=Nsf68G&om_mid=_BNlzEKB8aAkF0l
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