Britain may ban controversial pastor Terry Jones from visiting next year to speak at far-right rally (NEW YORK DAILY NEWS) BY Philip Caulfield 12/13/10)
Source: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/2010/12/12/2010-12-12_britain_may_ban_controversial_pastor_terry_jones_from_visiting_england_next_year.html
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First, his flock left him. Now the United Kingdom is seeking to ban
him.
Controversial pastor Terry Jones has been invited by a far-right
organization in England to speak out against "the evils of Islam,"
but Britain´s Home Secretary has suggested that Jones shouldn´t
bother booking a flight across the pond just yet.
Home Secretary Theresa May has said that Jones has been on her "radar
for a few months" and that she will be "actively looking at" whether
to ban him from entering Britain, Sky News reported.
Jones, who courted controversy earlier this year by threatening to
burn a Koran, was invited to speak at a rally by the English Defense
League, an organization that says it aims to stop the spread of
radical Islam across England.
His website says that he plans to attend an EDL rally on February 5th
in Luton, a town 30 miles north of London known for having a large
Muslim population.
"During the protest, Dr. Terry Jones, will speak against the evils
and destructiveness of Islam in support of the continued fight
against the Islamification of England and Europe," an announcement on
the website says.
The Home Secretary is the British official in charge of internal
affairs in the U.K., and May told Sky News she has the authority
to "exclude people who are not conducive to public good or on
national security grounds."
But Jones said he´s not looking for any trouble.
"I would by no means advocate something, preach something, speak
something that will cause that type of riot or disturbance," he told
Sky News.
Jones told BBC that his speech would be "on harmony, on the subject
that Muslims are welcome in our country".
"We have no problem with Muslims - we have freedom of speech and
religion," Jones said.
"We have a problem with them… when they go on the street... and they
call for the death of the UK, for the death of Israel, for the death
of America."
Jones caused a major stir in the U.S. and across the world when he
threatened to burn Korans on Sept. 11 this year to protest the
proposed Islam community center and mosque near the site of the 9/11
terror attacks.
After a personal phone call from Defense Secretary Robert Gates, he
eventually backed down on his promise. World and other religious
leaders also called for him not to burn Islam´s holy book.
He said earlier this year that the members his congregation at the
Dove World Outreach Center in Gainesville, Fla., abandoned him after
the incident.
Jones also told the BBC he had "no intention" of burning the Koran in
Britain. With Wire News Services (© Copyright 2010 NYDailyNews.com.
12/13/10)
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