New York, April 30: American Muslims have urged public to ignore an inciting rally planned today at Dearborn City Hall by controversial Quran-burning pastor Terry Jones who revealed new plans to rally for constitutional rights and against Islamic law.
“The best response is no response,” Imad Hamad, regional director of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, told The Detroit Free Press on Friday, April 29.
“He wants to incite hostility and is looking for someone to respond to him.”
Arriving at Dearborn on Thursday, controversial anti-Quran pastor Terry Jones said he was planning to rally about guarding the first amendment against Islamic shari`ah.
Last week, Jones as well as his associate, Wayne Sapp, were sent to jail for harming peace after refusing to post a $1 peace bond before his rally in front of the Islamic Center of America in Dearborn, which was scheduled for last Friday.
Recalling inciting events last month, the ruling judge also ordered both Jones and Sapp to stay away from the mosque and adjacent property for three years.
Jones, a 58-year-old pastor and the head of a small fringe church in Gainesville, Florida, burnt the Qur’an last month in front of a crowd of about 50 people on March 20 in what he called “International Judge the Qur’an Day”.
Video posted on the website of his church showed a kerosene-soaked book going up in bright flames, sending thousands of angry Afghans into the streets in deadly protests that left scores of people dead.
The rally would be held at Dearborn City Hall instead.
Despite court ruling that foiled his planned demonstration outside the Islamic Center of America, Jones said he will return to protest one day in front of the mosque.
“Sooner or later, we will come back to protest in front of the mosque,” said Jones. “Our First Amendment rights were violated,” Jones said as he arrived Thursday as Detroit Metropolitan Airport.
“We were jailed without cause.”
Meanwhile, Jones said he also is planning to criticize President Barack Obama at his demonstration.
“Our nation can’t endure another four years of this administration,” he said.
Disagreement
Though disagreeing with Jones’ controversial message, the Islamic Center of America and Council of Islamic Organizations of Michigan released a joint statement Thursday supporting Jones’ right to speak.
“Peaceful demonstration and freedom of speech are cornerstones of freedoms we enjoy even in those times when it may be uncomfortable to do so,” the statement read.
As the Islamic center was known for decades as a moderate center whose leader has consistently criticized extremist groups, Dearborn Mayor confirmed that the whole community disagrees with Jones’ message.
Yet, he said that they cannot deny him the right of free speech.
“The best thing is let him come and go,” Dearborn Mayor John O’Reilly, told The Detroit News on Friday.
“We want him not to be harmed or anyone else, and then we’ll go on with our lives.”
Osama Siblani with the Congress of Arab-American Organizations agrees.
“All our community disagree with his message, but he has a right to deliver it,” Siblani said.
“So, let him deliver it. Let him deliver it and then go home.”
But, such approach was criticized by some groups who said that Dearborn city should not ignore the hate message Jones intends to spread.
Among these groups came By Any Means Necessary which declared its plan to protest.
“You just embolden racists like Jones by allowing them to spread their racist message with no opposition,” said Donna Stern, national coordinator for BAMN.
Since 9/11, US Muslims, estimated between six to seven million, have become sensitized to an erosion of their civil rights, with a prevailing belief that America was stigmatizing their faith.
There have been 800 incidents of violence, threats and vandalism against Muslims since 2001. Estimates show that 14 percent of religious discrimination is reported against Muslims.
-Agencies