NEW YORK: A US pastor, who had threatened to burn Quran, on Saturday said he never burn copies of the holy book, even if a
mosque is built near ground zero in this America's commercial capital. "We will definitely not burn the Quran, no," Pastor Terry Jones of Florida told NBC.
"Not today, not ever," he said when pressed whether his planned demonstration might happen at a later date.
He explained that it would not happen even if the Islamic center is built near ground zero, NBC reported.
"Even though we have not burned one Quran, we have gotten over 100 death threats," Jones said.
"We feel that God is telling us to stop, and we also hope that ... maybe that will open up the door to maybe be able to talk to the imam."
Jones had on Friday suspended his plans to burn copies of the Quran claiming that he received a pledge from a Florida Imam that the Islamic cultural center would be moved elsewhere.
However, the Imam refuted his claim and said the "deal" existed only in Jone's mind.
The pastor's threat to burn copies of the holy Quran had stirred outrage in Islamic world, with kings and presidents of Muslim nations joining hands to condemn his plans and asking US President Barack Obama to intervene to stop it.
Obama, on his part, said, the pastor's move could lead to "recruitment bonanza for al-Qaida."
In his Eid greetings, Obama said this year's Eid is also an occasion to reflect on the importance of religious tolerance and to recognise the positive role that religious communities of all faiths, including Muslims, have played in American life.
Non-Muslim nations have also condemned the pastor's plans. .
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