By ANTONIO GONZALEZ
Associated Press Writer
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – A Florida minister who had created an international furor with his plan to burn the Quran on the ninth anniversary of 9/11 canceled the event under intense pressure Thursday, saying he agreed to back off after reaching a deal to move the location of a controversial mosque near New York’s ground zero. The imam planning the New York mosque said no such deal has been reached.
The Rev. Terry Jones announced his decision Thursday afternoon, standing outside his small church alongside Imam Muhammad Musri, the president of the Islamic Society of Central Florida. However, Musri and the imam planning the New York mosque disputed Jones’ contention that a deal had been cut.
After the news conference, Musri told The Associated Press there was an agreement for him and Jones to travel to New York and meet Saturday – on the actual anniversary of the 9/11 attacks – with the imam overseeing plans to build a mosque near ground zero.