Pastor cancels Quran-burning, then reconsiders

The US pastor who threatened to burn copies of the Koran on the anniversary of 9/11 says his plans are "on hold."

Terry Jones initially cancelled the event, which has caused international outrage, saying a local imam had told him an Islamic centre planned near New York's Ground Zero would be moved, according to BBC News.

But the imam, Muhammad Musri, denied saying a deal had been reached.

Mr Jones later said he felt he had been lied to and could reconsider his decision to drop the protest. Mr Jones, pastor of the Dove World Outreach Center in Gainesville, Florida, which has fewer than 50 members, had named Saturday "International Burn a Koran Day."

On Thursday, he told reporters he had spent days waiting for a sign from God. That sign, he added, had come when the leaders of the planned Islamic Cultural Centre in New York agreed to relocate it away from Ground Zero.

He said he was dropping the planned protest and urged his supporters to do the same as a result. But later the imam in charge of the centre, Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, said he had not talked to Mr Jones or Mr Musri about the issue.

Mr Musri, from the Islamic Society of Central Florida, said Mr Jones had "stretched his words" in his news conference. Mr Musri said he had only agreed to fly to New York with Mr Jones on Saturday and speak with the leaders of the Islamic centre project.

Mr Jones responded by saying: "Given what we are now hearing, we are forced to rethink our decision, so as of right now, we are not cancelling the event, but we are suspending it." He also said he expected Mr Musri to "keep his word" and expected "the imam in New York to back up one of his own men."