Koran Burning Off In Deal To Move Ground Zero Mosque? UPDATE: Not So Fast On Moving The GZ Mosque. Wait, It Gets Stranger...Donald Trump Wants To Get Involved

Above the post update:

Rauf tells ABC no deal.

Imam Rauf tells @camanpour "We are not going to toy with our religion or any other, nor are we here to barter."

NBC says the Florida imam says he offered to broker a meeting, not a change of location for the GZ victory mosque.

Could it get worse? Why yes, yes it can. See the last update at Hot Air...The Fred Phelps Freak Show wants in and says they'll burn the Korans if Jones doesn't.

Original Post:
Um, wow?

The minister of a Florida church said he has canceled plans to burn copies of the Quran because the leader of a much-opposed plan to build an Islamic Center near ground zero has agreed to move its location. The agreement couldn't be immediately confirmed.

The Rev. Terry Jones said Thursday that Americans oppose the mosque being built at the location and that Muslims do not want the Quran burned. He said instead of his plan to burn the books on Saturday to mark the ninth anniversary of 9/11, he will be flying to New York to speak to Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf about moving the mosque.

"We are, of course, now against any other group burning Qurans," Jones said during a news conference. We would right now ask no one to burn Qurans. We are absolutely strong on that. It is not the time to do it."

...Jones said Imam Muhammad Musri of the Islamic Society of Central Florida told him that officials would guarantee that the mosque would be moved.

"I asked him three times, and I have witnesses," Jones said. "If it's not moved, then I think Islam is a very poor example of religion. I think that would be very pitiful. I do not expect that."

Not sure how an imam in Florida can guarantee the deal but it would be something if this pans out.

Now there are reports that Rauf hasn't agreed to this.

Let's face it, this guy Jones is a kook but he's a hell of a promoter. He's got the whole world jumping to his tune.

Chris Matthews just said NBC has confirmed that the Secretary of Defense called Jones. Amazing.

And now all the clowns are here.

Donald Trump says he'll buy the site.

In a letter to Park51 investor Hisham Elzanaty, an Egyptian-born businessman who says he provided a majority of the financing to gain control over the two buildings where the center would be built, Trump offers to pay 25 percent more than what Elzanaty paid for the site at 45 Park Place.

Trump writes that his reasons to buy are not business but patriotic.

"I am making this offer as a resident of New York and a citizen of the United States, not because I think the location is a spectacular one (because it is not), but because it will end a very serious, inflammatory, and highly divisive situation that is destined, in my opinion, to only get worse," wrote Trump.

He states that as part of the offer the developers would have to agree that they would not build another mosque any closer than five blocks from the World Trade Center site.

Trump's offer is "all cash" with an "immediate closing."

I linked to a story earlier where Elzanaty said he's in it for the money and would happily sell.

Well, that escalated quickly.

Wait, never mind.

posted by DrewM. at 05:31 PM

| Access Comments