Can't We All Just Get Along

The Central Florida pastor who started a global firestorm with a scheduled Qur'an burning has wisely decided not to hold the event. Whatever the reason this is the right thing to do!

According to the story on VOA:

The leader of a small U.S. Christian church says he has called off his plan to burn copies of the Quran on Saturday.

The Reverand Terry Jones said Thursday he called off his protest because he had reached an agreement with Muslim leaders to move the controversial location of a planned Islamic cultural center and mosque in New York. He said the mosque would be moved away from the site of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on the United States.

A local Muslim cleric who appeared with Jones to make the announcement said he would be traveling to New York to discuss the proposed mosque. But officials connected with the New York mosque project said there was no agreement to move the location.

Jones said moving the planned Islamic cultural center in New York would accomplish his church's goals because, he said, "the American people do not want the mosque at the ground zero location."

Jones heads the small Dove World Outreach Center church in Gainesville, Florida.

U.S. President Barack Obama and other U.S. and international political and religious leaders have spoken out against the plans to burn copies of the Quran. President Obama said publicly burning the Quran would be a destructive and dangerous act. He called the minister's plan an attention-seeking "stunt" that could endanger U.S. troops, but said it is a valid exercise of free-speech rights under the U.S. legal system.

If Rev. Jones has pulled the plug on a potentially disastrous public display of profound disrespect, it would seem wise if NYC imam, Feisal Abdul Rauf would seriously reconsider building his proposed mosque within blocks of the 911 site. Yes, both of these men have a Constitutional right to proceed, but wisdom and common sense would seem to call for alternatives that would command mutual respect. Come, let us reason together.