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Florida Pastor Cancels Koran-Burning Event on September 11

More on the earlier bulletin that extreme Christian fundamentalist Pastor Terry Jones has canceled his proposed Koran-bonfire.

Jones emerged from his church in Gainesville, Fla., along with Florida imam Muhammad al-Masri to announce his decision to cancel his Koran burning, saying he viewed the supposed deal as "a sign from God." The fiery pastor said that Imam Abdel Rauf, the leader behind the Ground Zero mosque in Manhattan, will meet with him in New York on Saturday. "He has agreed to move it," Jones said referring to the Ground Zero Mosque. "And we have agreed to cancel our event on Saturday. Americans don't want the mosque there and of course Muslims don't want us to burn Korans," said Jones. [But] Rauf told ABC News that there is no deal. ... A denial also came from the developer of the property.

If Jones won't do it, Fred Phelps and the hate clan at Westboro Baptist "Church" say they will burn Korans on Saturday.

WATCH: Obama Says Koran-Burning "Recruitment Tool for Al-Qaeda"

UPDATE: Reuters reports Jones agrees NOT to burn Korans.

Speaking this morning on ABC’s Good Morning America, President Barack Obama strongly condemned an extreme Florida evangelical church's plans to burn the Islamic holy book on September 11. The President said the "stunt" proposed by Gainesville-based Pastor Terry Jones is "contrary to our values as Americans" and could be a "recruitment tool for Al-Qaeda" ... with deadly repercussions.

Said the President: "As Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of the United States, I just want him to understand that this stunt that he is talking about pulling could greatly endanger our young men and women in uniform who are in Iraq, who are in Afghanistan. ... [T]his is a recruitment bonanza for Al Qaeda. You know, you could have serious violence in places like Pakistan or Afghanistan. This could increase the recruitment of individuals who’d be willing to blow themselves up in American cities, or European cities."

  Pastor Terry Jones says he is willing to "reconsider"  if he is contacted by the Administration. "The White House is considering calling Jones [who] has said he is willing to listen to a call from the White House, Pentagon or State Department," reports ABC News.

Reuters reports Jones agrees NOT to burn Korans.

Hundreds of Afghans rallied earlier this week and chanted "Death to Obama" over the proposed Koran-burning.

McCain and McConnell warn the Koran-burning risks endangering US troops in the field.

Fox News says it will not cover any burning of the Koran.

And Terry Jones has inspired at least one copy cat on the far Cristian-right. Rev. Bob Old of Springfield, TN says he will "set fire to a Quran on Saturday at his home and then post a video of the burning book online. And if he had his way, there would be no Muslims in America."

Watch the President's interview WHEN YOU JUMP ...

WATCH: Afghans Rally Against U.S. and Chant "Death to Obama"

This is exactly what we don't want to happen.

Hundreds of Afghans railed against the United States and called for President Barack Obama's death at a rally in Kabul to denounce an extreme evangelical church's plans to burn the Islamic holy book on September 11. The Gainesville, Florida-based Dove World Outreach Center has been denied a permit to set a bonfire and has vowed to proceed with the Koran-burning.

The crowd in Kabul, numbering as many as 500, chanted "Long live Islam" and "Death to America" as they listened to fiery speeches from members of parliament, provincial council deputies, and Islamic clerics who criticized the U.S. and demanded the withdrawal of foreign troops from the country. Some threw rocks when a U.S. military convoy passed, but speakers shouted at them to stop and told police to arrest anyone who disobeyed. Protesters who had gathered in front of Kabul's Milad ul-Nabi mosque raised placards and flags emblazoned with slogans calling for the death of Obama, while police looked on. They burned American flags and a cardboard effigy of Dove World Outreach Center's pastor, Terry Jones, before dispersing peacefully.

The White House, State Department, NATO and neighboring nations in Southwest Asia and the Middle East have condemned Terry Jones for the proposed Koran-burning. The Wall Street Journal reports that Gen. David Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, says the planned burning of Korans "could put the lives of American troops in danger and damage the war effort. Not just here [in Afghanistan], but everywhere in the world we are engaged with the Islamic community."

So much for "supporting the troops." Thanks a lot wingnut a-holes. Watch the video WHEN YOU JUMP ...

Vandalism, Fire, Explicit Graffiti at Arlington, Texas Mosque

An Arlington, Texas mosque was heavily vandalized over the weekend. On Friday, members of the Dar El-Eman Islamic Center found "graffiti depicting Uncle Sam and Allah in a sexual position" spray-painted in the parking lot. Then on Sunday morning, fire destroyed playground equipment. Local police and federal agents are investigating the possible arson and hate crime, reports the Dallas Morning News.

Mark White, spokesman for the Dallas FBI office, said agents are "aware of the situation. They are looking into it along with Arlington PD." Jamal Qaddura, president of the DFW Islamic Educational Center, said the spray-painted obscenities were about 15 feet wide. Damage to the playground equipment, he said, was estimated at $20,000. ... Qaddura said worshippers at the mosque were subjected to slurs yelled by a carload of people after services Sunday evening. "I don't want to repeat them," he said. "You don't want to hear them. About our religion, and about us."

Adding insult to injury: The schoolchildren "raised money" from relatives and neighbors to buy the playground equipment.  Vandals also cut a pipe, apparently believing the water pipe was a natural gas line, reports the Star-Telegram.

The Arlington vandalism is the latest in a series of intolerant actions directed at mosques across the country. Last week near Riverside, California, protesters demonstrated against a proposed mosque. And to protest what it says is the religion "of the devil," a Gainesville, Florida church "invites Christians to burn the Muslim holy book" on September 11.

Gainesville Elects Openly Gay Mayor By 35 Votes, Recount Needed

Excellent news tonight from the Florida Panhandle. Gainesville City Commissioner Craig Lowe is the apparent winner of that city's mayoral election, beating conservative businessman by Don Marsh by only 35 votes. Lowe becomes Gainesville's first openly gay mayor—and the first in conservative northern Florida—if he survives the automatic recount, reports the Gainesville Sun.

Lowe was the target of an ugly anti-gay smear campaign which included a church sign that said "No Homo Mayor."

Lowe will become one of fewer than 30 openly LGBT mayors in the U.S., adds the Victory Fund. "Gainesville joins municipalities as diverse as Houston, Texas, with 2.2 million residents, and Dillon, Colorado, population 800–both of which have elected openly LGBT mayors in the past year."

Almost one year ago this week, Gainesville voters rejected Amendment 1, an attempt to eliminate anti-discrimination protections for LGBT residents.

WATCH: Anti-Gays Ramp Up Scare Tactics in Kalamazoo Television Ad

Ordinance 1856 in Kalamazoo, Michigan is one of three gay rights measures that will be decided in tomorrow's election. The heavily-funded opponents of the proposed anti-discrimination ordinance ramp up the fear tactics in its new television ad. The spot shows men stalking little girls in public toilets, which has become almost standard operating in these campaigns to stoke transphobia. The Michigan Messenger reports there is a "relentless focus on gender identity" from the opponents of the ordinance and "very few open transgender men or women have been quoted in traditional media outlets covering the campaign in Kalamazoo."

The spot is nearly identical to one used by opponents of a similar anti-discrimination measure in Gainesville, Florida earlier this year. That was rejected by the voters. Let's hope Kalamazoo voters also ignore the hysteria and do the right thing. 

Via AMERICAblog Gay, watch the spot AFTER THE JUMP.

Gainesville Voters Reject Attempt to Repeal LGBT Protections

Excellent news tonight from the Florida Panhandle. Voters in Gainesville overwhelmingly reject Amendment 1, which would have eliminated anti-discrimination protections for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender residents.

With 100% of the precincts reporting, the final tally is 11,717 or 58% against changing the law, reports WWSB-TV. The total number voting for Amendment 1 is 8375 or 42%.

Gainesville has prohibited discrimination based on sexual orientation since 1998.  Discrimination based on gender identity has been prohibited since January 2008. "The fight began after the city commission last year revised Gainesville's anti-discrimination ordinance to protect transgender people," reports the Miami Herald.  "That allows the city's approximately 100 transgender residents to use the public restroom of their choosing, along with protecting them from job and housing discrimination. Those supporting repeal say their message has remained consistent: 'Keep men out of women's restrooms!' That's our motive, plain and simple,' said Jim Gilbert, a spokesman for Citizens for Good Public Policy.' "

The thrust of the campaign by Citizens for Good Public Policy—which is a misnomer if there ever was one—was an outrageous television ad that portrayed a predator following a little girl into a public restroom. The police have reported "no" problems with Gainesville's relatively small trans population using any public restrooms. Thankfully the public didn't fall for this exploitative demagoguery.

Watch the "Yes on 1" and "No on1" ads on the flip side.

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