Britain bars anti-Quran American pastor

LONDON – An American Christian preacher who caused global uproar by threatening to burn the Quran has been barred from visiting Britain, the British government said on Wednesday.

Florida Pastor Terry Jones, whose threat to burn Islam’s holy book on the anniversary of the September 11 attacks last year provoked widespread condemnation, had been invited to visit Britain by an anti-immigration group.’The government opposes extremism in all its forms which is why we have excluded Pastor Terry Jones from the UK. Numerous comments made by Pastor Jones are evidence of his unacceptable behaviour,’ a spokesperson for Britain’s Home Office (interior ministry) said.’Coming to the UK is a privilege, not a right, and we are not willing to allow entry to those whose presence is not conducive to the public good,’ he said. ‘The use of exclusion powers is very serious and no decision is taken lightly or as a method of stopping open debate.’An anti-immigrant group called ‘England Is Ours’ says it invited Jones to visit Britain. Anti-extremist groups had urged the British government to ban Jones.Jones, who heads a tiny church called the Dove World Outreach Centre, dropped his Quran-burning plan after it provoked outrage across the Muslim world and US President Barack Obama said the action would have helped al Qaeda. – Nampa-Reuters

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