GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Pastor Terry Jones' commitment to cancel his Quran burning seems to be going back and forth, however for now, it remains.
"We have a short statement and a challenge to give to the Imam in New York," Jones said during a press conference Friday.
There will be no Quran burning tomorrow. Do we have to repeat that over and over and over again? I can't speak for the future," said Luke Jones, pastor's son.
Jones and Houston, Texas Evangelist K.A. Paul want Imam Feisal Rauf to scuttle plans for an Islamic mosque near ground zero.
"Burning Quran is wrong. But even more wrong is this building," Paul said.
The men claim they need a pledge from the Imam in exchange for a halt to the book burning. However, public pressure is mounting.
"Eight thousand forty-eight signatures in these pages right here," said Rev. Larry Reimer, United Church of Gainesville
Reimer carried petitions to Jones church demanding a permanent ban to the burn. National Clergy Council President Rob Schenck flew in from Washington, DC to ask for the same thing, and met with Jones for about 30 minutes.
"I think we've learned it's impossible to predict what any party in this crisis might do in the near future," Schenck said.
Schenck is also trying to arrange a New York City meeting between Pastor Jones and the Imam.
In the meantime, Jones and Paul set a deadline for a phone call from the cleric. Paul even publicly announced his cell phone number.
"Excuse me! We have given two hours. We'll meet you in two hours," Paul said.
WFTV talked to Florida Imam Muhammad Musri late Friday afternoon, who confirmed there is no meeting with the imam in New York, and he is working hard to get in touch with him.
Musri said he is having difficulty communicating with the NYC imam because it is a Muslim holy day. He is urging Pastor Jones to stand down on the burning.
WFTV TALKS TO NYC LOCALS ON QURAN BURNING Pastor Terry Jones said the Quran burning could still happen in the future if he doesn't hear from the New York imam who wants to build a mosque near ground zero.
A small street near ground zero has become the focal point of Pastor Jones' Gainesville showdown, only hours before the anniversary of the September 11 attacks.
9/11 widow Tanya Villanueva-Tepper told WFTV reporter George Spencer who is in NYC, the Florida pastor's involvement is unwanted.
"I think he does not deserve a minute of any media attention. I think he's crazy," she said.
Among the many regular New Yorkers WFTV spoke with Friday, Tanya was in good company.
Manhattan resident, Robyn Davis, was heading to work that morning, nine years ago. She said Jones is just posturing.
"Does he have credibility with you as a New Yorker?" Spencer asked.
"No. He has no credibility with a lot of people," Davis said.
Jones' meeting with the New York Imam Faisel Rauf has not been set up, though he is willing to talk to "peace-seeking" people.
Local Orlando imam, Muhammad Musri, is pleading for more time. Friday is a significant Muslim holiday.
But tension is high. With all the attention surrounding Pastor Jones and the 9/11 anniversary NY police are stationed nearby, keeping the media well away.
New Jersey resident Jafar Farjani, a Muslim visiting the mosque site expressed a common view on the Florida preacher.
"This person, he talks too much talk. He's not going to do anything because there is so much, so many people against what he's doing," Farjani said.
WFTV
