In April 2011, pastor Terry Jones burned a Koran in Gainesville, Florida, sparking deadly clashes in Afghanistan and Pakistan. One year later, he burned a Koran again, and no one paid any attention. That same month he came to Dearborn, Michigan, to protest in front of the Islamic Center of America, the nation’s largest mosque.

The group, who identified themselves as the Bible Believers, held up signs referring to Islam as a “religion of murder” and urging Muslims to “repent” while standing in the festival’s free speech zone, located at Miller Road and Warren Avenue.

Some members of the interfaith clergy — Muslims, Christians and Jews — stood hand in hand, others were linked arm in arm, silently surrounding the Islamic Center of America in Dearborn in solidarity Thursday afternoon.

The Quran-burning provocateur, who is expected to protest in Dearborn next week, said he didn’t realize before he committed to coming here that the protest is planned for Good Friday.

The ‘Arab Spring’ shows that the Quran burning riot in Afghanistan had little to do with Islam itself. The recent violent protests in Afghanistan – a reaction to the burning of the Quran by a small church in the United States last month – recalled an inescapable reality.

By Cathleen Falsani

(RNS) The website of the Dove World Outreach Center describes the tiny church in Gainesville, Fla., as “a New Testament church based on the Bible, the Word of God.”

The burning was carried out by pastor Wayne Sapp under the supervision of Terry Jones, who last September drew sweeping condemnation over his plan to ignite a pile of Korans on the anniversary of September 11, 2001 attacks.

Police have seized the remains of the book and a 32-year-old male has been arrested on suspicion of using racially aggravated threatening words or behaviour. The man remains in police custody where he is helping officers with their inquiries.”

Gainesville — The Gainesville pastor who ignited international outrage after announcing plans to burn the Quran now says he wants to put the holy book on trial. Pastor Terry Jones wants to hold an event inside his Gainesville church and judge the Islamic holy book.

Jones said he decided to try a second time to come downtown because he wanted to pay his respects to the first responders killed on 9/11. Jones also wanted to promote his new organization, Stand Up America, which he said would combat radical Islam worldwide.