Controversial US preacher will not attend EDL demo
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Your support makes all the difference.Controversial American preacher Pastor Terry Jones will not attend an English Defence League (EDL) demonstration in Britain, the far-right group said.
Home Secretary Theresa May faced calls to bar Mr Jones from entering the country after it was reported he had been invited to address the EDL at a rally in Luton in February.
The preacher sparked outrage when he announced plans by his Florida-based church to burn copies of the Koran to mark the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on America.
Yesterday the preacher said he would fight moves to ban him from coming to Britain, and insisted he would be bringing a "positive message".
But in a statement on its Facebook page, the EDL said it had not invited Mr Jones to speak at the event, but he had approached them and they agreed in principle.
It said the EDL felt it inappropriate to offer him an invitation to the demonstration, and he would not be attending.
The statement said: "We believe firmly in upholding the principles of free speech and free expression, and believe that he should have been free to do so, and protected by law enforcement authorities from those who would have tried to harm or kill him had he done so.
"At the same time, we strongly disapprove of burning the Koran, precisely because we believe in those principles of free speech and free expression.
"We do not believe the Koran should be burned, but rather read, so that people come to understand its inherent violence, supremacism, and hatred and contempt for non-Muslims.
"It is essential that people know what the Koran teaches, so they can see how far its teachings are from the free traditions of England that we have pledged our lives to uphold and defend."
It said the EDL had sympathy with some of Mr Jones's views but still had "some reservations" about him.
The statement said the group is proud of its "diverse support base", with divisions including a Lesbian Gay Bisexual & Transgender (LGBT) division, a Jewish division and a Pakistani Christian division.
"In light of our strong commitment to these groups and some of the Pastor's statements and associations, we feel it inappropriate to offer Pastor Terry Jones an invitation to attend an EDL demonstration," it added.
"The EDL can confirm that Pastor Jones will not be attending the English Defence League demonstration against sharia in Luton on 5 February.
"We wish him success in his efforts to oppose the rise of sharia in the United States and thank him for his interest in the EDL."
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