Tape Reveals Florida Imam Hoodwinked Qur'an-Burning Pastor

 From All Voices (with thanks to Damien):

A newly surfaced audiotape demonstrates how Imam Muhammad Musri, director of the Islamic Society of Central Florida, deceived the pastor of a charismatic Christian church in Gainesville, Florida, to avert the burning of a Qur'an in September 2010. During the run-up to America's annual 9/11 commemoration, Dr. Terry Jones, mustachioed head of the Dove World Outreach Center, made an international splash by threatening to ignite the Muslim holy book in protest.

After personal appeals by the President of the United States, Secretary of Defense, and a New Jersey automobile dealer who promised Jones a new car if he'd leave the Qur'an unlit, the pastor relented.

At the time, however, Jones insisted that none of those appeals was decisive. Rather, he assured the news media that Imam Musri—who stood beside him on September 9 before the reporters, cameras and microphones gathered in Gainesville—had brokered a deal whereby New York City's $100 million, 13-story Park51 mosque would be relocated from its proposed site within two blocks of Ground Zero.

Imam Musri, though, soon denied that any such agreement had been reached, pulling the Muslim prayer rug out from under Dr. Jones. The pastor was understandably irked, complaining that he'd been "clearly, clearly lied to" by the imam.

On Sunday, March 20, 2011, Pastor Jones belatedly followed through on his threat to burn a Qur'an. After a mock trial at Dove World Outreach Center, Islam's holiest text was found guilty of causing murder, rape and terrorism, and was thereupon set on fire.

Go read the whole thing.