Controversial Florida Pastor Terry Jones to Protest in Dearborn

SOUTHFIELD, Mich. (WJBK) - The Florida pastor who made headlines for threatening to burn a Koran on the anniversary of 9-11 is headed to metro Detroit. He says he won't burn the Muslim holy book here, but he is planning to protest outside the Islamic Center of America in Dearborn on Good Friday.

"I think you would define our message as one of welcome and warning. We welcome Muslims into the country," Pastor Terry Jones told FOX 2's Huel Perkins on Wednesday. "The only thing that we are demanding of them is that they honor and obey and submit to the Constitution of the United States."

Click on the first video to hear Jones' complete interview with FOX 2.

During the interview, Jones confirmed he actually burned a Koran last weekend, but said he will not do that when he comes to metro Detroit.  The spiritual leader of the Islamic Center of America has the following advice for the pastor.

"I would invite him instead of burning the Koran to read the Koran," said Imam Sayed Hassan Al-Qazwini.

"There is no need for him to question our loyalty to this country. We belong to this country as much as he belongs to this country," the imam added.  "If he is a true man of religion, he must respect other religions, including Islam."

The imam met Thursday with the mayor of Dearborn and the police chief to start preparing for the pastor's visit. Jones and his supporters won't be allowed on private property, but will be allowed in free speech zones.

"We're defining what the public space is at this site. We're offering them other sites," said Dearborn Mayor John O'Reilly.

It's not clear how many supporters will be with Jones on April 22, but the police chief is strongly urging people not to counter protest.

"I would hope that there is no counter protest. I'm going to go on the record as saying that," said Dearborn Police Chief Ronald Haddad.

"The best way sometimes to deal with a fool is to ignore a fool, so we don't plan on doing any counter protest against him," said Dawud Walid with the Council on American-Islamic Relations.

Click on the second video in the player to hear more from Walid.

Detroit's religious leaders call Jones an agent of disruption, a spiritual terrorist dropping hate bombs, and they're urging him to stay away.

"This is totally against the message that we're trying to promote," said Pastor John Tolbert with the People's Missionary Baptist Church.

"Thank you, but no thank you. Nobody's bringing you here for a revival. Nobody's bringing you here to preach, so there's no reason for you to come here," said Pastor Charles Williams II with the King Solomon Baptist Church.

"It's not just we don't need you, the message is don't come," said Rev. David Bullock with the Greater St. Matthew Baptist Church.