Yusef Abdul-Qadir speaks with Jim Kenyon on Wednesday
SYRACUSE -- A local Islamic leader compares the threat by a Florida pastor to burn copies of the Quran on 9/11 to a bee sting.
Yusef Abdul-Qadir of the Islamic Center of Central New York says like a bee sting, the Quran burning will hurt for a while but will eventually go away. Abdul-Qadir also compares the threat to the controversy surrounding the building of a mosque near ground zero. Abdul-Qadir says as an American, he recognizes that Rev. Terry Jones has a right to burn the Quran, just as Muslims have a right to build the mosque in New York City.
Abdul-Qadir says the controversy will bring about greater dialogue between Muslims and non-Muslims, which he says will be good in the long run.
A CNY Central poll Tuesday on whether the Florida church should hold a "Burn a Quran Day" on 9/11 received 360 responses. 73 percent said no, while 27 percent said yes.
Last week, CNY Central asked readers if they felt developers should voluntarily move the mosque elsewhere. Of 320 responses, 75 percent said yes, while 25 percent said no.
What do you think about the proposed Quran burning plan? Leave a comment below and let your voice be heard. Also, click here to read more on the controversy, including comments from fellow Central New Yorkers.
