An American Christian preacher who caused
global uproar by threatening to burn the Koran has been barred from
visiting Britain, the British government said.
Florida Pastor Terry Jones, whose threat to burn Islam's holy book on
the anniversary of the 11 September attacks last year provoked
widespread condemnation, had been invited by a group that is critical of
Islamic immigration into Britain.
'The government opposes extremism in all its forms which is why we
have excluded Pastor Terry Jones from the UK. Numerous comments made by
Pastor Jones are evidence of his unacceptable behaviour,' a spokesman
for Britain's Home Office said.
'Coming to the UK is a privilege, not a right, and we are not willing
to allow entry to those whose presence is not conducive to the public
good,' he said.
'The use of exclusion powers is very serious and no
decision is taken lightly or as a method of stopping open debate.'
Mr Jones, who heads a tiny church called the Dove World Outreach Center, said he was 'disappointed' by the ban.
'We would ask it be reconsidered and the ban lifted,' Mr Jones said.
'We feel this is against our human rights to travel and freedom of speech.'
A group called 'England Is Ours', on its website, said it had invited
Jones to visit Britain and 'join us in a series of demonstrations
against the expansion of Islam and the construction of Mosques here in
the UK'.
Other groups had urged the British government to ban Mr Jones.
Mr Jones dropped his Koran-burning plan after it provoked outrage
across the Muslim world and US President Barack Obama said the action
would have helped al-Qaeda.
SIC: RTÉ/IE