GAINESVILLE, Fla.—Students, faculty and staff at the University of Florida (UF) are relieved that the planned burning of the Quran by a Gainesville church has been called off.
Rev. Terry Jones said he had received more than 100 death threats for his plans to burn the Quran at his church on Saturday – the ninth anniversary of Sept. 11 – reports USA Today. However, Jones canceled the scheduled event, claiming a deal was made to move a controversial mosque away from the site of the 9/11 terror attacks, which Muslim clerics denied, according to ABC News.
University officials feared that any retaliation targeting Jones’ actions could also affect the UF-University of South Florida football game, where 90,000 people are expected to attend. Although no specific threats were made against the school, the university’s athletic association and the UF Police Department asked patrons to pay more attention to their surroundings and to report any suspicious packages or activities to police.
Some UF students left the city in fear of the backlash of the Quran burning, and many were thinking about not attending the game due to the controversy, reports TBO.com. However, with the recent cancellation, the UF community is looking forward to Saturday’s festivities.
