The majority of Brits would ban controversial American pastor, Terry Jones, from entering the UK, a poll of over 1,800 people has found. Jones, who first came to public attention after he planned to burn copies of the Koran on September 11th this year, had been booked to speak about Islam at an English Defence League rally.
- 55% say that Terry Jones should not be allowed to enter the UK
- 32% disagree and feel he should be allowed.
'The public good'
Faced with widespread pressure, Home Secretary Theresa May spoke out against the pastor, saying she was 'actively' considering banning Jones from entering the UK as he ‘has been on my radar’ for a few months. Jones reacted by commenting that he was only planning to talk about ‘radical’ Islam at the event, and had ‘no problem with Muslims who…want to make our country their country, obey our laws and constitution’.
However, the decision has been allayed for now, as despite appearing to endorse Jones’s views on ‘the evils of Islam’, the EDF has cancelled Jones’s appearance after claiming his stance on homosexuality is incongruent with the organisation’s beliefs.
George Readings, spokesman for counter-extremism think tank, Quilliam, told the BBC that ‘Jones’s presence in the UK [would] not be conducive to the public good’. It seems much of the public agrees.
