12 December 2010
The American preacher who planned a mass burning of the Qur’an on the anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks could be banned from entering Britain under incitement and national security laws.
Terry Jones, a pentecostal preacher, is to address the far-right group, the English Defence League (EDL), about “the evils of Islam” at a rally in Luton in February.
Theresa May, the home secretary, is under intense pressure to ban Jones and said she was “actively looking” at the case. She said Jones had “been on her radar for a few months” and, as home secretary, she could ban his entry if he was a threat to national security.
A statement on Jones’s website said: “During the protest, Dr Terry Jones will speak against the evils and destructiveness of Islam in support of the continued fight against the Islamification of England and Europe.” The EDL said it was “proud to announce” that Jones would be attending its “biggest demonstration to date”.
