Security tightens at the Swamp in light of Rev. Jones' Koran burning exercise
For those who will be in attendance for Saturday’s Florida game, please be advised that there will be tight security in light of the Rev. Terry Jones planning to burn copies of the Koran at his Gainesville church. This is Rev. Jones’ idiotic way of memorializing the 9th anniversary of the Sept. 11th attacks-he dubbed the international burn the Koran day.
The Rev. Jones has already received over 100 death threats, but that does not seem to bother the narrow minded fundamentalist. The major concern for the university is security and safety for the game where Florida will host South Florida with an anticipated crowd of over 90,000 people. This makes for a perfect target for extremists who want to make some noise on a nationwide stage in response to the public encouragement of the burning of the Muslim holy book en masse.
If you are not familiar with the Rev. Jones, he is as crazy as they come. He is often seen at his church strapped with a 45mm to his hip. He preaches anti-Islamic sermons on his video series and he usually encourages children from his congregation to wear “Islam is of the Devil.”
In response to the potential threat, the university issued the following statement.
The Athletic Association is working jointly with the University of Florida and UPD who monitoring the situation and is in constant communication with local, state and federal officials.
— There have been no specific threats against the University of Florida or the Athletic Association.
— The campus has heightened its awareness of security.
— Patrons have been asked to pay more attention to their surroundings and to report suspicious packages or activities to police.
— Fans are encouraged to arrive to the gates early and pay particular attention to the prohibited items list, which will be
strictly enforced.
We all were devastated by 9/11, but blaming the Islamic religion is a bigoted way to memorialize those who perished on such a grave day. It’s not Islam that we should worry about, it’s the Taliban.
