MELISSA BLOCK, Host: From NPR News, this is ALL THINGS CONSIDERED. I'm Melissa Block.</s>ROBERT SIEGEL, Host: NPR's Greg Allen has the story from Miami.</s>GREG ALLEN: Here's some of what he said in a sermon Sunday, taken from the church Web site.</s>MELISSA BLOCK, Host: Okay, we're going to burn the Quran. Now, we do that because we actually believe certain things. We believe it's a bad book, evil book. It's against the Bible. It's against God.</s>GREG ALLEN: Dove World Outreach Church is on the outskirts of Gainesville, the college town that's home to the University of Florida. But although it has a small congregation - just some 50 members - in Gainesville, it's become well-known.</s>MELISSA BLOCK, Host: They do have a history of making some very provocative statements for the purpose of attracting media attention.</s>GREG ALLEN: In this case, the city denied the church's request for a burn permit, necessary for an outside bonfire. On Saturday, Lowe says, police and fire personnel will be on hand to take whatever action is necessary. But with General Petraeus' new warning, Lowe says, Jones may still back down.</s>MELISSA BLOCK, Host: It is an irresponsible action to threaten to do, and I just hope that something will sink in.</s>GREG ALLEN: Ramzy Kilic, of the Council on American-Islamic Relations in Tampa, says for the American Muslims he speaks for, Jones' action by itself has little significance.</s>MELISSA BLOCK, Host: You know, it's not necessarily the burning of the Quran that harms us, the community, but more of the intention that he has. He's just trying to, I think, upset and provoke Muslims further than what he's already said.</s>GREG ALLEN: Greg Allen, NPR News.
A pastor in Gainesville, Fla., says he will not back off plans to burn Korans on Saturday to commemorate the anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. The top commander in Afghanistan, Gen. David Petraeus, says the church's plans could put the lives of Americans at risk and hurt the war effort.