Meet the Imam in the Middle of the Quran Drama

(Sept. 9) -- For a few brief hours on Thursday, the peace-loving world thought it could breathe a sigh of relief: The proposed Sept. 11 Quran-burning stunt was seemingly called off by Dove World Outreach Center pastor Terry Jones.

At a hastily called press conference outside his tiny church in Gainesville, Fla., Thursday evening, Jones announced he was canceling the widely condemned plan to incinerate copies of the Muslim holy book, under the impression that the site of Park51, the proposed Islamic community center near ground zero in lower Manhattan, was being reconsidered.

But shortly after his announcement, the community center's spokesmen unequivocally denied any such deal had been brokered. Jones reacted sourly, canceling the cancellation, saying the Quran burning was instead "on hold" and telling reporters he had been "clearly, clearly lied to" by someone who claimed to have set up a deal with Park51.

While details of the whole messy arrangement are still forthcoming, one thing is certain: The would-be deal-maker, the one Jones accuses of lying to him, was one Imam Muhammad Musri, director of the Islamic Society of Central Florida, who met with Jones earlier in the week in an attempt to change his mind. During the Thursday press conference, he stood beside the Christian pastor and affirmed his commitment to continuing the interfaith dialogue in a constructive and peaceable fashion. Where he stands now is anyone's guess.

And so as the Park51 camp continues to insist that its community center is staying put (despite a late-breaking attempt by Donald Trump to buy the site), Surge Desk takes a closer look at the hero, or great deceiver, of the Quran-burning drama: Imam Muhammad Musri:

1. He's Overcome Interfaith Adversity Before

According to a Harvard profile of the Islamic Society of Central Florida:

The present building was constructed in 1985 after a number of objections filed by local residents were overcome. The area at that time was remote; neighbors wanted to preserve their privacy. They worried about a projected decline in property values and expressed hostility toward what they saw to be a tightly organized group entering their community. Prominent community members reassured the planning board, and the proposal for a building on approximately 12 acres was approved.

2. He Supported Comprehensive Health Care Reform

As The Muslim Observer reported back in August 2009, at the height of the anti-health care reform fervor and the raucous, occasionally violent town hall protests it spawned:

An Imam in Central Florida joined Christian priests and a Rabbi in urging the government to make affordable health care for all families in the country. Imam Muhammad Musri of the Islamic Society, Bishop Thomas Wenski, Rabbi Gary Perras and Rev. Priscilla Robinson issued a joint statement urging the same.

"In Islam we are told all human life is precious and equal, therefore it is time for our nation to realize this fundamental right for all of its citizens," Imam Musri said.

3. He's Accused of Being the Missing Link Between Fla. Gov. Charlie Crist and Hamas

Gov. Charlie Crist is the Republican turned Independent who is vacating the Florida governor's mansion in an attempt to upgrade to a U.S. Senate seat. Hamas is the Palestinian-Arab Islamic paramilitary organization that the U.S., Israel and many other countries around the world have categorized as a terrorist organization. What do the two have in common? Well, according to some conservative bloggers, Musri is in cahoots with both.

As Patrick Poole recently reported for the Andrew Breitbart-owned website Big Peace:

A key Muslim ally of Florida Governor and U.S. Senate candidate Charlie Crist, Imam Muhammad Musri, hosted a fundraiser in Orlando for the terrorist group Hamas in June 2009, and a camera crew from ACT for America infiltrated the event held at Masjid Al-Rahman, Musri's mosque, to record the proceedings.

How is he related to Crist? Poole answers: "Imam Musri, head of the Islamic Society of Central Florida, serves on Crist's Faith-Based and Community Advisory Council and was appointed by Crist to his 2010 Sunshine Census Committee."

Check out the video that was posted along with Poole's article:



4. He Waded Into the Controversy Over Runaway Teen Fathima Rifqa Bary

Remember when a then-17-year-old girl made headlines last year for running away from her supposedly domineering Muslim father in Ohio, converted to Christianity in Florida, then pleaded not to be sent back to him for fear that he would kill her? (If not, you can read up on the harrowing situation here.) However, one player in that controversy who has been overlooked until now is none other than Imam Muhammad Musri. Interviewed for context on the situation, he told Orlando NBC 2 News affiliate WESH:

"There's no such thing as honor killing in the Koran," said Islamic Society of Central Florida President Imam Muhammad Musri. Musri said that like Christians, Muslims believe killing someone is murder. He said while there are extremists in every religion, he hopes Fathima Bary isn't hiding behind faith to find freedom. "Is she a rebel teenager running away from home, or is she really in danger?"

5. He Teaches the Quran in Spanish

Recognizing that his organization is located in a state with an increasingly Spanish-speaking population of Latin American and South American immigrants, Musri offers bilingual lessons on Islam. As Islam for Today reported back in 2006:

The growth in the Hispanic Muslim population is especially prevalent in New York, Florida, California, and Texas, where Hispanic communities are largest. In Orlando, the area's largest mosque, which serves some 700 worshipers each week, is located in a mostly Hispanic neighborhood. A few years ago it was rare to hear Spanish spoken at the mosque, says Imam Muhammad Musri, president of the Islamic Society of Central Florida.

Today there is a growing demand for books in Spanish, including the Koran, and requests for appearances on Spanish-language radio stations, Mr. Musri says. The mosque offers a Spanish-language education program in Islam for women on Saturdays. "I could easily see in the next few years a mosque that will have Spanish services and a Hispanic imam who will be leading the service," he says.