Ed Brayton is a journalist, commentator and speaker. He is the co-founder and president of 
Pastor Terry Jones, the stupid and bigoted Florida minister who burned a Quran at his church a few weeks ago, sparking violent protests in Afghanistan, is planning to protest outside a famous mosque in Dearborn -- and the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office wants to stop him.
Concerned about a potential outbreak of violence, Wayne County prosecutors have filed a complaint in court that seeks to compel Florida pastor Terry Jones -- who oversaw the burning of a Quran last month -- not to rally outside an Islamic center in Dearborn this week.Jones told the Free Press he intends to come to Dearborn this Friday with others to protest against sharia and jihad, Islamic ideas that he said threaten the U.S.
But Dearborn police and Wayne County prosecutors are trying to convince him that showing up at the Islamic Center of America would endanger his life and public peace. In the court filing, prosecutors and Dearborn police note that Jones has received numerous death threats and a $1.2 million bounty on his head by leaders of Jamaat-ud Dawa, a cover organization for the Pakistan-based terrorist organization Lashkar-e-Tayyiba.
Filed Friday in 19th district court in Dearborn, prosecutors say that if Jones shows up outside the center, "the greatest danger is the likelihood of a riot ensuing complete with the discharge of firearms."
And the AP reports that the judge has ordered Jones to appear in court on Thursday to "answer questions" about the protest. That is very discouraging. As the Skokie precedent clearly shows, the threat of violence cannot be an excuse for prior restraint of free speech and freedom of assembly. The proper response to death sentences from extremists is not to cave in and do away with the First Amendment, it is to protect the target from that violence -- no matter how loathsome they may be.
Update: After this was written, another turn of events. The city of Dearborn denied a permit for the protest, which doesn't have a snowball's chance in hell of holding up in court. And look at this Orwellian statement:
"Our commitment to the Constitution is unwavering, not merely convenient, which makes your hyperbole about Sharia Law being practiced in the courts or civil law of Dearborn nonsensical," O'Reilly wrote. "So, you are coming to protest against an imaginary threat that doesn't exist in our community. Not in our courts, not at our City Hall, not on our streets and not in any of our places of worship."
An unwavering commitment to the constitution...while flagrantly violating the constitution and forcing an unpopular protest into a "free speech zone." Yes, Jones is absolutely full of shit about Sharia law being imposed in Dearborn. Yes, he's an asshole and a bigot. But the First Amendment applies to him too.
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And a local Muslim leader criticized the County Prosecutor's efforts to block the protest, arguing that it inadvertently played right into the hands of the racists, making American Muslims look like violent people who wouldn't be able to handle Jones' protest.
Posted by: James Hanley | April 21, 2011 11:12 AM
Terry Jones is becoming to Teh Islam what Fred Phelps is to Teh Gay -- a posturing attention-whore riding an issue[1]. I recall reading somewhere that the two of them actually get along (it was news to me that Phelps has any friends outside of his family cult).
Posted by: Eamon Knight | April 21, 2011 11:16 AM
Best way to handle this is for the Mosque members to come out and shake his hand and invite him inside to worship Allah with them. Or hold a prayer service around him. Smother him with friendship and see what happens.
Posted by: Ann Klein | April 21, 2011 11:19 AM
Damn, forgot footnote:
[1] Acknowledging the fact that some aspects of Islam represent a genuine threat, where Teh Gay does not.
Posted by: Eamon Knight | April 21, 2011 11:20 AM
Countdown to the Whirled Nut Daily blaming it on gheys, Obama, Libruls, and the lamestream media in 4, 3, 2, 1,...
Posted by: Just Sayin' | April 21, 2011 11:20 AM
James-
Got a link to that statement?
Posted by: Ed Brayton | April 21, 2011 11:21 AM
Where are the Blues Brothers when you need them?
(Hmm, this gives me an idea for a counter-protest: Everyone dress up like Jake and Elwood!)
Posted by: KeithB | April 21, 2011 11:24 AM
If this tired old cult-leader, demagogue and con-man has a legal right to protest outside a mosque, fine. And if local Muslim leaders oppose blocking the protest, as Hanley says, all the better. Muslims in Dearborn are not known for violent disorderly conduct, and they're not under the same stresses as those poor sods in Afghanistan; so I'm sure there won't be any violent reaction to this protest. But let's not let ourselves be manipulated into letting this con-man pretend he's a victim of oppression, or a champion of free speech. This scumbag knowingly, willingly, and with malice aforethought, all but explicitly conspired with his fellow bloodthirsty extremists on the "enemy" side to incite violence and hatred, for no other reason but to validate his bigotry (and of course, help his "enemies" validate theirs). This guy is both a charlatan, and a parasite profiting from a symbiotic relationship with other parasites whom he pretends to fight as his enemies. That needs to be said.
Posted by: Raging Bee | April 21, 2011 11:35 AM
In case James is offline, here's a link to Dawud Walid's statement:
http://www.mlive.com/news/detroit/index.ssf/2011/04/cair_michigan_leader_says_lega.html
Posted by: Scott Hanley | April 21, 2011 11:37 AM
Raging Bee: All that you said there is basically true.
....so??
I don't think that in any way changes the point that Ed makes. It's exactly the reprehensible sort of fuckwads like this pastor that the first amendment is needed to protect. That's kinda the point.
Posted by: FastLane | April 21, 2011 11:43 AM
Raging Bee -
Did you imagine that there was anyone here who doesn't think Jones is a bigoted asshole?
Posted by: Ed Brayton | April 21, 2011 11:44 AM
The quote from Walid:
Absolutely right.
Posted by: Ed Brayton | April 21, 2011 11:50 AM
Ed: no, I don't think anyone here disputes that. I just think it's important to point out how parasitic extremists like Jones and his Islamofascist "frenemies" work together to achieve common objectives while pretending to be brave crusaders protecting civilization from each other.
As long as we're giving attention to Jones, let's give attention to what he really is, and what kind of threat he really represents.
Posted by: Raging Bee | April 21, 2011 12:01 PM
I saw a news video (can't find the link) in which Jones and one of his followers said that they're willing to risk even their lives to get their "message" across.
He's probably salivating at the idea of provoking violence, obviously lusting after martyrdom.
Posted by: Garnetstar | April 21, 2011 12:16 PM
Jones may be a hateful loon, but he poses no threat to me.
The Wayne County and Dearborn officials, however, do pose a very real threat to me.
Posted by: Ken | April 21, 2011 12:17 PM
What happens if he just ignores the restriction and holds his protest anyway? I don't imagine anyone would want to aid him in the legal fight, so it'll all be at his own expense, which likely means an incompetent defence.
Posted by: Suricou Raven | April 21, 2011 12:25 PM
Ed Brayton "Did you imagine that there was anyone here who doesn't think Jones is a bigoted asshole?"
I, for one, don't think that Terry Jones is a "bigoted asshole". I must admit, however, that I'm out of the loop. I wasn't even aware that he was a pastor.
Posted by: Modusoperandi | April 21, 2011 12:26 PM
Garnetstar:
Mr. Jones has repeatedly conveyed this sentiment.
Just like the evidence of a historical Jesus has been transformed into Anglo-Rock-Star Jesus, some Christians are now changing how a persecuted Christian martyr behaves. In the case of Mr. Jones that means him and his ilk are packing handguns and fantasize about going down in blaze of glory. Though without the level of delusion, possibly nihilism, and balls it takes to be a Muslim suicide bomber where they hope it actually comes to that. Rock-Star Jesus is now reborn as General Jesus given the former was too sissified in an era where the existence of out-of-the-closet gays strikes fear in the heart of conservative Christians.
Posted by: Michael Heath | April 21, 2011 1:28 PM
I accidentally pushed post above. I meant to convey that Mr. Jones doesn't appear suicidal, that he and his ilk only like to pose as possible martyrs and gain all the imagined benefits without having to actually become martyrs.
Posted by: Michael Heath | April 21, 2011 1:32 PM
I dunno about "nihilism."
"Narcissism" is a similar word that seems to fit your idea more closely. Is that what you meant?
Posted by: ShadowWalkyr | April 21, 2011 3:05 PM
Jones may be a hateful loon, but he poses no threat to me.
He's still working on it. He has a lot of catching up to do with his fellow Christofascists, who are, taken together, an even greater threat to us than their Islamofascist frenemies.
Posted by: Raging Bee | April 21, 2011 3:11 PM
Modusoperandi said:
Tch-tch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F67JhKT5bxU
Posted by: Savagemutt | April 21, 2011 3:44 PM
If I were in the area, I'd happily co-protest; my sign would say something along the lines of "Terry Jones is a bigoted, ignorant asshole...but I stand behind his right to protest his bigoted, ignorant heart out!"
Posted by: Merle | April 22, 2011 12:07 AM
Jones wants to get semi-martyrized in one way or another, for reasons of his own self-aggrandizement.
So I say let him have his wish.
Get about 100 people out there, standing somewhere between Jones and the Mosque, and chant something along the lines of "Shoot Terry Jones! Shoot Terry Jones!" The Muslims would probably have a good laugh over it, but Jones would get all wound up and freaked out, and say something really really stoopid.
Posted by: g724 | April 22, 2011 7:06 AM
#3 Ann Klein: prayers and food. No Georgia church gathering would be complete without lots of food. Alas, there won't be BBQ or beer.
Posted by: John Norris | April 22, 2011 9:34 AM
@John Norris,
I went to hear a friend speak at the Islamic Center of Greater Toledo. The talk was in the fellowship hall and they had a potluck dinner. So there were a bunch of people bringing hot plates into a cinderblock fellowship hall. The only differences from the potlucks I knew growing up in a protestant church were that there were no pork products, no jello molds, and the windows in the room had a moorish arch shape. Bring Muslims to the Midwest and you get Midwestern Muslisms.
Posted by: James Hanley | April 22, 2011 9:48 AM
"Did you imagine that there was anyone here who doesn't think Jones is a bigoted asshole?"
Did you imagine Bee thought there were none?
However, there are many who would complain on the net to defend his right to be a bigoted asshole and insist that any infringement on his right to stir the shit would be the last straw that kills democracy in the USA.
"Jones may be a hateful loon, but he poses no threat to me"
And the Imams screaming for murder pose no threat to me.
Posted by: Wow | April 24, 2011 2:12 PM