Rev. Terry Jones warned today he will burn copies of the Quran if Iran doesn't release an imprisoned pastor sentenced to death sentence after converting from Islam to Christianity.
Jones said in a radio interview that Iran has until April 28 to release Youcef Nadarkhani, currently facing death for preaching Christianity in Iran.
Declared Jones: "We have tried to contact Iran. We have tried to contact many of the religious leaders there. We have put out an ultimatum that if they have not released Pastor Yousef by April 28th we are calling for a worldwide burning of the Quran and also images of Mohammad as a protest."
Jones is infamous for setting off deadly protests when he threatened to burn Qurans in June 2010 in protest of the 9-11 attacks.
Jones was speaking on "Aaron Klein Investigative Radio" on New York's WABC Radio.
Jones also announced his Quran burning intentions in a press release and during a protest yesterday outside the largest mosque in Michigan.
Muslims rioted when Jones last threatened to burn the Quran. In Afghanistan, protesters attacked a United Nations mission, killing at least 30 people, including seven U.N. workers, and injuring at least 150 people. Jones went through with the burnings in March 2011.
During today's radio interview, Klein asked Jones whether he realizes his Quran burning threat could again result in deadly riots.
"Yes, we do realize that," he replied. "Something has to be done. We have few alternatives that we can do. That is something that does get the Muslim community's attention. ... 1,400 years of history has told us that backing down doesn't work."
Klein retorted: "But if you know for certain that the Muslim community will 100 percent react, as you know, I know, we all know they will, with deadly riots, with this kind of announcement, I have to ask the question again: Why would you go ahead with something like this?"
Jones responded: "Well because we feel that the situation has become so desperate, the situation has become so violent. As you may be aware of, I believe every five minutes a Christian missionary is killed in a Muslim country. We see what happens in Egypt, they have no problems with burning down churches, killing of Christians.
"I believe in Afghanistan there's not even one Christian church left. They have no problem here in America defaming our constitution. We feel that something has to be done and we feel that this type of warning, this type of activity is warranted."