Pastor Terry Jones Returning to Dearborn for Arab International Festival

Terry Jones, a Christian pastor from Gainesville, Fla., announced Friday that he and his group, Stand Up America! will be returning to Dearborn on June 14 to protest the annual Arab International Festival.

The festival is scheduled for June 14 to 17 at the city-owned Ford Woods Park.

According to Jones' website, Jones will be joined by Ruben Israel, a representative of the Bible Believers, Pastor David Grisham of Repent Amarillo, and Rabbi Nachum Shifren of the California Security Council.

The controversial Qur'an-burning pastor gained notoriety in the city after staging an anti-Islam rally outside of Edsel Ford High School in October 2012.

Speaking to Patch.com, Jones said his reason for attending the festival is to preach the message of the Bible and draw awareness to Christianity.

"Like always we will continue to speak out against the radical Muslim problem," Jones said. "You see what's going on in Boston with the bombings at the Boston Marathon, and other places around the world. These are not isolated events. Islam has a 1,400 year history of violence and destruction. Most of this has taken place on the other side of the world. It crept into Europe, and now it has come home to America."

Organizers for the Arab International Festival said they decided to move the festival from off the street to a more secure area in order to avoid issues caused by anti-Muslim demonstrators. In recent years, the festival was held along Warren Avenue between Schaefer and Wyoming streets.

Jones said he and other Christian groups plan to protest outside the festival as well as pay to attend the event.

Jones recently announced plans to host a mass Qur'an burning to mark the 12th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

A press release states that on Sept. 11, 2013, group members and followers will hold an “International Burning of 2,998 books to “send Islam a very clear warning.”

This story will be updated as more information becomes available.