Pastor Terry Jones, from Gainesville, Florida, has backed off his plan to burn the Islamic holy book on the anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks on the US.

'We have decided to cancel the burning,' Jones told NBC's 'Today' show on Saturday. 'We will definitely not burn the Quran.'

President Barack Obama and US military leaders warned that burning copies of the Islamic holy book could damage the image of America abroad, endanger lives and be a recruiting tool for al Qaeda.

News of the plan had outraged Muslims around the world and triggered violent protests in Afghanistan in which one protester was shot dead. Thousands of Afghans demonstrated in the northeast of the country for a second day on Saturday.

Jones, who had arrived in New York from Florida on Friday night, said he came with the hope of meeting the New York imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, who is involved in the proposed Islamic center and mosque near the Manhattan site of the attacks.

Although no meeting was planned the bewhiskered fundamentalist preacher who said he had received 100 death threats, hoped to persuade Rauf to relocate the project.

Rauf said on Friday he had no plans to meet the pastor. Sharif el-Gamal, project developer for the center, also denied it would be moved. – Reuters