Posted on Thursday, Sep. 09, 2010
Afghans protest Quran burning plan, torch US flag
By AMIR SHAH
Associated Press Writer
John Raoux / AP Photo
Pastor Terry Jones, right, of the Dove World Outreach Center arrives at a
news conference with an armed escort in Gainesville, Fla., Wednesday, Sept.
8, 2010. Jones stated that he is going forward with a scheduled burning of
copies of the Quran at his church on Saturday, Sept. 11. Hundreds of angry
Afghans burned a U.S. flag and chanted "Death to the Christians" on
Thursday to protest plans by a small American church to torch copies of the
Muslim holy book on the anniversary of the Sept. 11 terror attacks.
Religious and political leaders across the Muslim world, as well as several
U.S. officials, have asked the church to call off the plan, warning it
would lead to violence against Americans. Iraq, worried that it will unleash a
backlash against all Christians, has beefed up security near churches.
International police organization Interpol warned its 188 member countries
that "there will be tragic consequences" and a "strong likelihood" of
violent attacks if the burning happens.
The Rev. Terry Jones, of the Dove Outreach Center in Gainesville, Florida,
has vowed to go ahead with the bonfire on Saturday, even though he has been
denied the required permit.
Local officials in Mahmud Raqi, the capital of Afghanistan's Kapisa
province, estimated that up to 4,000 people took part in Thursday's
demonstration.
But NATO spokesman James Judge said the protesters numbered between 500 to
700.
"The Afghan national police prevented the protest from overwhelming an
Afghan military outpost," and dispersed the demonstration, he told The
Associated Press.
A cleric in Afghanistan's largely peaceful Balkh province also warned
Thursday that, if the burning goes ahead, a protest will be held in the
provincial capital Mazar-i-Sharif next Monday. Protesters could hurl stones at
NATO-led troops stationed in the city - one of the country's main centers of
the Islamic teaching.
In the central Pakistani city of Multan, about 200 people marched and
burned a U.S. flag.
"If Quran is burned it would be beginning of destruction of America," read
one English-language banner held up by the protesters, who chanted "Down
with America!"
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton has denounced the planned burning
and Gen. David Petraeus, the top U.S. and NATO commander in Afghanistan,
has said it could lead to attacks on international troops.
Iran's Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki also warned of repercussions,
saying the burning would "face reactions by the world's Muslims as well as
followers of other religions," according to the official IRNA news agency.
In central Baghdad, security was increased around the Church of the Virgin
Mary, with military vehicles blocking the entrance to the church and Iraqi
soldiers standing guard. At two other churches in the capital, police cars
were parked outside and armed officers were deployed.
Canon Andrew White, the chaplain of an Anglican church in Baghdad, said the
Iraqi military had warned him that his church had been threatened.
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