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Afghan protests erupt over‘desecration’ of Holy Quran

Guards at Bagram airbase, about 60 kilometres north of Kabul, responded by firing rubber bullets from a watchtower, an AFP photographer said as the crowd shouted “Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar”.

Hundreds of other people protested in the Afghan capital as security forces dispatched reinforcements in a bid to stop the demonstrations from spiralling out of control in the country.

The US commander in Afghanistan, General John Allen, apologised and ordered an investigation into a report that troops “improperly disposed of a large number of Islamic religious materials which included copies of the Holy Quran”.

“I offer my sincere apologies for any offence this may have caused, to the president of Afghanistan, the government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, and most importantly, to the noble people of Afghanistan,” he said.

Allen’s remarkably candid statement, apparently aimed at damage limitation after similar incidents led to violence and attacks on foreigners, was played repeatedly on Afghan television.

Allegations that NATO troops working inside the base had set fire to copies of the holy book were first reported by a senior government official.

A local police official said more than 2,000 people were demonstrating outside the sprawling US-run Bagram base.

“They are demonstrating over the burning of copies of the Holy Quran inside the base,” the official said.

Sidiq Siddiqi, an interior ministry spokesman, confirmed the demonstration and said reinforcements were sent to the area to prevent possible violence.

Another protest by about 500 people broke out in the Pul-e-charkhi district of Kabul not far from major NATO bases on the Jalalabad road, police spokesman Ashamat Estanakzai said.

“The police have the crowd in control, it is not violent,” he said.

Some 10 people were killed and dozens of others were injured during days of unrest unleashed last April over the burning of a copy of the Holy Quran by American pastor Terry Jones in Florida.

Allen’s statement reflected concern over the impact of the latest incident.

“I have ordered an investigation into a report I received during the night that ISAF personnel at Bagram Airbase improperly disposed of a large number of Islamic religious materials which included the copies of the Holy Quran,” he said.

“When we learned of these actions, we immediately intervened and stopped them. The materials recovered will be properly handled by appropriate religious authorities.

“We are thoroughly investigating the incident and we are taking steps to ensure this does not ever happen again. I assure you... I promise you... this was NOT intentional in any way.”