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Twelve killed during Koran burning protest at UN HQ in northern Afghanistan
MAZAR-I-SHARIF, Afghanistan -- Demonstrators incensed at the burning of a Koran by a US pastor attacked a UN headquarters in the northern Afghanistan city of Mazar-i-Sharif Friday, killing 12, including two European UN workers and five Nepalese UN guards.
The other five dead were protesters and another 20 were injured.
A regional police spokesman told Reuters that two of the foreign dead were beheaded.
"Seven UNAMA employees have been killed, out of which five are Nepalese and two others are Europeans, one woman and one man," said Atta Mohammad Noor, governor of Balkh province, referring to the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan.
More than 20 insurgents involved in the attack have been arrested, he added, saying the decision by protesters to go to the UN office had not been pre-planned.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon condemned what he called an "outrageous and cowardly attack" and deputy UN spokesman Farhan Haq said Moon's special representative in Afghanistan, Staffan De Mistura, was "on his way to Mazar-i-Sharif now to deal with the situation personally on the ground."
Protesters marched in Mazar-i-Sharif and in the capital Kabul on Friday to protest the burning of Islam's holy book by US pastor Wayne Sapp last month as well as possible plans to establish permanent US bases in Afghanistan.
Afghanistan condemned the "disrespectful and abhorrent" burning of the Koran by Sapp -- an evangelical preacher -- in a Florida church, calling it an effort to incite tension between religions.
<span style="font-weight: bold">Afghan president Hamid Karzai called on the United States to bring those responsible for the burning of the Islamic holy book to justice</span>.
Sapp set alight to a Koran under the supervision of pastor Terry Jones, who last year drew condemnation over his aborted plan to burn the holy book to mark the anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks.
Following Friday's attack, Sky News reported Jones issued a statement saying, "We, at Stand Up America Now, find this a very tragic and criminal action. The United States government and the United Nations itself, must take immediate action. We must hold these countries and people accountable for what they have done as well as for any excuses they may use to promote their terrorist activities. The time has come to hold Islam accountable.
"Our United States government and our President must take a close, realistic look at the radical element Islam. Islam is not a religion of peace. It is time that we call these people to accountability. We demand that our United States government stand up and speak out against these acts. These people must be called to justice."
Afghanistan is a deeply devout Islamic country where even rumors that the Koran has been insulted can result in deadly violence.
Some 200 protesters demonstrated at the American Embassy in Kabul Friday. The demonstrators set off from mosques in downtown Kabul after Friday prayers, burning a US flag and stamping on it, shouting "Death to America."
"A mullah's speech encouraged people for the demonstration because of the burning of a Koran in the United States, and because we don't want US bases in Afghanistan," Mawladad, one of the protesters, said.
Organizers of the Kabul protest refused to talk to the media.
"We are approaching the Pharaoh's [the oppressor's] house. Death to USA, death to Israel" the protesters shouted Friday as they approached Masood Square, the start of the heavily-guarded thoroughfare to the embassy in Kabul.
Demonstrators congregated for a few minutes, largely without incident, although half a dozen people tried to attack journalists, who managed to escape before the crowd dispersed.
Karzai confirmed in February that he was discussing with the United States the possible establishment of permanent US military bases after the Afghan forces take responsibility from foreign forces in 2014.
Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/internation...J#ixzz1IIKj4rLP
Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/internation...J#ixzz1IIKe9fOi
Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/internation...J#ixzz1IIKYijQE
MAZAR-I-SHARIF, Afghanistan -- Demonstrators incensed at the burning of a Koran by a US pastor attacked a UN headquarters in the northern Afghanistan city of Mazar-i-Sharif Friday, killing 12, including two European UN workers and five Nepalese UN guards.
The other five dead were protesters and another 20 were injured.
A regional police spokesman told Reuters that two of the foreign dead were beheaded.
"Seven UNAMA employees have been killed, out of which five are Nepalese and two others are Europeans, one woman and one man," said Atta Mohammad Noor, governor of Balkh province, referring to the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan.
More than 20 insurgents involved in the attack have been arrested, he added, saying the decision by protesters to go to the UN office had not been pre-planned.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon condemned what he called an "outrageous and cowardly attack" and deputy UN spokesman Farhan Haq said Moon's special representative in Afghanistan, Staffan De Mistura, was "on his way to Mazar-i-Sharif now to deal with the situation personally on the ground."
Protesters marched in Mazar-i-Sharif and in the capital Kabul on Friday to protest the burning of Islam's holy book by US pastor Wayne Sapp last month as well as possible plans to establish permanent US bases in Afghanistan.
Afghanistan condemned the "disrespectful and abhorrent" burning of the Koran by Sapp -- an evangelical preacher -- in a Florida church, calling it an effort to incite tension between religions.
<span style="font-weight: bold">Afghan president Hamid Karzai called on the United States to bring those responsible for the burning of the Islamic holy book to justice</span>.
Sapp set alight to a Koran under the supervision of pastor Terry Jones, who last year drew condemnation over his aborted plan to burn the holy book to mark the anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks.
Following Friday's attack, Sky News reported Jones issued a statement saying, "We, at Stand Up America Now, find this a very tragic and criminal action. The United States government and the United Nations itself, must take immediate action. We must hold these countries and people accountable for what they have done as well as for any excuses they may use to promote their terrorist activities. The time has come to hold Islam accountable.
"Our United States government and our President must take a close, realistic look at the radical element Islam. Islam is not a religion of peace. It is time that we call these people to accountability. We demand that our United States government stand up and speak out against these acts. These people must be called to justice."
Afghanistan is a deeply devout Islamic country where even rumors that the Koran has been insulted can result in deadly violence.
Some 200 protesters demonstrated at the American Embassy in Kabul Friday. The demonstrators set off from mosques in downtown Kabul after Friday prayers, burning a US flag and stamping on it, shouting "Death to America."
"A mullah's speech encouraged people for the demonstration because of the burning of a Koran in the United States, and because we don't want US bases in Afghanistan," Mawladad, one of the protesters, said.
Organizers of the Kabul protest refused to talk to the media.
"We are approaching the Pharaoh's [the oppressor's] house. Death to USA, death to Israel" the protesters shouted Friday as they approached Masood Square, the start of the heavily-guarded thoroughfare to the embassy in Kabul.
Demonstrators congregated for a few minutes, largely without incident, although half a dozen people tried to attack journalists, who managed to escape before the crowd dispersed.
Karzai confirmed in February that he was discussing with the United States the possible establishment of permanent US military bases after the Afghan forces take responsibility from foreign forces in 2014.
Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/internation...J#ixzz1IIKj4rLP
Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/internation...J#ixzz1IIKe9fOi
Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/internation...J#ixzz1IIKYijQE
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