Quran burning alleged in Uruzgan; ISAF denies

TIRINKOT (PAN.  The peaceful protest was ended at 3pm in Trinikot, the provincial capital.

But the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) media office rejected the allegation as baseless. “We have no report of Quran burning or any mishandling of religious materials in Trinikot or elsewhere in the Regional Command-South…”

Mullah Khairullah, a protestor, told Pajhwok Afghan News that ISAF members had disrespected the Quran and other religious books during an operation in the Dijuz area.

Another demonstrator, Maulvi Muhammad Ghous, echoed the allegation and asked the government to take measures to stop blasphemous acts. The protestors demanded a public trial of those disrespecting the holy book.

Farid Ayal, a spokesman for the provincial police headquarters, said they had no report about the incident. Police had taken precautionary measures to deal with an eventuality, he added.

Police officer Gul Agha also said no fresh incident of desecration had happened in the area. The protest was, in fact, against the burning of the Quran at the Bagram airfield in central Parwan province, he explained.

mas/mud