First, while many will criticize our government for apologizing for a mistake in burning what appears to be a few Korans, it sure took Afghan President Hamid Karzai long enough to appeal to his citizens for calm... Afghan President Hamid Karzai appealed for calm Wednesday after officials said six people were shot dead and dozens wounded in protests over the burning of copies of the Koran, Islam's holy book, at NATO's main base in the country. The protestors were about as reasonable (and maybe just as smart) as the Occupy Wall Streeters... Protesters shouted "Death to America!" and "Death to Karzai" as black smoke rose over a large demonstration on the outskirts of the snowy Afghan capital. "When the Americans insult us to this degree, we will join the insurgents," said Ajmal, an 18-year-old protester in Kabul. Outrage also spilled over in the Afghan parliament, where several members shouted "Death to America" inside the legislative chamber. "No forgiveness for the desecrators of the Koran," a section of the crowd shouted. "Only death." From the NY Times, no one is really sure what exactly happened at this point: He [Karzai] said that the preliminary investigation showed that “American soldiers had burned four copies of the Holy Koran.” It was not clear if other copies were damaged but not actually burnt. Earlier reports from elders who visited Bagram Airbase on Tuesday and saw the Korans was that between 10 and 15 were damaged to varying degrees. It is very likely that these Korans were supplied by the USA on Bagram to be used for the local mosques/religious observances (which includes prisoners). There are a couple of theories why Soldiers (allegedly MPs) would accidentally burn the Korans (4 or 15): 1. The Korans were being used by prisoners to pass messages back and forth to each other. Burning is a security method (albeit not a good one in this case) and the Soldiers were following a normal procedure (burn bags, anyone?). 2. The Korans were in the trash (put there by others using the books) and the MPs noticed them and pulled them out of the fires. The Afghan laborers then saw them. 3. It was intentional. 4. Insert other theory here. And we'll have one helluva time succeeding in a country that riots over burning books instead of over the disfigurement of little girls for going to school or people for having satellite phones - as This Ain't Hell's Jonn Lilyea points out : On the other side of Afghanistan, the Taliban was busy beheading four innocent men; “The four men were civilians who were beheaded by Taliban for allegedly spying for government,” provincial spokesman Daud Ahmadi told AFP. The Taliban had found satellite phones in the men’s possession and thought they were spies, he said, adding that mobile phones do not work in that district and it is normal for people to use satellite phones. So I guess we can expect thousands of Afghans to begin protesting the Taliban with shouts of “Die, Taliban, die” and firing their weapons in the air and burning tires outside their Taliban base... Or not.
Read the complete post at http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Blackfive/~3/V2z9uc-UweY/burning-the-koran-rioting-over-american-supplies.html
Posted
Feb 22 2012, 01:52 AM
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BLACKFIVE