Dozens were injured when a mob attacked a Nato compound in north Afghanistan as thousands took to the streets to condemn Pastor Terry Jones.
There were conflicting reports that one protester had been shot dead.
* Islamic leaders say plans have caused lasting damage
* Jones: 'They lied about moving Ground Zero mosque'
* Afghan protester 'shot dead outside Nato base'
Controversial: Pastor Terry Jones of the Dove World Outreach Centre has said that he still might burn the Koran on September 11
Anger: Muslims around the world have been angered by Reverend Terry Jones's desires to burn the Koran on the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks
Conflict: Reverend Terry Jones's threat to burn the Koran has caused outrage in the the Muslim world
Pastor Jones and members of his Dove Outreach Church in Gainesville, Florida, had intended to throw 200 copies of the Islamic holy book on a bonfire tomorrow, the 9th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on America.
But on a day of confusion over his intentions, the pastor said tonight he would not hold the book-burning event and would now meet tomorrow with the New York Imam at the centre of the affair to settle the dispute.
The attempt by Pastor Jones to defuse the growing international row appeared to have backfired after at least three Americans came forward to say they would burn copies of the holy book, shattering hopes the row could be resolved.
President Barack Obama issued an emotional appeal, saying the burning of the Koran would endanger the lives of ‘our sons and daughters, fathers and mothers, husbands and wives’ fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The President said: 'It is in the age of the Internet that something can cause us profound damage around the world, so we have to take it seriously.
‘This is a way of endangering our troops, our sons and daughters, fathers and mothers, husbands and wives who are sacrificing for us to keep us safe, and you don’t play games with that.’
Protests took place throughout the Muslim world in Pakistan, Iraq and on the Gaza Strip.
But the riot in the northern Afghan province of Badakhshan was by far the most serious.
It began when several hundred young men attacked a Nato reconstruction team base that is staffed by German soldiers who are part of the international force in the country.
The mob overpowered Afghan security guards on the outer wall and, armed with sticks and rocks, tried to storm the inner wall but were forced back when the Nato troops fired into the crowd.
Claims that a protester had been killed could not be confirmed, with some reports saying no one had been killed.
Other protests took place in the capital Kabul and two other towns, leaving two men injured.
US Secretary of Defence Robert Gates, effectively the head of world’s most powerful military force, took the extraordinary step of phoning Pastor Jones who has a congregation of between 30 and 50 people.
A deal was then brokered with Florida Imam Muhammed Musri, but that was immediately called into question.
Pastor Jones claimed he was told that if he did not burn the Koran, the Ground Zero mosque would be moved, although this was denied by the developers.
He has now apparently settled for a meeting with Feisal Abdul Rauf, the Imam behind the project and was due to fly to New York on Saturday to see him.
However, in a further twist, Imam Rauf disputed the claim that he would meet with Pastor Jones tomorrow.
Pastor Jones has called on Imam Rauf to urgently respond to offers of talks.
This evening, Imam Rauf replied: ‘I am prepared to consider meeting with anyone who is seriously committed to pursuing peace.
'We have no such meeting planned at this time. Our plans for the community centre have not changed. With the solemn day of September 11 upon us, I encourage everyone to take time for prayer and reflection.’
Pastor Jones said the episode had proved that ‘radical Islam is much more dangerous and violent than we thought.
‘The American people do not want the Mosque there, the Muslims don’t want us to burn the Koran, so let’s do something that will make everybody happy,’ he said.
Arab newspapers described his threat to burn the Koran as a deliberate attempt to infuriate Muslims.
‘It is Satanic, a sin of the worst kind because it is a deliberate one. That makes it far more than an act of ignorant stupidity,’ the Arab News said.
In New York a memorial for those killed on 9/11 looked to be overshadowed by protests for and against the Ground Zero mosque and police were expected to deploy several hundred officers.
Three other Koran burnings could also take place across the US.
In Topeka, Kansas, the notorious Westboro Baptist Church, which pickets funerals of American soldiers with anti-gay placards, vowed to set alight a copy as a riposte to the ‘bullying’ of pastor Jones.
In Springfield, Tennessee, pastor Bob Old said he was going to burn the Koran because followers of Islam ‘worship a false god, have a false text, a false prophet and a false scripture'.
In Cheyenne, Wyoming, protester Duncan Philp plans to set the book alight on the steps of the State Capitol building to spite Muslims and Mr Obama.
And today in England, an estimated 11,000 Muslim gathered at the Baitul Futuh Mosque in Morden, south London, to hear a sermon by Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, world head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community.
He said Mr Jones had spread ‘hatred’ around the world.
Earlier at the mosque, the largest in western Europe, church leaders of different religions joined Rafiq Hayat, National President of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Association UK, in condemning Mr Jones for ‘creating disorder in society’ and calling for a non-violent response to his inflammatory threat.
Mr Hayat said: ‘If somebody is going to do this act [burn the Koran] there is no doubt there will be fundamentalists in Muslim countries who will want to react in a violent way.
'That is sad and will create further discord. The promotion of peace is the essence of all religions.’
Flag burning: Muslims show their anger at American pastor Terry Jones's ideas to burn the Koran - some 10,000 protested outside the NATO base in Afghanistan
Chilling: The Muslim community stood together in the face of America after Rev Terry Jones said that he would burn the Koran
Burning: Muslim protesters burn an effigy of Reverend Terry Jones to show how offensive they find his suggestion of burning the Koran
0 comments:
Post a Comment