2012 Afghanistan Quran burning protests

Coordinates: 30°00′N 65°00′E / 30.000°N 65.000°E / 30.000; 65.000
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2012 Afghanistan Quran burning protests
Part of War in Afghanistan
Bagram Airfield, where the Quran burnings took place.
Date22 February 2012 (2012-02-22)[1] – present
Location
 Afghanistan

30°00′N 65°00′E / 30.000°N 65.000°E / 30.000; 65.000
Caused byQuran desecration
MethodsDemonstrations, riots and assassinations
StatusOngoing
Casualties and losses
Deaths: 30[2]
Injures: At least 200[3]

A series of protests took place early in 2012 across Afghanistan in response to the burning of copies of the Quran, the holy book of Islam, at the ISAF military base in Bagram. Often becoming violent, the protests caused at least thirty deaths and two hundred injuries.[4]

Background

On 22 February 2012 members of International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) at Bagram Airfield were alleged to have thrown a number of copies of the Quran into a fire pit where garbage is burned. In the initial investigation, John R. Allen, the commander of the ISAF and US soldiers in Afghanistan, said the copies were taken from the library at the Parwan Detention Facility. Officials stated the books were removed and destroyed due to the presence of "extremist inscriptions" on the materials, furthering noting "an appearance that these documents were being used to facilitate extremist communications".[5] Afghan garbage collectors working at the base reported finding charred copies of the book.[6]

The incident is still under investation to find out who were involved or behind it.

Protestors interviewed in Kabul said that this incident was merely the latest in a long string of offenses against the Afghan people and culture. Maruf Hotak, one of the protestors, said "This is not just about dishonoring the Koran, it is about disrespecting our dead and killing our children…They always admit their mistakes…They burn our Koran and then they apologize. You can't just disrespect our holy book and kill our innocent children and make a small apology."[7][8]

Riots and violence

The incident caused nationwide protests in which many Taliban members and supporters were among those demonstrating. Despite quick apologies from top US officials, demonstrators attacked a French, Norwegian and US base, as thousands more besieged an ISAF bases at Mihtarlam and Kapisa.[9]

After three days of protest, twenty-three people were reported killed, including four members of the United States armed forces,[10] two of which resulted after a couple of members of the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) turned their weapons on them, and over fifty-five people have been wounded.[11] Two high ranking American military advisors killed inside their secured office at the Afghan Interior Ministry in Kabul.[12][13]

Protests on 26 February turned violent in northern Kunduz Province, with one protester dead, seven US military personnel reported injured by a grenade and sixteen other protesters injured in an attack on the police chief's office with grenades, pistols, knives, sticks, and stones.[14] On the morning of 27 February a suicide car bomb attack at the entrance to Jalalabad Airport left nine people dead and twelve wounded. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack as "revenge" for the desecrations of Quran.[15]

Reactions

Domestic
Aimal Faizi, Karzai's spokesperson, spoke of the incidents to the ISAF forces manning Bagram that: "The sooner you turn over the Bagram prison to Afghan authorities the sooner we will avoid such incidents". Abdul Sattar Khawasi, a member of parliament from Parwan province, said that the "Americans are invaders and jihad against Americans is an obligation." He called on mullahs and religious leaders, along with about 20 other members of parliament, "to urge the people from the pulpit to wage jihad against Americans.[7]
Supranational bodies
  •  NATO ISAF – ISAF commander John R. Allen said: "When we learned of these actions [troops burning the Quran], we immediately intervened and stopped them. The materials recovered will be properly handled by [the] 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."[17]
On 24 February the German Army announced that fifty soldiers would leave a military base in Taloqan after a group of peaceful protesters gathered outside.[18]
States

See also

References

  1. ^ "9 killed in Quran burning protests in Afghanistan". China Daily. 25 February 2012. Retrieved 25 February 2012.
  2. ^ http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/02/26/us-afghanistan-shooting-suspect-idUSL4E8DQ03N20120226
  3. ^ http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/afghanistan/9107098/Afghan-violence-France-and-Germany-withdraw-civilian-staff.html
  4. ^ Afghanistan suffers deadliest day of protests
  5. ^ http://articles.cnn.com/2012-02-25/asia/world_asia_afghanistan-burned-qurans_1_qurans-protests-afghan-police?_s=PM:ASIA
  6. ^ http://www.vancouversun.com/news/American+officers+killed+Afghan+Interior+Ministry+following+burning/6210415/story.html
  7. ^ a b Alissa J. Rubin (22 February 2012). "Koran burning at U.S. Base Incites Afghans for 2nd Day". The New York Times. Retrieved 27 February 2012.
  8. ^ Glenn Greenwald (26 February 2012). "The causes of the protests in Afghanistan". Salon.com. Retrieved 27 February 2012.
  9. ^ a b Shahid, Aliyah (24 February 2012). "Newt Gingrich rips President Obama's apology to Afghanistan's Hamid Karzai over Koran burnings Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/election-2012/newt-gingrich-rips-president-obama-apology-afghanistan-hamid-karzai-koran-burnings-article-1.1027945#ixzz1nSLHBgQ3". New York Daily News. Retrieved 26 February 2012. {{cite news}}: External link in |title= (help)
  10. ^ Twelve killed in protests across Afghanistan
  11. ^ Obama forced to apologise to Karzai for Koran burnings in Afghanistan
  12. ^ Riechmann, Deb (26 February 2012). "Afghan protesters angry over Quran burnings attack US base with grenades". Daily Reporter. The Associated Press. Retrieved 26 February 2012.
  13. ^ Nick Paton Walsh; Masoud Popalzai (25 February 2012). "2 American officers killed in Afghan ministry". CNN. Retrieved 25 February 2012.
  14. ^ Nick Paton Walsh; Masoud Popalzai (26 February 2012). "U.S. service members wounded in protest over burned Qurans". CNN. Retrieved 26 February 2012.
  15. ^ "Taliban suicide bombing rocks airport in Afghanistan". Russia Today. 27 February 2012. Retrieved 27 February 2012.
  16. ^ VOA News (25 February 2012). "NATO Recalls Staff from Afghan Ministries After Shooting". Voice of America. Retrieved 26 February 2012.
  17. ^ http://www.nationalturk.com/en/koran-burning-by-us-troops-in-afghanistan-provokes-outrage-and-revolts-16586
  18. ^ Agence France-Presse (24 February 2012). "German army pulls out of Afghan base over Qur'an unrest". The Province. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  19. ^ "Iran condemns desecration of Quran by U.S. forces in Afghanistan". Tehran Times. 26 February 2012. Retrieved 27 February 2012.
  20. ^ "Iran seeks UN condemnation of Koran-burning in Afghanistan". Monsters and Critics. 27 February 2012. Retrieved 27 February 2012.
  21. ^ "Britain withdraws civilians from Afghanistan". Kuwait News Agency. 25 February 2012. Retrieved 26 February 2012.
  22. ^ Obama apologizes for Koran burning in Afghanistan
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