UN staff killed in Koran burning protest in Mazar e sharif

[Khidr]

The word on the ground amongst mid-level security forces and senior level politicians/respresentives of Balkh, whose name I won't mention, is that the brains behind this operation goes far beyond the servants of Pakistan Taliban, but it leads to the Presidential Office in Kabul. The local newspapers will pick this issue up by tomorrow.

Balkhian see this as an organized attempt by the illegitimate government in Kabul lead by Farooq Wardak and the self-appointed President Hamid Karzai and other envious people within their circle to destabilize a peaceful city and change the image of this immortal city of scholars and poets.

A special Presidential Palace investigation team was requested by Ahmadzai, the “chief” of Balkh police. This immediately rejected by the representivesof Balkh, who instead asked it be sent by Besmillah Khan's Interior Ministry.

Most of the happenings are behind the scene, but this is being perceived by Balkhian as essentially an insult and a cold declaration of war by Karzai against the people of Balkh. Karzai should know history and know better, much better than to declare war on such people.

[Toramana]

So Khidr, you are pointing to some conspiracy eminating from the palace of President Karzai and the south?

[Toramana]

YouTube - Video of violent Afghan protests over Terry Jones Koran burning

[Toramana]

KABUL, Afghanistan -- Afghans angry over the burning of a Qur'an at a small Florida church stormed a UN compound in northern Afghanistan on Friday, killing seven foreigners, including four Nepalese guards.

Afghan authorities suspect insurgents melded into the mob and they announced the arrest of more than 20 people, including a militant they suspect was the ringleader of the assault in Mazar-i-Sharif, the provincial capital of Balkh province. The suspect was an insurgent from Kapisa province, a hotbed of militancy about 400 kilometres southeast of the city, said Rawof Taj, deputy provincial police chief.

The topic of Qur'an burning stirred outrage among millions of Muslims and others worldwide after the Rev. Terry Jones' small church, Dove Outreach Center, threatened to destroy a copy of the holy book last year. The pastor backed down but the church in Gainesville, Fla., went through with the burning last month.
Four protesters also died in the violence in Mazar-i-Sharif, which is on a list of the first seven areas of the country where Afghan security forces are slated to take over from the U.S.-led coalition starting in July. Other demonstrations, which were peaceful, were held in Kabul and Herat in western Afghanistan, fueling resentment against the west at a critical time in the Afghan war.

Protesters burned a U.S. flag at a sports stadium in Herat and chanted "Death to the U.S." and "They broke the heart of Islam." About 100 people gathered at a traffic circle near the U.S. Embassy in Kabul. One protester carried a sign that said: "We want these bloody ******* Americans with all their forces to leave Afghanistan."
Initially, Afghan police reported eight foreigners had been killed in Mazar-i-Sharif. Late Friday, Dan McNorton, a spokesman for the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan in Kabul, revised the death toll to seven -- four foreign security guards and three other foreigners.

The guards were from Nepal, according to Gen. Daud Daud, commander of Afghan National Police in several northern provinces.

Sweden Foreign Minister Carl Bildt said Joakim Dungel, a 33-year-old Swede who worked at the UN office, was among those killed.

Norwegian Defence Ministry spokeswoman Maj. Heidi Langvik-Hansen said Lt. Col. Siri Skare, a 53-year-old female pilot working for the UN, died in the attack.

The nationality of the remaining victim was not known.
Police who went to investigate, said the UN compound was littered with broken glass and bullet casings.

Abdul Karim, a police officer in the city, said he saw the bullet-riddled bodies of three Nepalese guards lying in the yard and a fourth on the first floor.
Munir Ahmad Farhad, a spokesman in Balkh province, said the protest began peacefully when several hundred demonstrators gathered outside the UN mission's compound, choosing an obvious symbol of the international community's involvement in Afghanistan to denounce the Qur'an's desecration. It turned violent when some protesters seized the guards' weapons and started shooting, then the crowds stormed the building and set fires that sent plumes of black smoke into the air, he said.

One protester, Ahmad Gul, a 32-year-old teacher in the city, gave a different account. He said the protesters disarmed three guards to prevent any violence from breaking out. Associated Press video showed protesters banging AK-47 rifles on the curb, breaking them into pieces. He said the protesters were killed and wounded by Afghan security forces.

"I disarmed three guards myself and we took out the bullets," Gul said, sternly shaking his finger as he shouted. "With my eyes, I saw them (Afghan security forces) kill two and wound 10." As he talked, he became increasingly indignant and he started shouting: "Death to America!" "We are going to fight."

The United Nations Security Council scheduled an emergency meeting on the deadly attack, which drew condemnations from around the world.
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who is in Nairobi, said it was "a cowardly attack that cannot be justified under any circumstances."

He said he had instructed the top UN official in Afghanistan, Staffan de Mistura, to assess the situation and take any "necessary measures to ensure the safety of all UN staff."

The church's website stated that after a five-hour trial on March 20, the Qur'an "was found guilty and a copy was burned inside the building." A picture on the website shows a book in flames in a small fire pit. The church on Friday confirmed the Qur'an had been burned.

In a statement, Jones did not comment on whether the church's act had led to the deaths.

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/wor...119111084.html

[Khidr]

So Khidr, you are pointing to some conspiracy eminating from the palace of President Karzai and the south?

Yes, that is what I'm hearing. Based on the people from there that we have been in contact with the last 24 hours.

[Baygham]

Salaam,

There are two separate distinct issues at play here. First, the protest itself and second the barbaric murder of innocent UNAMA staff.

It's in the DNA of Balkhian to protest and resist any form of tyranny, the protest is not the issue. From the time of their noble courageous son Abu Muslim Khorasani, whose protests shook the region and ended the tyranny of the Ummayad Caliphate, to the protests started by their other beloved son Shahid Zabihullah Bakhtari, whose protests against the Khalqis sowed the seeds of a gallant resistance by Balkhian against the Khalqis and then the Soviets.


Recently, Balkh has also been the sight of many protests (even larger than this) against all forms of insults to Muslims and Balkhian, from this Quran burning, to the Daneshgah/Pohantun issue, and suspension of journalists’ by ethno-centric people like Karim Khuram.

Not one single person was killed in any of those protests, let alone innocent bystanders.


This protest initially had the trademark of all the other peaceful protests, before it was hijacked by 27 non-Balkhian who are so far believed to be from distant and alien provinces. They had come to terrorise people for Nawruz, which they failed. This was their ‘salvage’ mission. They are being interrogated as we speak.

If ten thousand people cant stop 27 foriegn and alien (as you suggest) unarmed lunatics than they are equal partners in the crime, stop making excuses, they were all lunatics from what one can tell from the videos.


Tha ba wai moor ii mrra dha, ;the arabs are dancing to pop and rap facing hollywood in haram sharief and these idiots are lamenting arabian honor.

[Khidr]

If ten thousand people cant stop 27 foriegn and alien (as you suggest) unarmed lunatics than they are equal partners in the crime, stop making excuses, they were all lunatics from what one can tell from the videos.


Tha ba wai moor ii mrra dha, ;the arabs are dancing to pop and rap facing hollywood in haram sharief and these idiots are lamenting arabian honor.

Like I said, protesting passionately is not a crime. Burning effigies is not a crime. Even cursing a whole nation or religion is not a crime. Yes it's stupid...but it's not a crime.

Storming gates, shooting innocent guards and cowardly beheading innocent people are a crime.


Most of those responsible are under arrest, and will be dealt with according to the rule of law. The bigger culprits are those who were pulling the strings from behind.

[salahuddin]

To this day, I waiting for a nation-wide protest against ISI/Taliban killings of innocent civilians. I am sure plenty of Qurans get burnt when Taliban attack the homes,schools and civilian areas in Afghanistan, same can be said on Shias in Pakhtunkhwa.

Its typical. The radical Christian Pastor ****, once stated that Jews, Muslims and Homosexuals will go to hell if they do not repent and become Christians, why is it that Muslims go crazy over a book, do you guys know you are being Emotionally misled? Do you understand you have exposed your weakness, do you understand you have in turn given the Christian Radical **** popularity and media attention?

Why does our public never protest when an Arab mercenary blows up a School in Swat? or when a Uzbek/Tajik Jihadi kills our women and children, and we stay silent on this issue and get silenced with the usual "ohh that is sad, dont worry, they are shaheeds".