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AHMOOD RAQI/CHARIKAR (PAN): Thousands of people in central Afghanistan protested for a second day on Saturday, warning that if a Florida church went ahead with its plan to burn copies of the Quran it could spark a holy war against foreigners in the country.
The protests in Kapisa, Parwan and Logar provinces came even though the pastor, Terry Jones, had called off his planned Burn a Quran Day following an appeal by the US President Barack Obama and widespread condemnation that the act could endanger the lives of foreigners in Afghanistan.
In Logar province, about 10,000 people gathered to protest , with another 6,000 in Kapisa and 1,500 more in Parwan, according to local estimates.
In Logar, police fired warning shots to prevent thousands of people from storming the governor's house, an official said. No injuries were immediately reported. Protesters also briefly blocked a highway linking Afghanistan and neighbouring Pakistan.
About 6,000 people, including women, from Nijrab and Tagab districts of Kapisa protested in the Afghania Pass area of Nijrab district, chanting anti-Israel and anti-American slogans.
Haji Lutfullah Zakiri, a provincial council member from the Afghania Pass, warned that if the Quran was insulted, there were a large number of men ready to act as suicide bombers.
He said French troops based in the province would be attacked first.
Despite the incendiary talk, the protest ended peacefully, said Nijrab district chief, Sultan Muhammad Safi.
In the Koh-i-Safi district of central Parwan province, about 1,500 protesters chanted "Death to America and Death to Israel".
One of the participants, Naqibullah, said they wanted to show their anger at the Florida pastor's threat to burn the Quran.
He said the threat was widely condemned across the Muslim world, and urged the international community to prevent such threats in the future.
The rally also released a resolution, calling for jihad against the US in case any insult was committed to the holy book.
It said they would set Americans on fire the way the book was torched.
The pastor, Terry Jones, who leads a small church of about 50 people in Florida had threatened to burn the Quran on September 11, the ninth anniversary of the attacks on the US, as a mark of respect for those killed that day. However, following widespread criticism from religious leaders of all faiths as well as US, Afghan and other western leaders, he agreed to suspend the act.
On Friday, one person was shot dead and six others were wounded when protesters angry at the US pastor's plans to burn the Quran tried to storm a NATO base in northern Badakhshan province.
Thousands of people also protested in central Maidan Wardak and southeastern Nimroz provinces on Friday.
Pajhwok Afghan News
The protests in Kapisa, Parwan and Logar provinces came even though the pastor, Terry Jones, had called off his planned Burn a Quran Day following an appeal by the US President Barack Obama and widespread condemnation that the act could endanger the lives of foreigners in Afghanistan.
In Logar province, about 10,000 people gathered to protest , with another 6,000 in Kapisa and 1,500 more in Parwan, according to local estimates.
In Logar, police fired warning shots to prevent thousands of people from storming the governor's house, an official said. No injuries were immediately reported. Protesters also briefly blocked a highway linking Afghanistan and neighbouring Pakistan.
About 6,000 people, including women, from Nijrab and Tagab districts of Kapisa protested in the Afghania Pass area of Nijrab district, chanting anti-Israel and anti-American slogans.
Haji Lutfullah Zakiri, a provincial council member from the Afghania Pass, warned that if the Quran was insulted, there were a large number of men ready to act as suicide bombers.
He said French troops based in the province would be attacked first.
Despite the incendiary talk, the protest ended peacefully, said Nijrab district chief, Sultan Muhammad Safi.
In the Koh-i-Safi district of central Parwan province, about 1,500 protesters chanted "Death to America and Death to Israel".
One of the participants, Naqibullah, said they wanted to show their anger at the Florida pastor's threat to burn the Quran.
He said the threat was widely condemned across the Muslim world, and urged the international community to prevent such threats in the future.
The rally also released a resolution, calling for jihad against the US in case any insult was committed to the holy book.
It said they would set Americans on fire the way the book was torched.
The pastor, Terry Jones, who leads a small church of about 50 people in Florida had threatened to burn the Quran on September 11, the ninth anniversary of the attacks on the US, as a mark of respect for those killed that day. However, following widespread criticism from religious leaders of all faiths as well as US, Afghan and other western leaders, he agreed to suspend the act.
On Friday, one person was shot dead and six others were wounded when protesters angry at the US pastor's plans to burn the Quran tried to storm a NATO base in northern Badakhshan province.
Thousands of people also protested in central Maidan Wardak and southeastern Nimroz provinces on Friday.
Pajhwok Afghan News