Desecrating the Koran: some precedents

Published: 8/09/2010 at 08:59 PM
Online news:

The plans for a mass burning of the Koran by a church in Florida, to mark the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States, is the latest case of desecration of the Muslim holy book to have provoked sometimes violent demonstrations around the world:

May, 2005 _ GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba: Newsweek magazine reports accusations that the Koran has been thrown into a toilet by a US guard at the Guantanamo Bay detention camp.
Demonstrations erupt in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, Pakistan and Afghanistan, where 14 are killed. In face of the outrage caused by the report, the Pentagon orders a probe, while Newsweek withdraws its story and apologises.

June, 2005 _ ISRAEL: Palestinian detainees at Meggido prison in northern Israel accuse the authorities of deliberately ripping out pages of the Koran, provoking hundreds of Palestinians to stage protests in the occupied territories.

This article is older than 60 days, which we reserve for our premium members only.You can subscribe to our premium member subscription, here.

About the author

: Writer: AFP News agency; Position: Agence France-Presse

Keep this article in your social bookmark:

Your comments

Dan

Discussion 4 : 09/09/2010 at 08:44 AM4
If it were Bibles, nobody would complain and it wouldn't be news.
ct

Discussion 3 : 09/09/2010 at 07:58 AM3
Jeez...these fanatics need to be controlled. I don't agree with the burning, but to kill somebody over it...that's going toooooooo far....
wantmymoney

Discussion 2 : 09/09/2010 at 12:46 AM2
What we are witnessing today are events that has happened before, long before time or recorded history. Religious pursecution, forced religious regime and attack on other religion has occured in the historical past. This is just evolution at work, the strongest religion will rein supreme. Christianity and Muslim are like brothers fighting to be head of house, burning of religious text is nothing new, most rulers did it in the past. Just hope it does not create a unstoppable religious war.
Brian

Discussion 1 : 08/09/2010 at 09:36 PM1
Two wrongs don't make a right.

But let's not forget that Muslims aren't above desecrating religious symbols.

Despite worldwide condemnation, the Taliban destroyed the Bamiyan Buddhas which were irresplaceable artefacts as well as revered religious symbols. Yet, you didn't see Buddhists worldwide protesting violently, burning and killing.

The extremes of reaction and behaviour on the part of Muslims, who seem to have zero tolerance when it comes to any sort of negativity towards they or their religion, only feeds that negativity.

Desecrating the Koran: some precedents | Bangkok Post: breakingnews