BY KEVIN DUBOUIS ANCHOR LAUREN GORES The commander of the international coalition in Afghanistan, General John Allen, offered a public apology and called for a prompt investigation after allegations of Quran desecration. Voice of America reports. “The circumstances surrounding the alleged desecration are unclear. Unconfirmed reports suggest that NATO troops attempted to dispose of a load of Qurans by setting them on fire, but were stopped by Afghan employees at the base.” The rumors led thousands of Afghans to protest outside the US air base at Bagram. Demonstrators reportedly chanted “Death to America! Death to the Afghan government! Long live Islam!” The BBC reports General Allen’s statement was played repeatedly on Afghan television in an effort to calm down the protesters. “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.” Mistreating copies of the Quran is a sensitive issue in the Muslim world, particularly in Afghanistan, where the war on the militant Taliban has entered its 11th year. The New York Times reports… “Previous incidents of desecration of the Koran have set off extremely violent reactions in Afghanistan. The last one, when a Florida pastor burned the Koran a year ago, triggered protests across the country, including an outburst in Mazar-i-Sharif in which a crowd overran a United Nations compound and killed 12 people …
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