Malaysians Protest Against Alleged Burning of Quran at Afghan NATO Base

Kuala Lumpur (ANTARA/Xinhua-0ANA) - About 200 Malaysian Muslims marched from a mosque to the U.S. Embassy in Kuala Lumpur despite drizzle after Friday prayers to protest against the burning of Qurans at a NATO base in Afghanistan. The protesters, who were members of Malaysia's Islamist political party Pan-Malaysia Islamic Party(PAS), chanted "Down with the U.S." and held banners that read "Damn You, U.S. army" and "Respect our Quran." They submitted a protest note to an embassy representative and held prayers under drizzle. "We want the U.S. government to take serious action, apology alone is not enough because this (the humiliation of Quran) has happened numerous times in the past. I hope our voices would be heard," Nasruddin Hassan Tantawi, the leader of PAS'youth wing said, adding that the group would gather its members nationwide for another mass demonstration at a later date. "They have not only killed our Muslim brothers but also insulted our religion. This cannot be tolerated," he added. The protest in Muslim-majority Malaysia came in the wake of the discovery of the charred copies of the Quran at the American military center at Bagram airbase 50 km north of Kabul, Afghanistan. Afghan laborers found burned copies of the Muslim Holy Book at the base while collecting trash. U.S. president Barack Obama has rendered his apology over the " unintentional" incident by his troops and promised a full investigation on the incident. The Afghan government said it wanted NATO to put those responsible to public trial. The reported burning of the Quran prompted violent demonstrations in Afghanistan for the last three days which have killed at least 13 people and injured over 50 others.(*)