1. 2012 Afghanistan Quran burning protests - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2012_Afghanistan_Quran_burning_protests
Coordinates: 34°56′46″N 69°15′54″E
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A series of protests took place early this year in response to
the burning of Islamic religious material by soldiers from the 2012 Afghanistan Quran burning
United States of America Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan. protests
International condemnation[4] followed the burning of Part of War in Afghanistan
copies of the Quran, on 22 February 2012, from the library
that is used by inmates at the base's detention facility. The
protests included domestic riots which caused at least 41
deaths and at least 270 injuries.[3][5]
1 Background
2 Protests and violence
3 Reactions Bagram Airfield, where the Quran burnings took
4 References place.
Date 22 February 2012[1] – 27 February
2012
Location Afghanistan
Status Ongoing
Bagram Airfield is one of the largest American military bases
in Afghanistan, about 40 kilometres (25 mi) northeast of the Causes Quran desecration
Afghan capital Kabul.[6] The Parwan Detention Facility, Characteristics Demonstrations, riots and
located at the base, houses hundreds of Taliban, al Qaeda assassinations
and other captured militants.
Deaths and injuries
In February 2012, two Afghan-American interpreters at the Deaths: 41[2]
base removed 1,652 damaged books and Islamic texts from Injuries: At least 270[3]
the library at the Parwan Detention Facility (including 48
copies of the Quran), and boxed them for storage. On 22
February, several members of the United States armed forces apparently mistakenly sent them to an incinerator
to be burned. Several Afghan garbage collectors working at the base reported finding a number of charred books
and quickly notified an Afghan National Army commander.[3][7][8]
John R. Allen, commander of ISAF and US forces in Afghanistan,[5] said the books were taken from the library
that is used by inmates at the detention facility. He said the religious material was removed from the library due
to the presence of "extremist inscriptions" on them, further noting "an appearance that these documents were
being used to facilitate extremist communications."[9]
Muslims responded with nationwide protests, which turned into riots.[10][10][11][12] Protesters expressed
anti-American sentiments, and also dissatisfaction with the Afghanistan president, with the media reporting
[13]
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