A group of Afghans protested on Monday against what they called the desecration of the holy Quran by British forces, the district governor said, although he and a British spokesman denied that any desecration had taken place. Numerous people describing themselves as demonstrators and residents also telephoned a Reuters reporter in Kandahar to say around 600 people took part in the protest in Girishk district of neighbouring Helmand province.
Girishk’s Governor Abdul Manaf said 150 people had demonstrated in the town, but that there had been no desecration of the holy book and Taliban fighters had spread false rumours to provoke a protest. One self-described protester who introduced himself as Ghulam Muhammad said British soldiers knocked copies of the Muslim holy book out of the hands of villagers. “The villagers told them that there were no Taliban hiding in the villages and swore by copies of the holy Quran they had in their hands,” he said by telephone. “The British soldiers threw away the holy Quran and began searching the houses.”
British forces spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Simon Millar said a small protest had taken place, but there had been no desecration of the holy Quran. He added that a tribal council would be on Tuesday to discuss the matter.