U.S. Soldiers Burned Koran in Afghanistan

The United States “stepped in it” again. Local laborers taking out the trash at Bagram airbase found remnants of several burned Korans. A huge protest erupted outside the base with more than 2,000 Afghans yelling and throwing things outside the gates.

One of the Afghan protestors, Haji Shirin, reportedly said, “We Afghans don’t want these Christians and infidels, they are the enemy of our soil, our honor and our Koran.”

U.S. helicopters shot flares into the crowd to end the protest. General John Allen, International Security Assistance Force’s top man, issued a written statement and released a video to apologize. The burned Koran remnants will be turned over to religious officials. How thoughtful.

The apology has done nothing to satisfy the anger and hurt the Afghan citizens feel about the blatantly disrespectful act. Not surprising since this isn’t the first time General Allen had to apologize. Back in November, he issued a “sincere apology” when NATO forces fired on Pakistani soldiers conducting a drill close to the border.

How would Catholics react if Afghan troops burned copies of the Catholic Bible? Or if any one of the Arab counties’ armed forces committed such an atrocity?