Goober Preacher Burns Koran, Afghans Go Ballistic Storm U.N. Compound And Kill 12 Relief Workers

NEW YORK TIMES: Thousands of protesters, enraged by the burning of a Koran at a Florida church, overran a United Nations compound in the Afghan city of Mazar-i-Sharif on Friday, killing at least 12 people. The incident that so enraged Afghans, the burning of a Koran after a mock trial in a small Florida church on March 20, was barely noticed in the United States but widely reported in Afghanistan and Pakistan. The presidents of both countries have called on the United States to arrest Terry Jones, the pastor of the church. Mr. Jones presided over the “International Judge the Koran Day” event, after which one copy of the Muslim holy book was “executed,” on camera, before 30 congregants. Britain’s Channel 4 News reported that the Web video of the burning Koran was shown on television in Pakistan and Afghanistan in recent days. MORE

RELATED: Reports indicate that the mob, chorusing anti-American phrases, overran the Nepali security personnel guarding the compound before ransacking the offices and killing a number of people inside. Initial accounts from those on the scene indicated that two of the bodies had been beheaded, though this was subsequently denied by an Afghan police spokesperson. MORE

PREVIOUSLY: The burning was carried out by pastor Wayne Sapp under the supervision of Terry Jones, who last September drew sweeping condemnation over his plan to ignite a pile of Korans on the anniversary of September 11, 2001 attacks. Sunday’s event was presented as a trial of the book in which the Koran was found “guilty” and “executed.” The jury deliberated for about eight minutes. The book, which had been soaking for an hour in kerosene, was put in a metal tray in the center of the church, and Sapp started the fire with a barbecue lighter. The book burned for around 10 minutes while some onlookers posed for photos. MORE

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