Hundreds of students in Wardak and Nangarhar province staged a protest demonstration against the burning of the holy Quran in Wardak province in the middle of October.
But who was responsible? Students claimed a copy of the Quran was burnt by American forces after one of their vehicles was blown up by a landmine in Khwajagan area.
But that lie came from insurgents, who recently stole humanitarian aid from mosques in Logar province, showing who is really respectful of Islam and Afghan culture. A spokesperson for the Wardak governor, Shahidollah Shahid, told Pajhwok Afghan News he rejected the false claims said that the US soldiers were not involved in the burning. According to Mr Shahid, the Quran was burnt before the landmine blast.
There was a wire spread from the house to the site of the explosion. The US soldiers entered the house and found the burnt copy of the Quran during a search.
The insurgents had left it behind. The provincial government conducted an investigation into the incident and found two people involved in the sacrilegious act. Mr Shahid said the locals had been asked to hand over the suspects to the government. According to Mr Shahid, the demonstration was organized by opponents of the government. A couple of weeks earlier, the insurgents forced civilians to protest against foreign forces after spreading false rumours they had desecrated a Quran and thrown a dead dog into a mosque.
“Taliban stopped buses on the highway in Delaram district on a junction where passengers from Herat, Farah and Nimroz provinces travel and forced them to protest against foreign forces,” said Governor Ghulam Dastagir Azad. He added that the property of a construction company and some police posts were set on fire and the road was blocked. Then the demonstrators marched towards police station and insurgents used them as human shields to fire on police. Governor Azad said there were some casualties among police, civilians and the militants. In Logar province, Taliban militants recollected the assistance given to local residents by international forces. Quoting locals in the province, the Daily Arman-e-Millie said that Taliban fighters recollected the humanitarian aid provided to local mosques in Barak-e Barak district. Villager Abdul Kabir said that the troops contributed two power generators, two carpets, some paint cans and 30,000 afghanis for a mosque in Padkhab village but Taliban thieves came at night and stole the items to sell.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid rejected the accusation, again lying that foreign troops attempt to destroy the mosques. It is true that a recent version of the group’s rulebook tells its insurgents not to steal from fellow Muslims or kill them, but such activity has actually increased since the book was published.
