Africa

Protests in Somalia over plan to burn Koran

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A journalist looks at the website of the Dove World Outreach Center featuring a photo of its pastor Terry Jones September 8, 2010 in Washington, DC. Jones has vowed to burn Korans on Saturday at the Dove World Outreach Center  in Gainesville, Florida to mark the ninth anniversary of the deadly September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States. AFP PHOTO

A journalist looks at the website of the Dove World Outreach Center featuring a photo of its pastor Terry Jones September 8, 2010 in Washington, DC. Jones has vowed to burn Korans on Saturday at the Dove World Outreach Center in Gainesville, Florida to mark the ninth anniversary of the deadly September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States. AFP PHOTO 

By ABDULKADIR KHALIF, NATION Correspondent
Posted  Thursday, September 9  2010 at  16:13

MOGADISHU, Thursday

Hundreds of protestors from across the society have today staged a massive demonstrations in Galkayo town, 740 km north of Mogadishu, expressing grief against the threat of burning the Koran (Muslim’s Holy Book) in the United States of America.

The participants, who marched along the town’s main roads, chanted anti-American and anti-Christian slogans.

“We are grieved by the news that an (American pastor) wants to burn our Quran,” said Mohamed Abdullahi, one of the organisers who spoke when the protestors gathered at the town’s Shukri Kutaab square.

“We are going to retaliate, if the threat materialises,” he added without elaborating the measures. “This is yet another proof of an anti-Islam sentiment in the western world.”

The demonstration in Galkayo, one of the main towns in the semi-autonomous state of Puntland, is the first of its kind in Somalia since the news that followers of a church in the US were planning to burn copies of the Quran on the 9th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terror attacks.

Meanwhile, three Somali pirates sustained injuries when two pirate groups exchanged fire at the outskirts of Hobyo town, a pirate haven, and 660 km northeast of Mogadishu.

According to news from Mudug region in Central Somalia, the sea gangs disputed over the handling of a Korean ship kept by the pirates.

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Add a comment (3 comments so far)

  1. Submitted by agusa2010

    Is there a way that an issue like this one can be used for the good of Somalia? I mean, like telling them: Unless you stop fighting and savagely killing one another, we're going to burn your Quran?

    Posted  September 09, 2010 10:29 PM  
  2. Submitted by martin_okumu

    There are more idols to burn in modern day 'Christianity'.

    Posted  September 09, 2010 07:17 PM  
  3. Submitted by Armagedon2

    Why can't all those who claim that these holy books the bible and Qurans and what are by their gods-God, lord, Allah, and name the rest live these gods to talk for themselves. Individuals burning bibles or quran, yes they aer sacred books but what will they get after that? And surely if these gods of ours are real they will themselves revenge not humans please people unless these gods are sleeping or gone on a trip, Simply let your "chief God" to for themsleves in regard to their holy books!

    Posted  September 09, 2010 04:51 PM