The Organization of Islamic Cooperation denounces as a "deplorable act of incitement" the burning of copies of the holy Quran at a US base in Afghanistan. For his part, US President apologizes for the incident.
The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on Thursday denounced as a "deplorable act of incitement" the burning of copies of the holy Quran at a US base in Afghanistan. For his part, US President apologized for the incident.
OIC Secretary General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu called the act "contrary to the common efforts of the OIC and that of the international community including the United States government, to combat intolerance, and incitement to hatred based on religion and belief".
In a statement, the OIC chief "called on the concerned authorities to take swift and appropriate disciplinary action against those responsible" for the burning.
Barack Obama sent Afghan President Hamid Karzai a letter of apolo
gy over the incident.
The US president said the incident was “unintentional” and pledged a full investigation, the president's office said, as fierce anti-US protests swept the nation in which at least 14 people have died, including two American soldiers.
"I wish to express my deep regret for the reported incident," Obama wrote in the letter presented to Karzai by US ambassador Ryan Crocker. "I extend to you and the Afghan people my sincere apologies."
At the meantime, Karzai told members of parliament in a meeting, that the burning was done "out of ignorance" and the US government had admitted the mistake.
