Ahlul Bayt News Agency, KABUL, Afghanistan — Hundreds of Afghans shouted anti-American slogans and called for President Obama’s death at a rally yesterday to denounce an American church’s plans to burn the Islamic holy book to mark the anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks.
The crowd in Kabul, numbering as many as 500, chanted “long live Islam’’ and “death to America.’’
The protesters listened to fiery speeches from members of Parliament, provincial council deputies, and Islamic clerics, who criticized the United States and demanded the withdrawal of foreign troops from the country.
Some threw rocks when a US military convoy passed, but speakers shouted at them to stop and told police to arrest anyone who disobeyed.
The Dove World Outreach Center of Gainesville, Fla., announced plans to burn copies of the Koran on church grounds but has been denied a permit to set a bonfire. The church, which made headlines last year after distributing T-shirts that said “Islam is of the devil,’’ has vowed to proceed with the burning.
“We know this is not just the decision of a church. It is the decision of the president and the entire United States,’’ said Abdul Shakoor, 18, a high school student who said he joined the protest in Kabul after hearing about the Koran burning.
The US Embassy in Kabul issued a statement condemning Dove World Outreach Center’s plans, saying Washington was “deeply concerned about deliberate attempts to offend members of religious or ethnic groups.’’
Today, General David Petraeus, the top US and NATO commander in Afghanistan, warned that the church’s threat could endanger US troops in the country and Americans worldwide, He wrote in an e-mail.
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