DUBAI: NATO troops in Afghanistan have “improperly disposed” of Islam's materials, including the Qur'an, the commander of the NATO mission in the country said on Tuesday. “When we learned of these actions, we immediately intervened and stopped them,” said US General John Allen, the commander of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force. “The materials recovered will be properly handled by appropriate religious authorities,” the statement said. The incident took place late Monday at the Bagram military air base, a sprawling American compound north of Kabul. Allen said he had ordered an investigation and that the incident was not intentional, without providing further details of the purpose of the soldiers' activities. “We are thoroughly investigating the incident and we are taking steps to ensure this does not ever happen again,” said. An official at the airbase said dozens of Afghans protested in front of one of the control points inside the base. There was no hostility and the protest had been dispersed, the official said. One NATO official based in the Gulf, told Bikyamasr.com that this sort of action continues to “give Arabs and Muslims fodder to attack us for not being on top of cultural sensitivities.” The source added that “both American, local and foreign troops must do a better job of educating themselves on what needs to be done in order to ensure local populations wherever are not getting angry over things that can easily be avoided.” BM ShortURL: http://goo.gl/zCnSj Tags: Afghanistan, Islam, NATO, Qur'an Section: Asia, Latest News, Religion
