One cannot hope to have a stable society — or a prosperous one — where such lethal explosions of rage are so easily sparked, or seen as justified.
We’re often told, despite innumerable counter-examples, that poverty causes jihadist terrorism. But stories like this demonstrate that jihad, along with the attitudes within its ideology concerning supremacism, revenge, and the use of violence to impose its goals, certainly does its part to create and maintain poverty.
“Afghan officials: 6 killed in Quran protest,” by Amir Shah for the Associated Press, January 12:
KABUL – Protesters claiming that international troops destroyed copies of the Quran clashed with Afghan and foreign security forces on Tuesday, leaving six people dead, Afghan officials said.
Also in the south, 13 insurgents were killed by a missile that international forces fired from an unmanned drone, NATO said.
A protest of about 2,000 people in Helmand province’s Garmsir district turned violent as demonstrators fought with security forces, leaving six civilians dead, according to the top official in the province, Abdullah Barak. Provincial spokesman Daoud Ahmadi confirmed six dead but did not say if they were civilians.
NATO said only one person was killed during the protest — an insurgent sniper who allegedly shot at an Afghan official and was killed by NATO troops.
A NATO spokesman denied that the foreign troops desecrated any copies of Islam’s holy book in Sunday’s operation with Afghan forces in Garmsir. Lt. Nico Melendez said no shots were fired, and no property was damaged.
“We take such allegations very seriously and would support a combined investigation with local Afghan authorities,” he said.
Afghanistan is a Muslim nation where blasphemy of Muhammad and the Quran is considered a serious crime that is punishable by death….