Afghan Religious Clerics Slam Attack on UN Office

Some of the clerics in the northern city of Mazar-e-Sharif on Monday slammed the recent violence in the city in which the UN office was attacked by demonstrators protesting at the recent Koran burning by a US pastor.

Demonstrators overran the Unama's regional office in Mazar on Friday and some insurgents who had reportedly infiltrated in the crowd killed seven foreign workers.

Four civilians lost their lives in the incident and 24 others were injured.

Calling the Koran burning by the Florida pastor a shameful act, clerics emphasised that the reaction should not have violent leading to the killing of innocent individuals.

Clerics said as Muslims respect all the holy heavenly books, they expect others not to desecrate the Muslims' holy book.

One of the clerics slamming the deadly attack is Maulawi Qasem Khateeb at the Blue Mosque where demonstrators had first gathered before marching on the UN office.

"I disapprove of what happened in Mazar. People did not expect the demonstration to lead to bloodshed and spoil the beauty of Balkh province," Maulawi Khateeb said.

Meanwhile, residents of Alingar district of the eastern Laghman province on Monday staged a protest at the Koran burning and peacefully blocked the Jalalabad-Torkham route for some hours.

The protesters chanted anti-US slogans and urged punishement of the Florida pastor.

In violent protests in the southern city of Kandahar 14 people were killed and more than a hundred were wounded over the past two days.

Head of the Kandahar Religious Council condemned the violence in the city describing is as against Islamic teachings.

He said plundering people's properties is considered a major crime in Islam.

Meanwhile, Afghan President Hamid Karzai has sent a delegation to Kandahar for investigation.