30,000 protest burning

People hold copies of the Quran as they shout slogans during a demonstration against US pastor Terry Jones' plan to burn the Quran, in Istanbul. -- PHOTO: REUTERS

DIYARBAKIR (Turkey) - SOME 30,000 people took to the streets in south-east Turkey on Sunday against plans by a US church - cancelled days ago - to burn copies of the Quran.

The crowd gathered in Diyarbakir, the largest city of the mainly-Kurdish south-east, brandishing copies of the holy book of Islam and chanting slogans against the United States and Israel.


'We will sacrifice our soul and blood for the Quran,' the demonstrators chanted. 'Zionists and Crusaders are hand-in-hand. Where are the Muslims?' one banner read.

The crowd dispersed after burning US and Israeli flags.
An evangelical Florida pastor triggered international outrage earlier this month after he threatened to burn a pile of Qurans to mark the anniversary of the September 11 attacks. He then dropped the plan. -- AFP.  www.straitstimes.com

Posted in: international