When controversial Florida pastor Terry Jones burned a Koran last month, he probably never expected it to lead to nearly a dozen deaths—and he’s not apologizing for it, either.
At least 11 people were killed in Afghanistan, including some United Nations officials, in the wake of a protest in response to a Koran-burning Jones supervised. Jones watched as fellow pastor Wayne Sapp drenched a Koran with kerosene and burned it after finding it “guilty” in a mock trial, ABC News reports.
The apparent peaceful protest turned violent when demonstrators suddenly attacked the United Nations office in northern Afghanistan. Protestors opened fire on security guards and set fires inside the compound, according to the Associated Press.
President Barack Obama condemned the attack and offered his deepest condolences to those injured and killed, as well as to their loved ones.
“The brave men and women of the United Nations, including the Afghan staff, undertake their work in support of the Afghan people. Their work is essential to building a stronger Afghanistan for the benefit of all its citizens,” Obama said. “We stress the importance of calm and urge all parties to reject violence and resolve differences through dialogue.”
Jones showed no personal remorse over the connection between his Koran-burning event and the deaths. Instead, he used the incident to try to prove his point about radical Islam.
“The United States government and the United Nations itself, must take immediate action. We must hold these countries and people accountable for what they have done as well as for any excuses they may use to promote their terrorist activities. The time has come to hold Islam accountable,” Jones says.
“Our United States government and our president must take a close, realistic look at the radical element Islam. Islam is not a religion of peace. It is time that we call these people to accountability. We demand that our United States government stand up and speak out against these acts. These people must be called to justice.”
Jones went on to “demand action” from the UN. As he sees it, Muslim-dominated countries need to change the laws that govern their nations to allow for individual freedoms and right, including the right to worship, free speech, and to move freely without fear of being attacked or killed.
