Islamic world holds anti-US protests

THOUSANDS of Muslims marched yesterday in countries from Asia to the Middle East, burning symbols of America to protest against the alleged desecration of the Koran by military personnel at the US prison in Guantanamo Bay.

The rallies in Pakistan, Egypt, Lebanon, Indonesia, Malaysia and elsewhere followed an admission on Thursday by US investigators that Islam’s holy book was mishandled at Guantanamo. But American officials claimed it was often inadvertent and denied that any Koran were flushed down a toilet, as Newsweek magazine had reported in a now-retracted article.

No injuries were reported in Friday’s demonstrations, with police simply watching in most places.