Sunday, 3 April 2011
Afghanistan: Koran protests in Kandahar and Jalalabad
US President Barack Obama described the killings as "outrageous" and the Koran burning as "intolerance and bigotry".
Ten people died following protests in Kandahar on Saturday. Dozens more were injured.
Protests spread On Sunday, demonstrators in Kandahar city - the birthplace of the Taliban - marched on the main UN office. There were also reports of smaller protests in two other districts of Kandahar province.
The protests have now spread to the eastern city of Jalalabad, where hundreds of protesters peacefully blocked a main road for three hours on Sunday.
The crowd shouted for US troops to leave Afghanistan and burnt an effigy of Mr Obama, according to an Associated Press photographer at the scene.
The UN's chief envoy to Afghanistan, Staffan de Mistura, blamed Friday's violence in the northern city of Mazar-e Sharif on the Florida pastor who burnt the Koran on 20 March. "I don't think we should be blaming any Afghan," Mr de Mistura said. "We should be blaming the person who produced the news - the one who burned the Koran. Freedom of speech does not mean freedom from offending culture, religion, traditions."
The UN would temporarily re-deploy 11 staff members to Kabul while their office in Mazar-e Sharif was rebuilt, he said, but there would be no evacuation.
Mr de Mistura insisted that Friday's attack "should not deter the UN presence, activities in this country in this delicate and particularly crucial period".
In a statement published on Saturday evening, Mr Obama extended his condolences to the families of those killed by the protesters in Afghanistan.
"The desecration of any holy text, including the Koran, is an act of extreme intolerance and bigotry," he said. "However, to attack and kill innocent people in response is outrageous, and an affront to human decency and dignity.
Condemnation
The controversy began in Florida on 20 March, when Pastor Wayne Sapp soaked a Koran in kerosene, staged a "trial" during which the Islamic holy book was found guilty of "crimes against humanity", and then set it alight.
The incident took place under the supervision of Pastor Terry Jones, who last year drew condemnation over his aborted plan to burn copies of the Koran on the anniversary of the 11 September 2001 attacks on the US.
The authorities in both Kandahar and Mazar-e Sharif have blamed the Taliban for the violence. However, the Taliban has rejected the accusation.
Pastor Jones has said that the Dove World Outreach Center's congregation does not "feel responsible" for the attack.
Witnesses said the protest in Mazar-e Sharif, which began outside the central Blue Mosque after Friday prayers, began peacefully but suddenly turned violent.
The crowds moved to outside the UN compound, where a small group broke away.
Several demonstrators were killed by guards at the compound, who were then overpowered by the mob.
Munir Ahmad Farhad, a spokesman for the governor of Balkh province, said the group seized weapons from the guards and stormed the building. Four Nepalese guards, a Norwegian, a Romanian and a Swede were killed.
@'BBC'
LCD Soundsystem final show. What a gig!!!
Setlist: (via)
Dance Yrself Clean
(with “I’m Not In Love” by 10cc intro)
Drunk Girls
I Can Change
Time To Get Away
Get Innocuous!
Daft Punk Is Playing At My House
Too Much Love
All My Friends
Tired
(with “Heart of the Sunrise” by Yes snippet)
—
Set 2
45:33 Part One
45:33 Part Two (w/ Reggie Watts)
Sound of Silver
45:33 Part Four
45:33 Part Five (w/ Shit Robot)
45:33 Part Six
Freak Out/Starry Eyes
—
Set 3
Us v Them
North American Scum (w/ Arcade Fire)
Bye Bye Bayou (Alan Vega cover)
You Wanted A Hit
Tribulations
Movement
Yeah (Crass Version)
—
Set 4
Someone Great
Losing My Edge (With “Da Funk” by Daft Punk snippet)
Home
—
Set 5
All I Want
Jump Into the Fire (Harry Nilsson Cover)
New York, I Love You But You’re Bringing Me Down (with “Twin Peaks Theme” by Angelo Badalamenti intro)
@'CoS'
I can't think of anything that feels appropriate to listen to following #LCDMSG, except Screamadelica
JPBarlow John Perry Barlow
Prescription drugs account for almost 2x more deaths in the US than *all illicit drugs combined.* http://bit.ly/fw3GCS
Homosexuality is found in over 450 species. Homophobia is found in only one. Which one seems unnatural now?
Via
Via
Marshall McLuhan - The Medium is the Massage (1968) +
Side A 2.
Side B Tracks 1-2 From the LP "The Medium is the Massage"
(Columbia Records, late 1960s)
Notes & Info(Columbia Records, late 1960s)
3.
Marshall McLuhan on the Dick Cavett Show in December 1970 Marshall McLuhan appeared on the Dick Cavett Show in December of 1970 along with Truman Capote and Chicago Bears running back, Gayle Sayers. Both Capote and Sayers participated in the discussion with McLuhan.
This recording was made on reel-to-reel audio tape in 1970 and directly transferred to computer in 2005. Unfortunately, the exact date of the show was not noted, except that the show did take place before Christmas.
All commercials and breaks were removed from McLuhan's appearance.
4.
Speaking Freely hosted by Edwin Newman features Marshall McLuhan 4 Jan 1971, Public Broadcasting/N.E.T. "Where would you look for the message in an electric light?" Spend nearly an hour with University of Toronto professor of English, Marshall McLuhan, as he discusses electronic technology, transportation, and communications. Also probing the issues of acoustic and personal space, McLuhan expresses his thoughts about print media and where it's headed. Author of several books including The Medium is the Message, Canadian-born McLuhan was also director of the Center for Culture and Technology at the University of Toronto. Originally aired on PBS-TV, 4 January, 1971 at 8:00 p.m. (Philadelphia, PA area), McLuhan appeared on "Speaking Freely," hosted by NBC's Edwin Newman.
Download the file. Take notes. Observe how current and relevant much of McLuhan's message is in today's Internet world.
RELATED RESOURCES:
Marshall McLuhan Issue of Aspen Magazine@'UbuWeb'
The Medium is the Massage - An Inventory of Effects (PDF)
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