U.S. President Barack Obama on Saturday called "outrageous" the killings in Afghanistan in response to the burning of a Quran by a radical Christian preacher in the United States.
"The desecration of any holy text, including the Quran, is an act of extreme intolerance and bigotry. However, to attack and kill innocent people in response is outrageous, and an affront to human decency and dignity," Obama said in a statement released by the White House.
The actions of Christian preacher Terry Jones, who supervised the burning of the Quran at a church in Florida on March 20, have outraged Muslims worldwide and triggered riots in Afghanistan where protesters stormed a UN compound in the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif on Friday, killing seven UN foreign staff.
Earlier on Saturday, at least 10 people were killed and 83 wounded in the southern Afghan city of Kandahar on a second day of riots over the desecration of Islam's holy book.
"No religion tolerates the slaughter and beheading of innocent people, and there is no justification for such a dishonorable and deplorable act," Obama said.
The U.S. president extended his condolences to the families and loved ones of UN employees killed by protesters in Mazar-i-Sharif.
"Now is a time to draw upon the common humanity that we share, and that was so exemplified by the UN workers who lost their lives trying to help the people of Afghanistan."
WASHINGTON, April 3 (RIA Novosti)
