Christian groups have condemned the deaths of the 21 people killed in Afghanistan caught in protest clashes, and denounced the burning of the Qur'an by a church in Florida that has led to the violence.

The groups have also called for peace and an end to violence on both sides.

Last Friday at least 12 people, including seven UN employees, were killed in Mazar-i-Sharif when demonstrators stormed a UN compound in protest against the Qur'an burning by the church.

Protests were also held in several other cities.

President Barack Obama condemned the attack calling for peaceful dialogue, with UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon describing the attacks as "outrageous and cowardly". Mazar-i-Sharif in the north is one of the seven districts in the country where Afghan forces are due to take over from the US-led coalition in July.

Protests have continued for the last few days and this week thousands have gathered outside Kabul University and the western region of Herat. At least nine people were killed and 73 injured in Kandahar in the south on Saturday with further deaths on Sunday in the same region.

The World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) has condemned both the killings and violent protests and strongly criticised the actions of the church in Florida, saying it does not represent the teachings of Christianity.

The burning of the Qur'an last month by a small church in Gainesville, Florida, was overseen by Terry Jones, the pastor condemned last year for his plans to burn copies of the Muslim holy book on the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.

Said Dr Geoff Tunnicliffe, chief executive officer at WEA: "No matter how much we disagree and find abhorrent the actions of Jones, responding in violence can never be justified."

He added: "The WEA believes no book of any faith community should ever be burned…and calls upon all Christians to refrain from disrespectable activities….The WEA urges Muslim leaders to explain to their followers that the actions of this tiny extremist group who have burnt the Qur'an are absolutely condemned by Christians globally…"

At the end of last year, the Evangelical Alliance called on Pastor Jones not to visit the country on the grounds that he did not represent the teachings of the Church.

Steve Clifford, general director of the Evangelical Alliance said that his views were at odds with the teaching of Jesus, and his actions were intensifying tensions between Christians and Muslims across the world. The Home Office banned Pastor Jones from entering the country on the grounds of extremism.

With the recent Qur'an-burning incident sparking demonstrations across Afghanistan there are fears there will be further reprisals against Christians there and in Pakistan and that anti-foreign sentiment will be reignited.

Alliance member Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) also condemned the attacks and called for Christian minority communities not to be associated with the actions of the church in Florida and Pastor Jones.

In a statement CSW said: "The burning of the Qur'an in Florida was a disrespectful and inflammatory act, which we condemn…this deeply offensive action has already incited extreme violence in Afghanistan, where innocent people have lost their lives, as well as demonstrations and attacks on churches in Pakistan."

Source: http://www.eauk.org/articles/protests-in-afghanistan.cfm

Reprinted with permission from Evangelical Alliance UK