A Muslim immigrant shouts slogans during a protest rally in Athens today. Hundreds of Muslims marched through central Athens, damaging shops and cars, to protest what they said was the destruction of a Quran by a Greek policeman.
The Muslim Union of Greece says that during police checks at a Syrian-owned coffee shop, an officer took a customer’s Quran, tore it up, threw it on the floor and stomped on it. Police have launched an internal investigation.
About 1,500 Muslims marched through Athens to protest against the incident, chanting “Allah is great”, carrying banners reading “Hands off immigrants” and holding up copies of Islam’s holy book.
“They started throwing rocks and sticks at police guarding parliament and the officers re
sponded with tear gas and percussion bombs,” a police official said.
The protesters pulled up pavements, overturned garbage cans and damaged cars. Shocked tourists ran into hotels on the central Syndagma Square for cover.
It was the second protest since the reported incident. Yesterday, about 1,000 immigrants, many from Syria, Pakistan and Afghanistan, marched to centrally located Omonia Square, smashing several shop windows and five cars.
The Muslim Union, representing thousands of immigrants in Athens, said it had filed a lawsuit against the unidentified policeman. “Police told us they need more time for the internal investigation so we went ahead and filed a suit,” union president Naim Elghandour told Reuters.
Courtesy: The Malaysian Insider
The Muslim Union of Greece says that during police checks at a Syrian-owned coffee shop, an officer took a customer’s Quran, tore it up, threw it on the floor and stomped on it. Police have launched an internal investigation.
About 1,500 Muslims marched through Athens to protest against the incident, chanting “Allah is great”, carrying banners reading “Hands off immigrants” and holding up copies of Islam’s holy book.
“They started throwing rocks and sticks at police guarding parliament and the officers re
sponded with tear gas and percussion bombs,” a police official said.The protesters pulled up pavements, overturned garbage cans and damaged cars. Shocked tourists ran into hotels on the central Syndagma Square for cover.
It was the second protest since the reported incident. Yesterday, about 1,000 immigrants, many from Syria, Pakistan and Afghanistan, marched to centrally located Omonia Square, smashing several shop windows and five cars.
The Muslim Union, representing thousands of immigrants in Athens, said it had filed a lawsuit against the unidentified policeman. “Police told us they need more time for the internal investigation so we went ahead and filed a suit,” union president Naim Elghandour told Reuters.
Courtesy: The Malaysian Insider
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