NEW YORK (Reuters) – The United States marked the anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks yesterday with commemorative ceremonies and although a pastor had cancelled plans for a high-profile protest burning of the Koran, the Muslim holy book was abused in at least three separate incidents.
Hundreds of people in favour and against the building of an Islamic cultural centre and mosque near the site of the toppled World Trade Center gathered in New York — hours after ceremonies in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania to mark the attacks nine years ago that killed nearly 3,000 people. The protests were peaceful.
But there were at least two incidents of abuse of the Koran in Lower Manhattan. Separately, two evangelical preachers not affiliated with any mainstream church burned two copies of the Koran in Tennessee.
Florida preacher Terry Jones had outraged Muslims around the world with his plans to burn copies of the Koran yesterday. Jones, head of a tiny and obscure church in Gainesville, cancelled his plans on Thursday.
The plan had triggered outbreaks of violence in Afghanistan in which one protester was shot dead. Thousands of Afghans demonstrated in the northeast of the country for a second day yesterday.
