Warnings follow Koran incident in Greece

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By Iason Athanasiadis THE WASHINGTON TIMES

Muslim leaders in Greece are warning authorities of violent protests in the mainly Christian Orthodox nation after an incident in which a policeman reportedly defaced a Koran.

"How can you control enraged 20-year-old Afghans who will hit the streets seeking to die in the name of Allah?" asked Naim al-Ghandour, president of the Muslim Union of Greece.

Mr. al-Ghandour's warning followed demonstrations by Muslims to protest the Koran incident and the attempted arson by suspected far-right activists of a Muslim prayer room.

Muslim immigrants are planning additional demonstrations this week following a largely peaceful protest in central Athens on Friday, in which they were joined by immigrant groups and human rights organizations.

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A week earlier, a similar demonstration degenerated into clashes with police, leaving 14 people injured, dozens of cars smashed and 46 people arrested, according to the Associated Press.

Muslim leaders in Greece have distanced themselves from the violence, but are seeking a formal apology from police while warning that they are on the verge of losing control over their communities.

Riot police forces, who typically battle anarchists on the left and right, have instead been placed on full alert in neighborhoods populated by Greece's estimated 1 million immigrants.

"This is creating hate in a country that did not have the reputation in the Arab and Muslim world of being an enemy," Mr. al-Ghandour said.

Mohammad Ateeq, the Iraqi immigrant at the center of the controversy, lodged a suit on charges of damage to property and religious disrespect.