PUBLIC AFFAIRS SECTION

Press Release

20 May 2005
Demonstration at the Embassy

Several dozen protesters gathered in front of the U.S. Embassy this afternoon to express their anger about the allegations of Koran desecration that were printed in Newsweek magazine last week. London news media have covered the event and requested some comment from the U.S. Embassy in response.

Newsweek has retracted its story and issued an apology. President Bush and Secretary of State Rice have gone to great lengths to reiterate that disrespect of the Holy Koran is not tolerated by the United States. Secretary Rice has stated that desecration of religious texts and objects is repugnant to our common values and anathema to the American people. U.S. military officials said investigators have not found allegations of the willful desecration of the Koran at Guantanamo to be credible.

The demonstrators chose to ignore all this, and instead used the opportunity presented by the presence of numerous TV, radio and newspaper reporters to chant praise for Osama bin Laden and call for the death of President Bush, Secretary Rice, and Secretary Rumsfeld. In response to these statements, U.S. Chargé d’Affaires, a.i., David Johnson said, “Calling for the death of public officials does not reflect the values of British or American democracy or the merciful and compassionate religion of Islam.”

People can surely agree that everyone has the right to express his or her views in open societies like the U.S. and the UK. That's what freedom is all about. But today’s demonstration in London, like demonstrations in other places around the world, has shown that there are people who will use any excuse to encourage violence and destruction.

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