A paper mill on the outskirts of the capital was partially destroyed by a thousand or so demonstrators outraged by the alleged “desecration”. The factory’s director and two other people were arrested. “We are taking the issue very seriously,” the Attorney General's Office said.

Kabul (AsiaNews/Agencies) – Three people were arrested at a paper mill on the outskirts of Kabul as part of an investigation into the production of toilet paper from old copies of the Qur‘an, the Attorney General's Office said Tuesday.

Around 1,000 angry demonstrators held a protest on Monday at the mill over the inappropriate use of the Qur‘an, leaving the building partially destroyed, Kabul police said.

Police and the Attorney General's Office opened an investigation into “the alleged disrespect to our holy book in that factory,” a spokesman for the office, Amanullah Iman, said.

“We have arrested three people including the director of the company so far [. . .] We are taking the issue very seriously,” he added.

Copies of the Quran were found inside the factory, Kabul police spokesman Hashmat Stanikzai said, adding that no one was injured in the protest.

The burning of a copy of the Qur‘an by a Protestant clergyman in the United States on 20 March sparked violent protests across Afghanistan that left at least 24 people dead, seven of them foreign UN staff, and more than 140 injured.

• afghanistan
• qur‘an
• recycling
• toilet
• paper
• demonstration