London, Sept 24, IRNA – Police have arrested a gang of six men over copycat burnings of the Holy Qu’ran in the UK after a video was posted on YouTube.
The alleged desecration behind a pub in Gateshead, northern England was timed to coincide with the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks and follows threats made by an American pastor to burn copies that was sensationalised around the world.
According to the Guardian newspaper, the police refused to say whether those arrested were connected to the extremist English Defence League (EDL), which has been seeking to provoke violence with Muslims.
It was understood that those arrested were in connection with the posting of the video on the internet rather than the actual burning.
In response to the arrests, the government said that it “condemns attempts to create divisions between communities” and was committed to ensuring that “everyone has the freedom to live free from fear of targeted hostility or harassment on the grounds of a particular characteristic, such as religion.