Blood on the streets: Afghan protesters swarm into the streets of Kandahar as they carry a wounded colleague during a second day of violence to condemn the burning of a copy of the Muslim holy book by Mr. Jones

Did our action provoke them? Of course. Is it a provocation that can be justified? Is it a provocation that should lead to death? 'When lawyers provoke me, when banks provoke me, when reporters provoke me, I can’t kill them. That would not fly.' It is not surprising that Mr. Jones should mention lawyers, banks and reporters as his tormentors. The pastor, whose church membership has dwindled and who is a hate figure in his own community, is also near broke. A second wave of violence began this morning when demonstrators clashed with security forces.

Protest: Similar protests on Friday in the streets of Mazar-i-Sharif - with hundreds chanting anti-American slogans - ended in a bloody massacre at the UN compound

A statement by the Kandahar governor's office said that 10 protesters had been killed and 78 injured. Seventeen people, including seven armed men, were arrested, the statement said. Mr. Jones told the Times that, in recent weeks, he had received more than 300 death threats via phone and email, and had been told by the FBI that there was a $2.4 million contract on his life.  He said: 'I don’t right now feel personally afraid. But we are armed.'

Mr. Jones admitted that he knew the Koran-burning stunt could lead to violence, adding: 'We were worried. We knew it was possible.' But it clearly did not stop him. The recent killings, which involved the beheading of two UN guards in the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif, will not do anything to add to Mr. Jones's international popularity. His March 20 burning stunt received little press in Afghanistan at first. But after President Hamid Karzai condemned the burning of the book and religious leaders called for justice in sermons yesterday, thousands poured into the streets in several cities to protest.

At least eight UN staff and around a dozen locals were murdered after a mob killed the UN guards, stole their weapons and opened fire. In other attacks a suicide bomber struck Kabul and a violent demonstration rattled the southern city of Kandahar. Security forces shot rounds into the air in Kandahar to stop a crowd from burning shops and cars bent on destruction while much of the rest of the city was closed. Reports said 10 people were killed and around 78 were wounded. Yesterday Mr. Jones, who ignored international warnings that his actions would undoubtedly lead to violent reprisals, said the blame laid at the feet of the attackers. He said: 'We must hold these countries and people accountable for what they have done as well as for any excuses they may use to promote their terrorist activities. The time has come to hold Islam accountable.

'Our United States government and our President must take a close, realistic look at the radical element Islam. Islam is not a religion of peace. 'We demand action from the United Nations. Muslim dominated countries can no longer be allowed to spread their hate against Christians and minorities.' President Barack Obama did speak out about the violence last night - but did not mention Pastor Jones. He said: 'We stress the importance of calm and urge all parties to reject violence and resolve differences through dialogue.' Obama said the desecration of the Koran 'is an act of extreme intolerance and bigotry' - but that was the closest he came to touching on the Jones subject. The Taliban has reportedly claimed responsibility for the killings, saying they were part of a campaign of violence in the run up to presidential elections.

The bloodshed on Friday is the worst attack on the U.N. in Afghanistan since the war began in 2001. Among those murdered were Norwegian, Romanian, Swedish and Nepalese nationals. Two were decapitated. The Norwegian Defense Ministry said one of the Norwegian victims was Lt. Col Siri Skare, a 53-year-old female pilot.

Mr. Jones, a former furniture salesman, was quick to respond to accusations that blood was on his hands over the killings. he said: 'They must alter the laws that govern their countries to allow for individual freedoms and rights, such as the right to worship, free speech, and to move freely without fear of being attacked or killed.' The controversial pastor triggered international outrage last year when he urged Americans to burn the Koran on the ninth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. He relented following an intervention by President Obama but on March 20 he and pastor Wayne Sapp finally carried out their threat.

After Sapp set fire to the text, he let it burn for ten minutes. Mohammad Azim, a businessman in Mazer-i-Sharif, said that before the violence, clerics with loudspeakers had driven around the city in two cars to invite residents to the protest.  According to Afghan officials it looks increasingly likely that the attacks were carried out by insurgents who had blended into the angry crowds. Last night Afghan police said they had arrested the suspected mastermind behind the attack. Rawof Taj, deputy police chief in Balkh province, said this evening he was one of more than 20 people arrested after the violence.

Taj said the suspected mastermind was from Kapisa province, a hotbed of the insurgency about 250 miles south east of Mazar-i-Sharif. Staffan De Mistura, the top UN representative in Afghanistan, was heading to Mazar-i-Sharif to handle the matter personally. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told reporters in Nairobi that the attack was 'outrageous and cowardly'. The worst previous attack was in 2009 in an insurgent assault on a guesthouse where UN staff were staying. Five UN staffers were killed and nine others wounded. In October 2010, several militants were killed when they attempted to ambush the UN compound in Herat dressed in burkas worn by women. General Daud Daud, commander of Afghan National Police in several northern provinces, said those killed included five Nepalese guards who were working for the UN and two other foreigners employed at the complex. A UN spokesman confirmed that workers had been killed at the mission, but he said the situation on the ground was still confusing and it was difficult to 'ascertain facts'.

The deaths are a major setback for the U.N. and international forces who want the Afghan government to take control of its own security by 2014. Only last week President Hamid Karzai said the city of Mazar-i-Sharif would be one of the first areas handed over to Afghan control this year. Simmering anger at the burnings finally erupted across the Middle East today.

Thousands of demonstrators marched through the western Afghan city of Herat. There, protesters burned a U.S. flag at a sports stadium and chanted 'Death to the US' and 'They broke the heart of Islam'. Around 200 also protested near the U.S. embassy in Kabul. Both protests remained relatively peaceful. Demonstrations against the Koran burning also took place in Pakistan today. Women representing the Working Women Welfare Trust marched through the streets of Karachi voicing their anger against Pastor Jones. Last week, Afghan President Hamid Karzai issued a statement calling the burning a 'crime against a religion'. He denounced it as a 'disrespectful and abhorrent act' and called on the U.S. and the UN to bring to justice those who burned the holy book and issue a response to Muslims around the world. He also said Mazar-i-Sharif would be one of the first parts of the war-torn country that Afghan security would take from Nato forces.

History, Mohammad, Cartoons, and Real Controversy:

"I do not know who is more ignorant: The man who insults another's religion, or those who use these insults to riot and kill another human being? In my opinion they are all ignorant fools who are allowing the elite few to use religion once again to keep us all divided in some unfounded hate.' - B.A. Brooks

Cartoons of Mohammad

Gay Muslim Cleric Pedophiles Exposed

Was Mohammad A Pedophile?
Perhaps the most disturbing fact about Islam is that its founder had a sexual relationship with a nine-year-old girl. Because of this, it has become increasingly popular in some circles to refer to the Prophet of Islam as a "pedophile." This is, of course, extremely offensive to Muslims, who view Muhammad as the ideal servant of God and as the greatest example of what a man should strive to be. Nevertheless, Muhammad’s relationship with a young girl presents a problem for Muslims, especially for those who want to share their faith with others.

A promise of sex with virgins in the afterlife

Related Links:

• Al-Qaeda Truth

• The U.A.F.F. Looks At Religion