The statement of the Committee of Lawyers for Human Rights on the recent attack on the UN Comp

Friday, the tragic news of attack on the UN Compound in Mazar-i-Sharif and killing and beheading the UN staff members shocked the world. During the demonstration which was to protest the burning of a Quran by an American preacher, violating international rules and diplomatic impunity of the UN workers, a group of demonstrators force entered to the UN compound in Mazar-i-Sharif and committed this horrible crime.

It was not the first time the UN workers have been attacked in Afghanistan. During recent years, some other UN workers had been killed in attacks by Taliban combatants. This event also reminds us the brutal attack of Taliban gunmen to the Iranian Consulate in Mazar-i-Sharif in 1998, that 8 Iranian diplomats and one press reporter were killed there.
Irrespective of any motivation they may have had and any group they may belong to, these extremist groups, committing this criminal act, have seriously damaged the national interests, the situation of Muslims around the world and the foundation of human rights in Afghanistan and the area. Their act provides the ground of more conflicts and more violation of human rights and values.

Unfortunately there are some people, who, deliberately or not, maintain the fire of conflicts and wars and never let it to go out. This is exactly what the world does not need anymore. Struggling hatred and prejudice, and promoting  tolerance and understanding in Muslim societies is an inevitable necessity which turns off the fire of violations and wars and provides a proper ground for rationality and more respect to human rights.

Although, burning the Quran and provoking religious conflicts by the American preacher was unacceptable, but it was not comparable to obscene and irrational criminal act of the protestors in Mazar-i-Sharif. Despite severe security risks, the UN workers undertake their work in support of the Afghan people, and, in return of their efforts, they should not be punished with killing and beheading.

Condemning this criminal act and asking for prosecution of the perpetrators, the “Committee of Lawyers for Human Rights” condolences to those injured and killed, as well as to their loved ones. The Committee would also ask the thinkers and clerics and muftis of all Islamic schools to accept and promote the concepts of human rights including freedom of expression and freedom of religion and play their role in promotion of tolerance and struggle with prejudice and extremism to prevent such events in the future.

The “Committee of Lawyers for Human Rights”
April 2, 2011