FAIZABAD, Afghanistan: A group of Afghan Islamic clerics has deferred a call for holy war against the US over a magazine report that US interrogators desecrated the Holy Qur’an after the report was retracted.

The clerics in Badakhshan province said on Sunday the US should hand anyone guilty of desecrating the holy book to a Muslim country for prosecution in three days or they would declare jihad, or holy war, against the US.

But Newsweek magazine, which first ran a story in its May 9 issue saying US military interrogators at Guantanamo Bay had flushed a Qur’an down a toilet, on Monday retracted the report.

“We will consult and discuss our next move with other Ulemas,” said the head of Badakhshan’s council of clerics, Mullah Sadullah Abu Aman, when asked about the jihad call.

Ulema are Islamic scholars. Representatives will be sent out for talks with other clerics, he said.

“We are keen to take a unanimous decision about this,” he said.

Aman said he suspected Newsweek had retracted the story because of US government pressure following their call for holy war.

“The regret and retraction by the magazine clearly came after the issue of our deadline,” he said.

Muslim clerics have traditionally been teachers and leaders in Afghan society and throughout its history they have rallied public opinion and sometimes led uprisings against unpopular rulers and foreign occupiers.

The Newsweek report sparked violent protests in Afghanistan, where 16 were killed and more than 100 injured, as well as in Pakistan, Indonesia and Gaza last week. The reported desecration was condemned in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Bangladesh, Malaysia and by the Arab League.

The Afghan protests against the US were the worst since US forces ousted the Taliban in late 2001 for sheltering Osama bin Laden and his Al Qaeda network.

Another member of the council said if the clerics did not approve jihad against the US, then Badakhshan’s clerics would push in parliament for the withdrawal of US troops.

Afghans go to the polls on September 18 to elect a parliament.

“Badakhshan’s delegates in parliament will push for the withdrawal of American forces and will stand against their bases in Afghanistan,” said Mawlavi Abdul Samad.

US-backed President Hamid Karzai says he wants closer relations with the US, including defence co-operation.

The US commands a foreign force in Afghanistan of about 18,300, most of them American, fighting Taliban insurgents and hunting bin Laden and other militant leaders.

Karzai said outside forces stirred up last week’s disturbances but he did not say who he suspected. - Reuters