'Blasphemous' balls anger Afghans. Just when will US officials 'get it'?

They are dangerously close to doing so though. Why should a ball demand so much attention? Nothing can illustrate Allah; He is beyond comprehension, according to Islamic scriptures. These riots just tend to be started for the sake of it, with no scriptural authority behind them. The ball only showed a Saudi Arabian flag which shows a tiny Koranic declaration of faith. The mericans did not mean to offend but were rathr helping out the country by providing footballs. If you object to the idea of kicking the football, then simply don't use the football - keep it in a nice place.

Well, no is claiming that the US distributed the balls with the intention to cause offence, but I think it could have been avoided.

I mean who doesn't know the religious nature of the Saudi flag? Same goes for the Iranian flag, but obviously with the US distributing the balls, it did not contain the Iranian flag.

It's the freaking Olympics ball. It contains the flags of every national team playing soccer in the next Olympics.

It is, actually, or rather that was what I was trying to convey. By complaining over a piece of writing on a ball then you start losing the true meaning of the Qur'an and what the Qur'an says about Allah, but rather start portraying the ball as some form of idol for your God - something which many passages in the Qur'an [as I've highlighted in green] rejects.

I think that's quite a large jump. If the ball contains verses of the Koran then to use it would be to show complete disrespect for the Koran and its verses and by extension God himself.

Indeed, which is why I'm saying that, in my opinion, their protest is not religiously justified. It may well be political [I'd probably agree with you there] but that doesn't justify the actions of these people either. In fact, it portrays them as quite opportunistic - willing to make a fuss under the veil of religion purely to serve their own political intentions. It's this sort of mixture of "faulty" religion with politics that gives Islam, and various other religions, a bad name.

imo, being the cynical guys that I am, is manufactured and whipped up by individuals for their own ends.

bit like a certain episode involving some little drawings.

A demonstration has been held in south- east Afghanistan accusing US troops of insulting Islam after they distributed footballs bearing the name of Allah.

The balls showed the Saudi Arabian flag which features the Koranic declaration of faith.

The US military said the idea had been to give something for Afghan children to enjoy and they did not realise it would cause offence. The footballs were dropped from a helicopter in Khost province.

I see this as just another incident demonstrating the United States' failure to think outside its own cultural box and causing strife. Whether you agree with that view or not, will the US ever get its act together?

Precited by whom, though? You seem to assume that the US soldiers have a knowledge of the culture and religion when they patently do not. Most Americans couldn't even pinpoint Afghanistan on a map.

Perhaps the best way for the US to get it's act together....is to not do anything at all outside it's own borders...that would please a great number of people.

The soccer balls were international olympic ones, probably made in China.

Why would the US army, along with the Canadians, Germans, etc other nationals... be expected to translate Arabic , when the predominant languages spoken (and they are learning) are Pashto and Duri?:

Is this basically another post to stereotype the Yanks as unable to appreciate other cultures, according to you? And as hopelessly ignorant?

Only 100 people protested.

Perhaps the best way for the US to get it's act together....is to not do anything at all outside it's own borders...that would please a great number of people.

Yes, it would please a lot of people actually.