Holy Koran : US embassy welcomes meeting aggrieved Muslims

The US Embassy in Dar es Salaam said yesterday it had agreed to meet leaders of the Muslim Youth Council of Tanzania on Friday to discuss their allegations of desecration of the Holy Koran.

A statement issued yesterday said Michael Owen, the Embassy s Charge d` Affaires, would meet the Council s leaders to hear their concerns and to reassure them that the US takes the allegations of abuse seriously and that it is thoroughly investigating them.

``As President Bush, Secretary of State Condelezza Rice and other high ranking US officials have emphasised over the past few weeks, respect for religious freedom of all individuals is one of the founding principles of the United States,`` the statement reads in part.

The statement added that the protection of a person s right to worship freely and without harassment was a principle that the government and the people of the United States took seriously.

``Although Newsweek has retracted its May 9, story regarding allegation of desecration of the Holy Koran by interrogators at Guantanamo Bay, US government wants to ensure that its commitment to ensure respect for detainees religious rights are widely disseminated and understood,`` the statement said.