Hundreds of residents of central Uruzgan province participated in a demonstration to show their support for the gunmen who attacked a French newspaper last week.
The rally participants called the gunmen as ‘true mujahideen’ and ‘heroes’ and condemned President Ghani’s stance for denouncing the attack.
The demonstration was organized in Chora district following Friday prayers with rally participants calling the gunmen true mujahideen.
They demanded President Ghani to withdraw his condemnation of the attack, insisting that the newspaper had published blasphemous cartoons of Prophet Muhammad.
President Ghani issued a statement following the attack and said “Killing of defenseless people and civilians is a heinous act of terrorism, and there is no justification for this brutal act.”
At least 12 people were killed after a group of gunmen armed with assault rifles attacked the headquarters of the Charlie Hebdo newspaper on Wedsday.
At least two police officers and four cartoonists of the magazine were among those killed following the attack. The four journalists of the magazine killed in the attacked have been named as Stéphane Charbonnier, cartoonists Jean Cabut, Georges Wolinski and Bernard Verlhac.
Charlie Hebdo has in the past published cartoons of Prophet Muhammad, causing furore among the Muslims and its offices were firebombed in 2011. The newspaper has also been poking fun at popes and presidents.
