Welsh politician arrested for Quran burning

Barely a week after nearly two dozen people were left dead by riots in Afghanistan following Florida Pastor Terry Jones' burning of a Quran, news comes from Britain that a candidate for political office in Wales was caught on camera burning a Quran as well.

Footage of Sion Owens, 40, from south Wales, allegedly showing him soaking the Quran in kerosene and setting fire to it was leaked to the Guardian newspaper, which wrote in a report of the incident that they immediately turned the video over to authorities.

Owens was then arrested for his alleged act within hours of police receiving the video, the Guardian reports. A second person, believed to have filmed the Quran burning, is also in police custody.

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While there is no time stamp on the video, the five-minute footage is already believed to have been circulated to extremists, the Guardian reports. There is no evidence that Griffin was aware of the film.

In response to the incident, the British government said in a statement: "It is fundamentally offensive to the values of our pluralist and tolerant society. We equally condemn any attempts to create divisions between communities and are committed to ensuring that everyone has the freedom to live their lives free from fear of targeted hostility or harassment on the grounds of a particular characteristic, such as religion."

News of Owens' act comes fresh on the heels of riots that left at least 21 people dead in Afghanistan, as locals vented rage at Pastor Terry Jones' burning of a Quran at his Gainesville, Fla., church on March 20.

Jones was not only condemned widely by politicians and military leaders in America, but the U.K. banned Jones from ever entering their country for even threatening to do it.

In an interview with CBS News, Jones was largely unrepentant for the act.