Khatami in his second Friday prayers sermon refuted the claim of U.S. officials that the U.S. forces had erroneously burnt Holy Quran copies in Afghanistan. "It was a deliberate act, stemming from the U.S. statesmen's hostility towards Islam," he said.

He then referred to apology of the U.S. President Barack Obama and commander of the U.S. military base in Afghanistan on the issue, saying it is a mock apology. "I announced with a loud voice; the world should know that the U.S. government is hostile to Islam."