New York – In the wake of the violent attacks that occurred yesterday against United States’ embassies in Egypt and Libya, which resulted in the killing of the US ambassador to Libya, Chris Stevens, and three other staff members at the American consulate in Benghazi, a wave of shock overwhelmed the international community.
People all over the world were saddened by the outrageous attack against innocent people, condemning this unjustifiable aggression with the strongest terms.
Muslim protesters, angered by an amateurish American-made movie that ridicules Islam, portrays Muslims as violent, promiscuous people and defames and mocks the Prophet Mohamed (PBUH), took to the street to denounce the offensive and provocative film. The movie entitled “Innocence of Muslims” was reported to have been directed by American-Israeli filmmaker Sam Bacile, though doubts have arisen as to whether Bacile is a real person.
The movie is deemed provocative and disrespectful to Muslims, Islam and to the Prophet of Islam. Worldwide organizations, religious and political figures, including the United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki Mon, the Vatican, the Maspero Youth Union (MYU) and the Coalition of Coptic Egypt, Al-Azhar school in Egypt, Moroccan Council of Ulema, and the Islamic Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO), among others, have denounced the film and all other attempts of slander, hate, contempt and disdain against Islam or any other religion.
But most people noted that the misguided and criminal way in which some Libyans and Egyptians attacked the American diplomatic premises did more harm to the image of Muslims than the film they were denouncing. Other stressed that these rioters helped the filmmakers’ message be in the spotlight and obtain free publicity, adding that they helped the movie achieve its ignoble goal, which was to portray Muslims as “dangerous” people.
“The American film director has fully achieved his goal by producing his ‘nonsensical film:’ Islam is a religion of evil, and Muslim barbarians only know violent attacks and murder,” said Youssef Othmane, Editor-in-chief of Casablanca-based Radio Plus. “He really needs to thank the ‘brothers’ in Libya for offering him this free service,” he added.
Jeanette Clopton, Executive Secretary of the Orange County Transportation Authority, California told MWN, “Extremists feed right into the hands of ignorant people who want to brand Islam as a violent religion. By their actions they’ve proven it.”
When asked about the double edged effect of freedom in America that led to mocking other people’s faiths and whether there are limits to freedom of expression, she said “there is no law that censors filmmakers as such; rather we have a rating system, and people are free to watch or not watch the films they find offensive. That’s the difference between a freer society versus one ruled by oppressive regimes.”
Clopton continued, “The film did not violate anyone’s freedom: to worship, to watch or not to watch, to follow their religion. Unfortunately the price of freedom is bound to offend some people, but it’s a price many are willing to pay for freedom. The one person whose freedom was violated is the American ambassador who was killed. His right to life was taken away by extremists.”
For his part, Mohamed El Moukhtar, a PhD candidate in social science at Virginia Tech explained his disgruntlement to MWN: “Every time some hatemonger or fame-seeking idiot makes a stupid movie about Islam or a related subject, our youth goes on ransacking at random, rioting everywhere, vandalizing private and public properties.”
“This mob behavior is, if anything, an indicator of the utter failures of our states to provide decent schooling and employment opportunities for these idle, and poorly trained, young people. Had they had good academic training or rewarding professional occupations, they would not be wasting their time vandalizing foreign embassies, or become easy prey for ideological manipulation.”
Brahim El Guabli, a researcher in Middle Eastern Studies said: “I think the idea that Arabs are a vocal phenomenon is coming back. People protest against trivial issues such as a lousy film that nobody has heard about while real issues are sidelined.”
“I wish I could get it into all the ‘protesters’’ minds that cinema in our countries is part of the state apparatus, while in other places, like here in the US, it is an art and a business that governments don’t control.”
“I was displeased by this despicable film, but clearly this is not the way to express outrage. This is pure savagery! How’s killing unjustly an innocent American ambassador is going to lighten up the tarnished image of Prophet Mohamed (PBUH) or Islam in the West or counter the offensive anti-Islam campaign?” exclaimed Sarah Janati, a project assistant manager in a Turkish company based in Casablanca.
She explained, “by resorting to violence, they only give valid reasons to Islamophobes to deliberately and falsely depict Muslims as ‘terrorists’ and foster a clash of cultures. Those people need to find a brain and learn how to defend their cause by peaceful, legitimate and intelligent means. The Arab world needs a cultural revolution.”
“The strong is not the one who overcomes the people by his strength, but the strong is the one who controls himself while in anger. I totally condemn this. May the victims’ souls rest in peace,” Janati added.
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