Anti-Islam US Video Film Generates Violent Protests in Muslim World

Cartoon courtesy: The Toronto Sun (Sept. 14, 2012)

The Muslim world is violently protesting the release of the amateurish video film, Innocence of Muslims, on the Internet. The video denigrates both Islam and its founder Prophet Muhammad.

Some Coptic Christians in California, USA, released the film on the Internet in last July, but it had failed to draw any attention until recently when it was telecast in Libya. On September 11, some extremist Muslims attacked the US consulate in Bengazi, breached the security barriers and set fire to the buildings. US Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans who had barricaded themselves in a secure room lost their lives suffocating by the thick smoke.

The US government condemned the film as well as the violent reaction to it and vowed to bring about justice on the people who killed the Americans. The US also considers the Bengazi attack to be pre-planned by some terrorists who took advantage of the publicity about and people’s protest against the notorious video film.

The anti-film protests spread like wild fire from Libya to Yemen, Egypt, Tunisia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sudan, Lebanon, Nigeria, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives.

Some of the actors in the film said that they did not know the film was about Prophet Muhammad and Islam because the original script they followed portrayed life in Arabia two thousand years ago. The makers finished the film by dubbing new dialogue.   

Some observers believe that the film was made in retaliation of violent Muslim attacks on Coptic Christians and their churches in Egypt. In these attacks, some Christians had lost their lives and properties.