Protests across Pakistan against anti-Islam film
Pakistani Muslim protesters cross barbed wires as they attempt to reach the US embassy during a demonstration against the anti-Islam film in Islamabad on September 14, 2012. – AFP Photo
ISLAMABAD: Hundreds of people demonstrated in cities around Pakistan on Friday to denounce an anti-Islam movie, with some urging death for the film-maker and others demanding the expulsion of US diplomats.
The low-budget movie, entitled “Innocence of Muslims”, which has sparked fury across the Muslim world, pokes fun at the Prophet Mohammed and touches on themes of paedophilia and homosexuality.
Police beefed up security around US missions in Pakistan after violent attacks on American consulates and embassies in Egypt, Libya and Yemen this week, but protests in the country’s major cities on Friday passed off largely without incident.
In the eastern city of Lahore, Hafiz Saeed, head of the Jamaat-ud-Dawa charity, seen as a front for a banned militant organisation, led a 500-strong rally against the film.
Saeed – who has a $10 million US government bounty on him – urged the Pakistan government to summon the American ambassador to protest over the film.
“We condemn this conspiracy of producing (an) anti-Islam film. Such blasphemous acts are intentional conspiracies from the US and we will not tolerate it,” he told the rally.
Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) organised a rally in Karachi, where around 700 party activists and supporters gathered with banners and placards bearing anti-US and anti-Israel slogans.
“Hang the filmmaker…hang the apostate,” they chanted. “Jihad is the only treatment to cure American cancer,” another slogan said.
Around 400 protesters rallied in front of Islamabad’s Red Mosque after Friday prayers, following a call from JI.
They called for the handover of Terry Jones, an American Christian pastor linked with the film, who has drawn protests in the past for burning the Quran.
“Terry Jones should be handed to us for a trial in the sharia court,” a speaker at the rally told the gathering. Sharia courts try defendants according to Islamic law.
Another speaker called for closure of the US embassy and the expulsion of the US ambassador and other diplomats from Pakistan.
Elsewhere in the capital, there were two smaller demonstrations against the film, one of which led to brief scuffles with police.
In Peshawar, the northwestern city on the edge of the lawless tribal areas where anti-US feeling runs high, around 150 gathered after Friday prayers, chanting “Death to America”.
i think that’s not violence ….because we are showing the westerners that it hurts us and they do not have the right to do this kind of act….if we remained silent they will make much more like this so we should do what we can do …may be these protests could be helpful or if not we can at least show other Muslim countries that we are also concerned ……I don’t know what others think but that’s my point of view ……..
I remember a few months back, they took off a video of Ashton kutchers from youtube because he was talking in Indian accent and it was labelled as “racist” but apparently its “freedom of speech” to insult Muslims and their faith. WOW!! keep up the hypocrisy and the world surely will be an embodiment of peaceful co-existence.
why are muslims ready to flare up like mad men, over any trash that is produced in the west, against islam? & then they want the world to consider islam a religion of peace!
Muslims have a very thin skin. They should learn to chill.
No one would have noticed this movie come & go, if these self righteous mullahs hadn’t taken it upon themselves to give it free publicity. The same treatment got satanic verses, 5-star treatment & Salman Rushdie a lifelong royalty.Best way to handle these kind of provocation is to ignore it.
And btw, for those who are enraged, would suggest watching ‘Moosa Khan’ on youtube. It is a Pakistani movie which rants on against the Hindus. Try to follow some uniform standards…
what can b more shameful than this act.we condemn it completely
If the Movie is disgusting then don’t WATCH IT JUST IGNORE IT why kill people who does not have anything to with this MOVIE. Why killed the Innocent US Libyan Ambassdor??? WHO gained WHAT
O muslims first learn to tolerate and by creating a movie does your religiosity has GONE or made less muslims??
We are Muslim & its our faith due to which we don’t bear little insults about our Prophet (PBUH). It’s natural thing that we protest, violence, emotional on such cheap acts of Americans. But, the better way is to adopt the ways of our Prophet (PBUH) and get guidance from His acts. Cheap act of Americans make our faith more & more strong and increase our love to our Prophet (PBUH). Violence is not the way to realize them that they have done a wrong act but our violence will show them that we are not afraid of death in the way of Islam & our beloved Prophet (PBUH). We know that Islam is not the religion of Terror but its the only religions who teaches us the true meaning of life, love & peace.
Islam zindabad………..
Our opinions on freedom of speech may differ, but let me assure you that I don’t know anyone here in Philadelphia, USA who thinks that knucklehead film maker has any common sense at all. Folks like that are marginalized and ignored here, and treated with disdain when noticed. They are extremists, and thank God they are a tiny minority.
Mark Twain, 19th century American Author, provided good advice to generations of Americans on the wise use of free speech. I believe that advice has stood the test of time……
“It’s better to keep your mouth shut and be thought the fool,
than to open it and remove all doubt”.
The Good Lord will levy eternal justice on that film maker.
Well can you tell us…how many of your so called protector of Islam has protested when 300+ innocent people burnt alive? Be a human first…than to be a muslim.
Pakistan is burning, we should concentrate in fixing our home land…
This is a lame excuse. Nations have to focus on many fronts at a time. In a building on fire, we cannot only try to put out fire at one corner and let the fire go higher on another corner.
I think this forum is on the whole is doing a good job.
I have a simple solution for all that are so upset at this movie. Here it is:
1) Do not log into youtube. 2) Do not search for “Innocence of Muslims” 3) Do not hit the “play” button.
And voila, all has disappeared.
4) Go sit in your favorite chair, and using your favorite ” tasbee”, repeat a thousand times. ” May my God enlighten me so that I can accept free speech and treat it as just that.”
If free speech is wrong for the film maker, then you do not have free speech to protest. Simple as that!
Its so easy to create problems in muslim countries.
These Mullahs are bring hate between Religions and Peoples, all religions are liked, Did Allah Told them to honer Killing , Did our Respected Prophet Muhammad (s.a.a.w.) Peace be upon him, have honer the killing of innocents peoples, we need to stop these hateful acts and follow Prophet Muhammad (s.a.a.w.) footsteps. Bring love and peace in the world not hate-rage.
To my non-muslim colleagues, thanks for your views and appreciate the apology – though in reality it needs to come from the film-makers. I am a financial success in London but with all that success in my life, if one gives me a choice that he either kills me and my heirs do not pursue the murder or he insults Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), I will prefer being killed without a shadow of doubt, just like any other Muslim. Trust this explains the status of and our love for the Prophet in the eyes of Muslims. This is not emotional but part of belief of every Muslim. We should indeed protest via peaceful demos, FB, Twitter, economic boycotts, etc etc. If there is freedom of speech in the US, then there is also a law against defamation. Also, if you could be penalised for racist comments, anti-semitism, then why can’t one be penalised for deeply deeply hurting the feelings of more than a billion people?????
It is a private movie, not a hollywood movie. Someone made the movie with own expense and just put the trailer on Youtube. It didn’t go through the censor board. US constitution protects freedom of speech and hence US Gov cannot take any action against the person but Youtube doesn’t have to show this movie to the entire world. It can block the movie in all other countries because the US constituion is applicable only in USA. Protest can be peaceful and that is exactly what our religion Islam teaches, PEACE. This kind of violence only creates a bad name for our religion.