Violent reaction: Supporting a gagging order
“For the first time in my life I am inclined to support a gagging order, but only once for this particular project of hate,” said the man they called Mr Scribe, sometimes lovingly, sometimes sarcastically.
Mr Scribe was referring to a Google decision to block a hate film – “Innocence of Muslims” – in the Middle East, a decision some Muslim governments copied.
The film, which ridicules Islam and the Prophet, caused widespread and violent protests in the Middle East and the Muslim world. The reaction also scared American Muslims who worry that violence in their homelands will further erode their already vulnerable position in the United States. Many feel that since the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, other Americans often look at them with suspicion and fear.
So the Washington gang of self-proclaimed Muslim intellectuals decided to devote an entire evening to discuss this film and the Muslim reaction to an otherwise insignificant hate project.
Tonight they met at the Virginia Tavern, instead of their usual Shisha Bar, because they wanted no distraction and there was always plenty at the bar.
They were worried, all of them. Most had not seen the film but all were affected by it.
“This is insane,” said Rasheed, who taught mathematics back home but was a grocer in the US. “You do not kill an ambassador, period.”
“Right, right,” shouted others, referring to an arson attack on a US consulate in Libya which killed Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other diplomats.
“But please note that the film is also very offensive,” said Rahim, now a cabdriver but an accountant back home.
“Yes, yes,” other agreed with him too.
And this was their dilemma, they were Muslims and Americans. The American inside them was upset over the Muslim reaction. The Muslim inside them found the film sickening. And most people around the world have not yet learned to think as humans only; so there was no third angle to this dispute.
But Shah Jee, who once worked as a calligraphist with a famous Pakistani painter, Sadequain, tried to push the third angle.
“Sadequain once drew a name, NISHOW on a piece of paper, put it before me and asked: ‘What do you see from your side?’” said Shah Jee.
“I said: ‘MOHSIN’ because that’s what I saw from my side, although I knew NISHOW is a female name and MOHSIN is a male name.
“Then Sadequain said, ‘see how two people can disagree with each other and yet both can be right.’ And this is one lesson I never forgot.”
The gang was silent. “Well said, Shah Jee, well said,” said Foroud, an Iranian poet who now worked as a realtor in Virginia.
“Try telling this to the Taliban and they will kill you for quoting a Shia artist,” said Zalmay, an Afghan political activist.
“Who was Sadequain?” asked Sanjay, a school teacher in India who now ran a candy shop.
“You may have seen his mural at the Ghalib Library in Delhi,” said Shah Jee. “He was an incredibly generous man. Once I went to see him on my motorbike. He said: ‘Aren’t you getting married this year?’ I said, ‘Yes.’
“So you need a car,” he said. I just smiled. He went inside, brought a painting he made in Delhi, signed by Indira Gandhi, and said: ‘Sell this and buy a car.” I did not. I still have that painting.”
“No, Shah Jee, no, no stories tonight,” the gang shouted. “Let us focus on the film and the reaction.”
“Why are Muslims so violent?” asked Sanjay.
Such a question by an Indian could have caused riots back home, but living in America had softened them. Besides, all of them had a bonding gel, they all drove cabs when they first came to America. Some still did. And the bad job market had forced some others to return to their old profession.
Living abroad is difficult, especially for those who come from countries where families and friends provide a safety net and coming abroad means losing that safety net. So the need to stay together is stronger than other considerations, political or religious.
“Religious fundamentalism had a meteoric rise in the Muslim world over the past half century,” said Mr Scribe, quoting from an article he read on the internet.
“In the mid-1950s all Muslim leaders were secular, and secularism in Islam was growing. But the West, in its desire to combat communism, encouraged fundamentalism.
“Iran under Mohammed Mossadeq, Indonesia under Ahmed Sukarno, and Egypt under Gamal Abdel Nasser were all secular. It changed in the 70s.
“Following the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979, the CIA armed the fiercest and most ideologically charged Islamic fighters and created an extensive globalised jihad network. Today, as secularism continues to retreat, Islamic fundamentalism fills the vacuum.”
As Mr Scribe stopped, Rahim said: “Stop copying from the internet, tell us what you think.”
“I think we are paranoid and suffer from an inferiority complex,” said Foroud. “You do no go on attacking embassies and burning down properties because someone somewhere made an insignificant movie.”
“Yes, who benefitted from this violent reaction?” asked Zalmay. “The film producers, who had failed to make any impact at all. Not a single person outside their crew came to watch the movie when they showed it at a US cinema.
“And it remained unnoticed on Youtube for two months. So they dubbed it in Arabic and sent it to an Egyptian television channel, and as they expected, the Muslim reaction made the film famous. Now everybody wants to watch it.”
“Yes, Zalmay, but you should also understand the Muslim reaction,” said Haider, a barber with a master’s degree in political science. “The film is about the Prophet (PBUH) and they are very sensitive about it.”
“Right, Haider, but does the Muslim reaction help their cause?” asked Foroud.
“Let’s first define the Muslim cause,” Mr Scribe suggested.
They all laughed. “Mr Scribe you always come out with the most obvious question. We all know what the Muslim cause is,” said Khalid, who runs a music shop.
“So define it,” said Mr Scribe. “What is it? Economic revival? Political power? Democracy? Palestine? Kashmir? What?”
Now the others were silent.
“Yes, he is right. It is difficult to define the Muslim cause,” said Foroud, “but let us focus on this issue. Here the cause is simple, to defend the Prophet (PBUH).”
“And does the violent Muslim reaction help defend the Prophet (PBUH) or does it harm the cause?” asked Mr Scribe.
“I think it harms,” said Rahim.
The conversation stopped as the tavern’s owner, Qizilbash, placed cups of hot green tea and cookies before them. It was close to midnight, the tavern had shut its doors to customers. Some went out with their tea to smoke.
When the conversation resumed, Rasheed raised an issue they all wanted to discuss but were reluctant to do so. “What does it mean for us who live in America? How will this violence impact us?”
There was no immediate answer.
But after a while Shah Jee spoke. “Last year, I purchased a house in Lahore. I fear that one day the Americans may ask us to leave,” he said.
“Yes, but Lahore is not safe either,” said Khalid.
“And who can say that the Taliban will not return if I went back to Kabul?” asked Zalmay.
“I know some physicians who have purchased apartments in Dubai,” said Mr Scribe.
“We are no physicians, we cannot live in Dubai,” said Haider.
“Where will we go if anti-American feelings and protests continue to increase?” asked Shah Jee.
Nobody had an answer.
The author is a correspondent for Dawn, based in Washington, DC
our muslim brothers should know that the purpose of the film maker is to incite the muslims and show the world that muslims have no tolerance – you should know that by such film no one has the authority to take your faith away. Muslims must think deeply before reacting tempestuously. For overreacting to such provocations will only make things worse.
For example, If we say that Jesus is the only god, and other are false
is that Blasphemy ?
Whenever Muslims say that there is no God but Allah,
is that insulting other religions ?
We never see any muslim prosecuted for Blasphemy.
Muslims have no tolerance whatsoever of anything or for anyone…….! Instead of shwoing the true spirit of Islam, all they can do is take up arms and start killing…….! I suppose that is the only thing that they know.
the violence is within and so only then it can come out. to say only muslims can be violent is incorrect but Muslim world encourages violence as a means to solve problems.if somebody does not agree with you kill him,if someone is as strong as you are then have a treaty with him but the violence increases towards those who are in minority .Even then it is repressed but doesn’t go away. it comes out when the so called rulers and maulvis want cannon fodder for their agendas and when muslims attain a certain percentage in population.This is reality.
And in each instance starting from Salman Rusdie there has been ruthless political exploitation. The subject was dormant till the Egyptian Salafist decided to exploit it by telecasting it. Having said that it must be borne in mind that the makers of the film and the powerful people financing it also wanted to get the same reaction. Perhaps they tried to insinuate blame on the Coptics and then start a massive backlash against Copts.From that point of view the project failed. Muslims on the street must be educated how it really works.
Just need to understood by Muslims. Bringing down Bamian Budha in Afghanistan was much more serious than this. Start respecting other religions.
like this movie we have already advertised Facebook………………………
As a muslim and someone with great deal of respect for prophet Muhammad(swt) i cant even think of watching or reading something as rediculous as so called this mivie. We cannot stop everyone in this world from writting hateful things about our religion but we can ignore it . By bringing out a reaction as violent as in our demonstrations , we have forced millions of people to watch this video ,who would not even have heard about it otherwise.. So we need to ask ourselves if we are doing a service or dis service to our religion by throwing rocks and burning tires.
While peacefully protesting the dispicable film, muslims, especially our maulvis, should also voice their disgust and clear condemnation regarding the violation of U.S. Embassy grounds and the killing of the US Ambassador to Libya and his staff. They had absolutely nothing to do with the film. But alas this will not happen. The obvious response will be in the form of a question “Why America not stop killing innocent muslims by drone attacks?” And hatred will continue to escalate. And more vile and disgusting language and films against our beloved prophet PBUH and religion will continue to appear on the internet. And fewer non-muslims will be attracted to the teachings of Islam.
I couldn’t agree more than the comments I have seen on this blog.
Islam is a religion of tolerance and patience, our own prophet (P.B.U.H) had shown tolerance and patience on many occasions and have always advocated for it.
The whole episode of movie which was followed by violent protests are condemn able and unacceptable, but I would pose a question to those protesters that What have you achieved by those protests? Would this protest means there will be no such incidents in future? Did those protests has increased the dignity of Islam and Muslims?
The answer is nothing, apart from triggering more hatred for Muslims and proving the point that Muslims are easily agitated by some fanatic. Those protests have disgraced Islam more than that video by showing violent behaviors which isn’t part of the religion which was taught, preached and practiced by prophet (P.B.U.H), Khulfa -e-Rasheedin and Olliya’s.
I pray that may Allah Talha help me and all of our Muslim nations to learn the true spirit and wisdom of Islam and help us to implement it (Ameen).
The Government has not banned this disgusting video from youtube as yet.
Is not it a painful fact that with their lowest literacy rate the Muslims are regarded, through out the world, simple ( simpleton) and really innocent people. And when their innocence is put to question and set aside in a particular situation,and allowed to give vent to their grievances, they start recording their reaction in most violent manner and often directly indulge in self destruction activities, seem to be an end in itself, to weaken the world of Islam. This un-holy end is being achieved through violent reaction in all parts of the world except Saudi Arabia? Can not other 56 muslim states of the OIC follow the the foot prints the Muslim rulers of Makkah Mukarrama and Madina Munawwara, to show the world that Islam is actually a religion of peace and Salamati for the all people and all parts of the world. Let all the followers of Islam shun violence and adopt civilized way of recording their anger and injured feelings as done by the rulers of the holy land of Islam. Violent reaction by the emotional un-lettered young ones indulging in death and destructions causes us go many decades back into poverty and backwardness. And this is exactly what the enemies of Islam and Muslims have the end in view. May God help the Muslims and their rulers to tread the right path, SirateMustaqeem and serve as role model for the rest of mankind for all the time to come. Ameen.
what muslims should have done or do is bow down together in every country and ask and beg the supreme being to do justice instead of rioting and killing others or themselves.Muslims have forgotten that ALLAH swt is the only one who has the right to judge and punish.its not for mere humans to become the punisher or the judge in such cases.Can muslims quote any Hadith or sentence from the Quran that says that this is how we should behave or a hadith that says the prophet saw ordered the killing of anyone on GUSTAKHE RASOOL.
Are you serious in your question, if it is shown to you then what will you do
muslim or non muslim, we are all selfish….we will support what will suit our need…
The below is ironic. So, why are Muslims so violent? Where is the tradition of reason and debate?
“Why are Muslims so violent?” asked Sanjay. Such a question by an Indian could have caused riots back home.
Anwar, I liked especially the “Muslim cause”. People who go for violence are so fanatic and they forget the purpose and teaching of the relegion. Imagine all the people from all the religion starts killing each other because somebody did some crazy thing. Killing or threatening somebody with violence is the easiest thing one can do. To develope human qualities, you have to start to tolerate and learn to live with others.
Where was all the protests and voilence worldeide when Talibal destroyed centuries old Buddha statues in Afghanistan or when in Pakistan scores of ancient temples were destroyed? Whose felings were hurt then and how many people were killed or wounded then? What does this says about Islam and the tolerancy of its followers?
i think the same that what the film producer has done is not acceptable and can not be tolerated but the way Muslims tended to react towards it was not right. I should have been dealt through a proper channel. Being wild and barbarous will not help us out, it will merely breed more hatred among people. We need to rethink and reckon what could be the best possible way to refrain them from ridiculing our religion.
I am really superised when I see double standards in muslim world whenever someone insults Islam. Why are muslims quite when the Pakistani mullah burned the pages from Quran to falsify the eveidence? Why are people not protesting when he insulted the religion? As far as the movie is concerned I have to just say something simple – video sites like youtube are full of movies that are insulting, voilent, hateful etc etc – if you find something hateful or in appropriat – just don’t watch it!
i am asking the same question where is the protest against imam?
Me being a Muslim fully agrees with you.
Its interesting to see how easily Muslims all over the world can be instigated. The film maker has proved his point by showing the violent nature of the Muslim world.
I agree
All I see in your story is the worry of (Pakistani) Muslims about their safety and livelihood in the US and nothing about how they can contribute to making things better for the Muslims there. If that’s the mind set then I am not interested in what you do or do not do at the Virginia Tavern.
Easier said than done. Also Mr. Iqbal only knows people with little education in America so they cannot make a difference. All of his fiction revolves around people with moderate education discussing the most vital issues.