A Whisper of Reason Concerning The anti Islam video

As-Salaamu Aleikum ALL,


As you can see, it has been a while since I last wrote on my blog. Today I want to write about an important rather controversial issue which attracted great media coverage these days. The debate about freedom of expression and hate speech.


The chain of events we witnessed during the week were unprecedented in their magnitude and consequences. Amb. Chris Stevens, embassy staff and US marines were killed in Benghazi. More people lost their lives across the muslim world when angry demonstrators attacked american embassies in response to an obnoxious film made in the US which was promoted by anti-Muslim zealot Terry Jones.


The anti-Islam video that ignited the violent demonstration is 'disgusting and reprehensible' as Hillary Clinton put it and can never be excused in the name free speech, rather, the way these ignorants have cloaked their vile deeds in the name of free speech is deplorable.


I don't want to delve into whether the kind of reactions we have seen were appropriate or not although I have my own reservations about retaliating by killing innocent people. The fact is that the video which was made by a gang of fraudsters and extremists was apparently meant to incite muslims. I believe these reactions were simply the natural result of psychological violence caused by the actions of those who insult religious sanctities.


However, the undenialable reality is that every society including the west has limits on public speech and views they don’t like. The only difference is in who defines the limits of this speech and how restrictive these limits are. National security, racism, holocaust denial, glorification of terrorism, racial hatred and incitement among many others, are all limits imposed on freedom of speech by western countries.


The Danish newspaper could never have printed cartoons denying the holocaust in the name of free speech. Geert Wilders could never have produced a film likening Israeli’s treatment of the Palestinians to the Nazi treatment of the Jews, without charges of anti-Semitism being brought against him.


So, it’s contradictions like these, on the boundries of free speech where the clash of values between Islam and the west is taking place.


The simple fact that the west MUST recognise is; absolute freedom of speech is a myth. The publication of the sacrilegious film about Prophet of Islam (PBUH) stands in stark contrast to international rules and principle of freedom of speech. People who use the media to communicate something that disturbs social peace, mental health or public morals or that causes hatred and hostility toward other people must be stopped.

To those who made insulting prophet Mohammad (SAW) the mission of their lives, you have to know that the man you so easily smear his character is not one we need to defend, because he is beyond what you ignoramuses will ever reach. It didn’t harm him during his life and it won’t harm him today that he’s dead. Your ignorance behaviour will not change the facts that defines him as the greatest man to have ever  lived.

"Islam is a powerful religion with more than 1.5 billion followers, a faith that continues to grow despite the best efforts of its opponents to crush it (and despite the stupidity of Muslim extremists who dishonor Islam with their brutality). Islam will not be harmed by any film, book or work of art. Indeed, the foolishness of those who seek to denigrate Prophet Muhammad in this fashion is that their work simply inspires more people to learn about the man who founded humanity's second largest religion. A man whose life was so remarkable that, 1,380 years after his death, it continues to attract enthusiastic converts to his teaching of the oneness of God and the oneness of mankind" noted Film maker Kamran Pasha.

P. S; Read also
The Civil Arab