Innocence of Muslims movie: global outcome and local implications

For those who believe in God,religion and judgement day,predictions bordering on ‘signs of end times’ offers a logical explanation for current state of affairs in our world today. Anywhere you look humanity in facing a lot of strife brought about by human induced and natural disasters. From conflicts to mother nature, the causes are diverse and the lost of lives enormous.

As America was marking the 11th anniversary of 9/11 terror attack which killed almost 3000 people, simultaneous riots and demonstrations broke out among Islamic communities in over 20 countries which led to the death of the American ambassador to Libya after rioters set the American consulate building in benghazi on fire. This demonstrations erupted as a result of a movie “innocence of Muslims” which projected prophet Muhammad (SAW) in derogatory and insulting manner. The movie unleashed the anger of Muslims resulting in the troubles we are seeing which were stirred by the amateur movie that disparages Islam in the most disgusting, wicked and
malevolent manner. This event has  brought to the fore issues regarding to rights of individuals to express themselves without slighting the feelings or believes of other individuals. Deliberate attacks on sensitive topics such as race,family, gender, tribe and especially religion are rancorous. Such topics form the very basis of an Individual’s spiritual identity.An attack on a group translates as a personal attack on each individualperson associated  with
that group. While there is no justification for the violent reaction from the Muslim World,in which people not in any way involved with the making of the offensive film are being hounded targeted and
murdered the blame should go to the producers of the movie who started the chain of events.
Back home in Nigeria I had expected that the sultan of sokoto who is seen as the spiritual head of Muslims in the country to have issued a statement to condemn the movie and urge Muslims to exercise restraints but alas nothing has been heard. It is this type of silence by global Islamic leadership that led to the violence  because if a country like Saudi Arabia (the spiritual head quarters of Islam )had initiated ANY form of diplomatic procedure to condemn or stop the movie which was produced in July,  it will have reassured the Muslim world and possibly the demonstrations wouldn’t have been necessary . The silence of the authorities will give room for all sorts of chartalans to seize the opportunity to incite locals into believing that no one cares about their religious beliefs. Recent activities of Boko harm bombings has shown what these type of sensitive issues if not properly handled can lead to. I will like to use this medium to urge all Muslims around the world to resist the temptation of violence which consumes innocent people. The aim and objective of the movie was to incite and by unleashing violence Muslims will help the movie to achieve its objective of portraying Islam as a religion that promotes hate only that it is not the movie that will do the portrayal but the reactions. The right for freedom of expression of one individual ends where the right of believe and worship without insults of other individuals start. We should avoid actions that can degenerate and lead the society to chaos.

#CONSENSUS 2015