Reaction to "Innocence of Muslims"

I start this piece with the recognition that I am a Muslim living in the Middle East. I also would like to define my recognition/understanding of my belief system in Islam. I am a spiritual person who has tied my spiritual roots in the findings of Islam, and if I were to be honest, it is because I was born into a Muslim family;, nothing more; nothing less. My religious belief is not what defines how I think or behave in certain situations; it is my spiritual belief that guides me to being a better person.

This is a reaction piece to the current situation that has risen due to poor judgment on the part of an amateur filmmaker. The way the movie Innocence of Muslims has been received in the Arab world is ridiculous, and what is even more appalling is the reaction. Rioting, Flag burning, bringing up hurtful moments in history (Egyptians dancing around disgracefully and reminding the Americans about 9/11) and worst of all, attacking embassies and killing innocent people. Now this is not only about the Arabs or the Muslims, it is also for the people in the West.

People on both sides of this problem need to start showing tolerance for each other. Mitt Romney, a Rep. running for President of the USA goes out and slams President Obama’s cabinet for speaking out against the video. A public figure should look at more that just what will get him votes, a true public figure should look at what is best for the people he represents. Barack Obama and his cabinet did just that, he knew that there would be public outcry at what happened and tried to soften the blow by denouncing the movie. I am not saying that the Obama administration is taking sides, they are just looking out for Americans around the world. Romney’s reaction is a publicity stunt to gain the popular vote, because if something is said condemning such a movie, it is viewed as infringing on the freedom of speech. While that may be accurate, let’s look at this from a different angle; you may have the right to free speech, however, you cannot yell false claims that may create panic or violence; for example, it is against the law to scream “fire!” in a crowded movie theater. People should not shout false claims and wait to watch the havoc and destruction unfold.

Islam is not about violence in so much as it has been misrepresented by the media-mongering faux-Muslim preachers. Every religion has its vocal, misguided believers, yet we cannot begin to claim that they are the face of that religion. The Bin Ladens and Hassan Nassrallahs of the world are not religious leaders; they are political leaders using false pretenses, to reach their people, not unlike Elijah Mohammad and the Nation of Islam in the US.  Is it fair to say that Terry Jones, the preacher who wanted to burn the Quran in Florida, is the new face of Christianity?

I read some comments to this video and am appalled that people claim that this is the way the Prophet lived. None of us were there to claim that anyone lived in a specific manner. Having said that, that is why we should take the texts of all religion with a grain of salt.

Every religion, at the root of it, preaches to making us a better people. It should not matter whether you are Christian, Jewish, Muslim, or of any other faith, what matters is that we accept that we are all God's creations. You can call the Creator by any name it will not change the fact that we all were created by the same entity. Why then should we claim to be better than another people just because we, as individuals, believe we understand the "true" word of God?

Who cares that some ignorant person who is trying to incite violence and hatred among people created a movie depicting his understanding of the Prophet Muhammad? The value given to this character in this movie is exactly the amount of value each one of us viewers gives it. If we can truly look beyond this movie and see what it is, a dramatic production of someone's fantasy world, then we can simply say that the character is nothing more than a misrepresentation of someone of historical and religious importance and leave it at that.

For those of you who will claim that the Prophet has stated that we should kill all infidels, I leave you with this quote that has been attributed to him, I was not there so I cannot claim as a fact that it is he who said it, but history tells us it was:

“The strong man is not the good wrestler; the strong man is only the one who controls himself when he is angry.”  - Prophet Muhammad

Where then is the strength of all those true believers? Where is the patience and understanding that this saying hints to? To control yourself when you are angry means to have control over your emotions. To have control over your emotions means you are thinking logically, and if you are a logical thinker and still believe then you are a believer through conviction, not emotion. The path to peace lies in ones ability to differentiate between, and act upon what is right and what is wrong. A reaction, no matter how justified it may seem, that involves the infringing on other peoples God-given rights (the right to live, the right to believe) is never the solution. In fact, more often than not it leads us into a cycle of more violence. Which brings us to where we are today.

The only thing that the people who have taken to the streets have proven is that the creator of this movie was right; as a people we come off as barbaric in our inability to conduct ourselves when faced with issues we do not approve of.