Muslims in Lebanon Protest Film, Cartoons amid Death Calls
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
Muslims, Sunnis and Shiites, in Lebanon took to the streets on Friday to vent their anger over a U.S.-made film and French cartoons mocking Islam.
In the southern port city of Sidon, Sunni clerics called "a day of rage" against insults to the Prophet Mohammed but urged followers to contain their anger to inside their mosques.
French schools were closed and the army was deployed at French institutions in Sidon, Beirut and the northern city of Tripoli, in anticipation of a backlash against the publication of obscene cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed in a French satirical magazine.
Separately, thousands of supporters of Hizbullah and the AMAL movement took to the streets after Friday prayers in the eastern city of Baalbek, an AFP correspondent said.
The Sunni authority for Sidon and several clerics in Tripoli called for Saudi Arabia and Egypt's Al-Azhar -- the highest authorities in Sunni Islam -- to issue a fatwa condoning the murder of anyone associated with the film and for those who denigrate Islam or its prophet.
"He who dares to insult Islam and the Prophet Mohammed shall not live. There are things that cannot be tolerated and insulting the Prophet Mohammed is one of them," Sheikh Maher Hammoud, imam of the Quds mosque, said during his sermon.
"Every one of these should be killed."
An AFP correspondent in Sidon said 300 people gathered at the mosque and that, after Friday's weekly Muslim prayers, protesters burned U.S. and Israeli flags while chanting "Death to America, death to Israel!"
In Tripoli, radical Islamist cleric Omar Bakri called on the "soldiers of Islam" to avenge the creators of the film and publishers of the cartoons, an AFP correspondent reported.
Bakri asked fellow Muslims to support a fatwa that would make it "legitimate to kill those who have insulted the Prophet Mohammed."
"I'm not in favor of the demonstrations that condemn, because they do more harm than good. They are not a solution to stop these continuous abuses against our religion; this can only happen with a strong response," Bakri said.
Outside Tripoli, Sheikh Mustafa Malas decried the silence of Arab and Muslim officials toward their American and French counterparts.
"Arab and Islamic countries must take a decisive stand against the United States and France after the insults to our Prophet, and boycott their goods," he said during his Friday sermon.
"They have repeated these offensive behaviors ... Their actions amount to a war declared on Islam and they must not be surprised by reactions of reprisal."
The correspondent reported seeing military vehicles and a large army and police presence outside the French high school and cultural mission in the northern city of Tripoli.
The army has also stepped up security measures to protect the French ambassador's residence in Beirut with military vehicles.
Protesters also burned American and Israeli flags outside a Beirut mosque, where troops were on guard nearby.
A public demonstration called for by Sheikh Ahmed Asir, a controversial Sunni cleric, is set for 5:00 p.m. in downtown Beirut.
22 September 2012, 16:51
00
I'm a Christian, and I have seen many mockings of Jesus Christ and my religion on tv, movies, even south park :)... I am however very secure in my faith and know what my religion is about, this makes me a stronger person and I know the Lord will judge those who sin, not me. The Koran talks about how Mohamed was mocked and ridiculed and that he did not retaliate but pray for them. unfortunately it seems that a lot of offended people are not so secure in their own faith or perhaps don't understand it fully.
21 September 2012, 17:40
07
go on a picnic - take your kids to a library - sit home and relax - don't these people get tired of protesting on things science sooner or later will prove to be all hoax. enjoy- life is short
21 September 2012, 17:43
17
Oh deos that mean they have sensitivity toward religion now?? When the Shia were building on church land and the Christians were angry Nasrallah didn't do anything but keep up the pressure. Nasrallah is the biggest hipocrite of them all. He is a thug in a turban.
Where are M14 to remind him about taking church land? Or doesn't that count as an insult to religion committed by the Hezz?
21 September 2012, 18:05
53
The Quran doesn't insult Christians and categorizes them as the "People of the Book".
Go read it correctly by looking at the whole passage and context and language of that particular time.
Ignorant.
21 September 2012, 18:50
04
this is a way to exert control over the masses.They are given something so unimportant to go vent about so people can feel important in thier daily life.They pump them and send them to the streets.as if thier protest will change anything.The west that these people are targeting and protesting is looking at this and saying what a bunch of backward silly people.They are not running to change thier laws to accomodate moslems because an idiot made a stupid mivie.Cut the crap out and go home.Read a book, make a good deed,think, don't go burning KFC's.
21 September 2012, 18:56
04
They have mocked Christ in too many movies... "the last temptation of Christ", "Jesus Christ superstar", "the davinci code", "the life of Brian" etc. all are blashomes, all are offensive to christains. We christains have experienced what Muslims are experiencing now with these atheist animals! But we have accepted the right of others to believe... Just as we accept Muslims and Jews... We accept atheist and devil followers. This does not mean we submit to them, we have faith and belief that they are wrong and evil, and we are righteous! We have faith that the righteous will prevail and "God"'s will is too high to worry about these damned.
It took christains 1900 years to understand and accept this. How long will our Muslim brethren take? We are all believers in the one almighty god... Let us not kill innocents to prove our love to him... What would our lord GOD think if he saw us killing because of his name ?
21 September 2012, 19:17
14
@gcb1
The Quran also refer to us as mushrikun and in verses 5 and 29 of surah tubah it says to find the mushrikun wherever they are and kill them.
Verse 51 of surah maidah states that Jews and Christians are unjust unproud and wrong doers.
So Sir i suggest you read your Quran and not rely on what your parents uncles aunties and mullahs tell you,ignorant.
21 September 2012, 20:00
00
Phoenician, in the gospels there are controversial verses that contradict the Church dogmas. One example, Mathiew 12:46 "While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to him. Someone told him, “your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you”. He replied to him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” Pointing to his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.” Don't tell me this is a symbolic verse or taken out of context, it is not! Its a simple situation where a rebel does not agree with his conservative family. Thus this passage contradicts in the funniest way, the Virgin Mary, immaculate conception, mother of god whatever idea... Before digging in other religious books look at yours first, its full of embarrassing things... I can give you more examples if you wish... (An atheist, ex-maronite)
21 September 2012, 20:38
22
Ah, you assume I'm Muslim? In fact, I'm Christian. Jesus is the most quoted prophet in the Quran, so it makes no sense that the Quran would advocate violence against his followers.
And allow me to quote the Prophet Muhammed himself: “Beware! Whoever is cruel and hard on a non-Muslim minority, or curtails their rights, or burdens them with more than they can bear, or takes anything from them against their free will; I (Prophet Muhammad) will complain against the person on the Day of Judgment.” (Sunnan Abu Dawud)
21 September 2012, 20:42
13
References to infidels are dominated towards the Quraysh tribe, the Prophet Muhammed's own tribe that is, because they tried to kill him, and the same goes for any other tribe in which some were non-Muslims.
You should learn that any holy book has passages that could be interpreted violently. Allow me to quote the Bible:
"We completely destroyed the kingdom of Bashan, just as we had destroyed King Sihon of Heshbon. We destroyed all the people in every town we conquered--men, women, and children alike." Deuteronomy 3:6
21 September 2012, 19:21
04
And how about building the Aqsa Mosque on top of the Temple of Jerusalem,HOW VERY RESPECTFUL.
21 September 2012, 20:11
00
Islam need it's own version of the reformation to take it out of the hands of the lunatics.
21 September 2012, 20:55
03
@gcb1
Precisely,that is the old testament and the people in those events had 450years to quit debauchery but never listened to God and that includes Sidon and Tyre.
You show me one violent event in the Holy Gospel which is the teaching and the life of Jesus Christ completes the promise of God of the Messiah who brings peace and love to the world.
Love thy neighbour.
Love your enemy.
Do you know how POWERFUL these two commandments which are so difficult to acheieve.
22 September 2012, 00:53
50
How about the Crusades in which the Church used Christianity to justify its holy war and went on to kill many civilians? I say this to tell you that religious radicals could take any passage to justify violence, whether in Islam or Christianity.
You, evident by your picture, seem to fit into the category of a Christian radical and you don't even realize it, hence deeming you just as low as the Muslim radicals you criticize.
21 September 2012, 20:59
01
@gcb1
Please Sir stop wasting your time with assumption and sentiments filled comments,get busy reading then you are welcome to bebate the issue because its crystal clear you dont know what you are talking about just bullet points with no indepth knowledge.
22 September 2012, 00:55
31
You have no arguments, and thus you revert to insults and accusations. I doubt I'm the one that lacks in depth knowledge.
Truly educated men could never be racist. Unfortunately, your racism is simply incompatible with your self-regard "knowledge" you believe yourself to have.
21 September 2012, 22:43
00
"Men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it from a religious conviction". Pascal
21 September 2012, 23:46
00
If we Muslims took the streets a year ago in such fashion and passion and demonstrated in front of the offices of Hezbollah, the Embassies of Syria, Iran, Russia, and China, we might have spared the lives of thousands of our brothers and sisters. Do our Arab brothers seriously consider a movie or some cartoons more insulting and more of crime than the killing of our own people? I have no hope left for our people. I never thought I would live to feel this shame...
22 September 2012, 00:24
01
Hey guys I live in the states and did not hear about this movie until the demonstration started, it's stupid movie and nobody here cares about it.
22 September 2012, 00:51
00
No, Christians follow the whole Bible. If the Old Testament should not have been followed, the Council of Nacea would have not included it in the compilation of the Bible, just as it rejected hundreds of other gospels.
Further, here is the quote from the Gospel of Matthew:
"Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil." (Matthew 5:17). The Law means the law established by previous prophets, and thus the Old Testament.
22 September 2012, 01:07
11
@gcb1
And a partridge up your pair tree,you're not making sence again.
22 September 2012, 01:10
00
New testament was created because it was too hard for Christians to live their lives based on the bible, as an example eye for an eye tooth for a tooth. So with the coming of our lord Jesus Christ the new testament was created. Now for the holy Quran, some of the teaching is not scalable to our era, it is a great religion and we should all respect our beliefs/religion/God as long as we do not use it as a pretext to kill each other. No matter want the reasons are , right or wrong, there is never a reason to kill or entice killing and taking someone's life. We live on the 21 century , there are laws to protect killing and taking matter in your own hands. Do not kill or take revenge based on religion. You have moderate muslims, moderate Christians, moderate in all religions. The extremists destroy us from within.
My 2 cents worth.
22 September 2012, 01:51
04
How about the Sunnis and Shiites stop killing eachother first ,euongh is enough,there are people being killed everyday in Syria,what are the Muslims doing to stop this. I`m sure the Prophet Mohammed would be more than happy to see his people live in peace and respect eachother.
22 September 2012, 01:57
00
Phoenician go read the same Quran that has an entire chapter called "Mary" or the Quran that mentions Jesus' name over 144 times while it mentions Mohamad less than 20. You fundamentalists are an interesting bunch, and the biggest irony is you probably support the same leaders in Lebanon who are the political allies of these Salafi/Wahabi scumbags.
And FYI, if you want to play the quote game, I can get many verses from the Bible that are far from friendly, beginning with what Paul said to do to women he didn't cover. Spare us your right-wing bs.
22 September 2012, 03:35
01
It is amazing to see Sunni and Shiite Muslims together. It took a stupid movie to unify those who never condemed religious killings. GOD can speak for himself, otherwise he is not god .
22 September 2012, 04:55
03
"Clerics called "a day of rage" against insults to the Prophet Mohammed but urged followers to contain their anger". What a great way to encourage violence while staying politically correct.
22 September 2012, 05:17
03
What a beautiful day of rage it shall be to show the world the " peaceful" religion
22 September 2012, 06:16
00
you are totally correct LoveToBang, no one ever insults any religion more than its own religious figures. How can they believe in the almighty, yet he needs their might.
22 September 2012, 12:38
00
The only thing I felt when I saw the movie trailer was embarrassment for the people who made it, and acted in it. These guys better have a burger flipping career plan. The thing is. It's 2012 and internet happens. Get over it. You can't let any moron with a videocam and ghastly post processing skills (I mean really? No drop shadow?) prove that whatever crap he has to say is right.
Anyways, we're all the same flesh and blood.
22 September 2012, 12:47
01
this matter has pushed me from a tolerant atheist to completely anti-theist.
all that religions have done is to slow down social progress (in all cultures) and propagate hate and wars.
religion is the ugliest thing man has created. and i do not tolerate it anymore.
but saying this in the middle east is like throwing a lit match in a pond
22 September 2012, 17:07
00
who the hell calls for death over a movie? b grade one at that.. very insecure , very backward , very sad..
