Anti-Islam Movie, President Jonathan and Allied Matters

President Goodluck Jonathan Addressing UN General Assembly

While addressing the 67th United Nation General Assembly yesterday in New York, President Goodluck Jonathan condemned the recent America made movie denigrating the Prophet of Islam, Muhammad(SAW). The President stated that freedom of speech and religious tolerance should be complementary to each other for the peaceful coexistence of people of varying faiths and religious beliefs.

“Events of recent weeks have demonstrated how interconnected our world is and the extent to which one incident can spark off general mayhem and conflagration. Freedom of expression should not be a licence to incitement. The freedom that we all hold dear and true should be exercised wisely and cautiously. Freedom of expression and religious tolerance must not be mutually exclusive but should be complementary to each other. Much as we eschew violence and deplore the needless losses of lives and destruction of property, we also condemn the deliberate denigration of religious beliefs and sensitivities which in turn lead to counter reactions.” President Goodluck Jonathan.

The anti-Islam movie “Innocence of Muslim” was shot in a Church in Duarte, Hamilton Street, California in the United States of America. According to one of the actress, Cindy Lee Garcia, during the shoot the movie “Passion of the Christ” was being shown on screen. The movie is also said to have been sponsored by about a hundred Jewish donors.

Those who acted in the movie were deceived into believing that they were acting an action film taking place about two thousand years ago in the desert and there was no mention of the name Muhammad (SAW). It was only after the recording the actors’ voices were dubbed and the character “Master George” was alternated with the name of the beloved Prophet of Islam (SAW).

The movie sparked anger and protest in the Muslim world and several protesters and some innocent bystanders also died as a result. Among the dead was the U.S Ambassador to Libya, who allegedly died from suffocation when the US embassy was stormed by protesters.

When asked if the Movie is to blame for the riots and killings, Garcia said:

“It pushed a lot of buttons, and that was intentional, but I don’t know if he (Sam Bacile: writer and director of the movie) meant for the ambassador to be killed. He has a price to pay, this Mr. Bacile — maybe not here on Earth, but he’ll stand before God one day for what he has done”

Hate propaganda against Islam and Muslims have increased in the past few decades. Thousands of books, movies and articles are written and made against Islam on a daily basis. Those who hate Muslims are always busy organising a “Draw Muhammad Day“, “Burn The Qur’an Day” or are in seminars somewhere, discussing how Muslims plan to take over America and Europe.

Here in Nigeria, an idiot that crave for attention only have to open a Facebook account and post nasty things that he cannot substantiate about Islam. These intellectually handicap “Soldiers for Christ” have sadly become heroes and masters for a session of Nigeria Christians.

Weeks ago I confronted one ignorant buffoon on a friend’s wall. The clown claimed, among other things, that Aisha (RA), one of the wives of the Prophet (SAW), hated the Prophet (SAW) so much that she poisoned him. I simply asked this “Soldier” to substantiate what he said with any credible historical evidence and for five days the imbecile ran from pillar to post, unable to provide just a single evidence for his lies and foolishness.

Lies and deception is their only weapon against Islam. With a false dossier they invade Muslim Countries and killed millions and with lies they spread false tails about the beloved Prophet of Islam (SAW) and Muslims. Despite the hate propaganda, lies, slander and criminal atrocities being committed against Muslims, the enemies of Islam have failed to diminish, even in the least, the rate at which people turn to Islam. With over two billion followers, Islam is today the world largest religion.

“Their intention is to extinguish the Light of Allah (Islam) with their mouth (with false tails): but Allah will perfect His Light, even though the unbelievers may detest (it). It is He who has sent His Messenger (Muhammad(SAW) with Guidance and the Religion of TRUTH. That he make it prevail over all religion, even though the Pagans may detest it)”Qur’an 61:8 and 9

And say: “Truth has (now) arrived, and Falsehood perished: for Falsehood is (by its nature) bound to perish.” Qur’an 17:81

The Scottish Satirical writer, essayist, historian and teacher, Thomas Carlyle, wrote in page 77 of his book “Heroes and Hero-Worship”:

“The pagans hated the prophet, the Jews hated the Prophet, the Christians hated the Prophet, and the hypocrites hated the Prophet. It is the nature of Falsehood to hate the Truth. Light dismisses Darkness, but darkness does not take kindly to light”

The clear aim of the enemies of Islam is to provoke Muslims into violence to justify their narrative of and prejudice against Islam. Every caricature of the Prophet (SAW) made, every anti-Islam movie, articles or books written against Islam and Muslims has the clear objective of provoking Muslims. With over two billion Muslims scattered all over the world, there is bound to a handful that will play into the hands of those who hate Muslims.

For example, while every Muslim finds the movie “Innocence of Muslims” vile and repulsive, just only a few thousands (less than 1%) actually came out to physically protest the movie. With protest in so many Countries only very few turned violent. Yet the whole Muslim world is today adjudged violent.

They judge Muslims by the actions of a few, yet when you asked them about Hitler, Milosevic, Mladic, Pope Urban II and several others who committed the worst crimes in history under the banner of Christianity they start giving long speeches, fruitlessly denying the obvious.

Conclusively, I was impressed by President Jonathan words of condemnation of the anti-Islam movie. Unlike many other Leaders and Commentators  he addressed the root cause of the matter, which is intolerance. He condemned the violence that followed the movie only as a secondary issue.  The President spoke rightly when he said religious tolerance and free speech should complement each other. May Allah guide and rectify his affair.

IGHO HAKEEM OHWOJEHERI

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