Few days back, I tumbled upon an article on a western website, which alighted upon growing concerns regarding the alleged trend of inducting anti-Christianity content in children’s readers and flicks. My mind instantly flashed back to not so remote past, when amid mass protests and violence Muslims throughout the globe were lashing out against one such film based on an anti-Islamic theme. Yes, you must have guessed that I’m pointing to the September 2012 catastrophe, when outrageous anti-Islamic movie and caricatures in flared and enraged the Muslims so much that they resorted to violence against others, and themselves to make their point. Whether or not the message was understood at the other end is another thing, it made me ponder if the rise in anti-religious sentiments is a common issue. I surfed through the archival sources in search of any evidence and came up with certain conclusions, which I would like to share in this article.

During my humble research, I got to know that history is replete with assaults on faiths by believers of some other faith or the faithless ones. What distinguishes faithful from faithless is the “belief “in some “super being”, which the former clings to and the later scoffs at. An interesting fact is that in most of the cases of anti-religious assaults, Faithfull are at loggerheads with each other.

History testifies that every rising faith has had to face antagonism from the dominant belief system, check the Roman history, wherein the last of Romans tried in vain to curb the rising influence of Christianity and had to yield themselves at the feet of Christian altar (though not without causing some serious damage to the original Christian teachings).

Islam seems to may be facing same kinds of challenges, where the status quo force is unyielding and vindictive. The essence of “faith” is unwavering loyalty, and any challenge is not less than an alarm of war. When the last spate of emotions and anger among Muslims took a violent turn, the local and foreign media started streaming with a multitude of views and responses. The film in question “The innocence of Prophet” was dubbed to be the most cheap outrageous movie, which heated the internet with its 14 minutes trailer and with it burned to ashes the faithful souls of the millions of Muslims world over.

Media went abuzz with speculations and theories about the motives of the movie director and producer Sam Bacile aka Nakoula Basseley-the alleged U.S snitch. It was asked again and again as to what a snitch would aim to achieve from provoking Muslim sentiments, was he doing so to seek some hidden agenda? was he having C.I.A’s backing or Israel’s? was Al Qaeda using him to firm the ground for its upcoming attack on the American Embassy in Bin Ghazi? which was to leave dead 4 U.S nationals in its wake? or was it orchestrated to divert the Pakistani’s from more pressing issues at hand (like American intervention, exasperating War on Terrorism, Afghan War, NATO excesses, NATO containers etc.) to mere issues of faith. Whatever the ulterior motives of that enraging anti-Islamic movie may be, it for sure proved one thing that Muslims can easily be distracted by inducing matters of religion and that the so-called open-minded and pragmatic Western media can continue to be not- so-open minded in matters concerning Islam. Films questioning Christianity or Zionism or holocaust may be unwelcoming and alarming, but the blasphemous caricatures of a Muslim prophet or unbelievingly outrageous film against Islam can get a shut eyed response in the name of “freedom of speech”.

The Muslim world has the right to question whether freedom does not entail some amount of responsibility. The same question may be asked of the ever so emotional Muslim ummah, does not faith require us to be more patient and sage in the matters concerning faith. In a frenzy of a moment, we start burning and killing each other lest the enemy. Islamophobia may be a reality or our delusional attempt at concealing our weaknesses, because where faith in Allah ends there starts the infinite chaos. Trust me; the entire Muslim ummah appears to be in chaos right now!

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A film that provoked a storm of violent protests among Muslims across the world will be discussed in Southampton next week.

The Muslim Council of Southampton (MCS) is holding a conference about the anti-Islamic video that was posted on Youtube by a US citizen. The clip led to protests that have caused more than 75 deaths and hundreds of injuries across the Middle East, Africa, Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Mohammad Khan from MCS says the evening of talks is designed to take a more measured approach to dealing with the video. He said:

"So many people have been killed because of the protests provoked by the film – it's not necessary and it's what whoever created the film wanted. We thought rather than that, we will have something positive. This talk is more for non-Muslims than Muslims because it’s about understanding our point of view."

The evening, entitled "Is Islam Intolerant? Challenge Your Prejudices" will tackle topics such as what Prophet Muhammad did when faced with insults and how the Muslim world should respond to the video. It takes place on Tuesday, November 27 at 6.30pm at the Itchen Lecture Theatre, Solent University. For more details, email info@mcs-online.org.

Southern Daily Echo, 25 November 2012

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Protest in Yemen against Blasphemy Movie

Muslims have always united under one flag, when it came to the protection of Islam. Why not Islam holds a supreme position in our lives and under any circumstances, we  Muslims cannot compromise on the respect and dignity of our religion. In fact it is the moral duty of the Muslims to stand together for the religion. After all, what is our identity without Islam. We are nothing without it. Lately an incident proved that Muslims will fight for Islam till their last breath.

Muslims in Yemen protested against an Anti Islam Movie. They badly harmed the US embassy. They used stones and other such weapons to show their utmost anger. After all their anger is justified. Why does the world always want to portray a negative picture of Islam? Are they that afraid of Islam. Do they really believe that such movies can actually hamper the reputation of Islam. Honestly speaking I don’t think so. I think this is an effort,  just for their mental satisfaction. I would definitely call this a very provoking act.  History is a proof of the fact, that whenever Islam has been attacked, Muslims have united together as an Muslim Academy. Muslims are not limited to the thought that an Muslim Academy is just an institution for learning Arabic. However coming back to the news the Yemen Police had to take action against this incident. Police and many of the civilians were injured in this process. This is what the western world has been doing for quite sometime provoking the Muslims and then just acting as if  nothing has happened. This is saddening and heart breaking, that the world actually turns its back on the Muslims whenever it feels so. However I still feel, that the  Muslims should protest, but should  refrain from destruction as Islam has never been an ardent supporter of violence. Muslims should register their complaint, but that too can be done in a more civilized manner.

Yemen’s president however apologized to Obama. God knows whether he actually needs an apology or not, since a country can only generate or ignite flames, if their leader is supporting the cause. Time has been a witness, that these conspiracies are mostly generated through America’s end, but then they promote the thought, that peace holds a vital position. Should we call these double standards? Let this be a food for thought and let us all think.

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Samad Aslam Khan

Samad Aslam Khan is C.E.O at SKYS Web Solutions. He has the writing bug which is forcing him to contribute for Muslim Academy. He's serving for the Muslim Academy with all the skills he have or he can have. . .

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An Evergreen Cemetery grave was defaced with anti-Islamic writing sometime during the night on Aug. 28-29, said Evergreen Park Police Lt. Peter Donovan. 

The grave site, which also features a bench and obelisk, was vandalized with black marker scribblings in a manner almost identical to what was discovered and cleaned up two weeks ago, Donovan said. Unlike the prior incident, however, a video camera was trained on the scene.

The graffiti features profanity, gang symbols and anti-Islamic slurs. This marks the seventh time that this particular site has been vandalized since March 2011, each time in very similar fashion, Donovan said. 

In response to the incident several weeks ago the cemetery installed lights around the grave site and police mounted a camera. Detectives are reviewing any footage that may have been captured the night of the most recent incident, Donovan said. 

After the mid-August incident area Muslim group's denounced the crime and announced that they would be following up with both local and federal law enforcement agencies. 

Evergreen Park Patch, 1 September 2012

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A new super PAC targeting a Tennessee House primary has raised all its funds from a board member of a local anti-Islamic conservative group who is also the one-time finance chairman of one of the candidates in the race.

Citizens 4 Ethics in Government registered as a super PAC with the Federal Election Commission on July 2. Its first disclosure, filed today, shows that it has raised all of its $105,000 in funds from Andrew Miller, the owner of Nashville-based Healthmark Ventures and a conservative activist who helps lead the anti-Islamic Tennessee Freedom Coalition. The group has spent more than $30,000 so far on the 6th Congressional District primary contest between incumbent Rep. Diane Black (R-Tenn.) and tea party activist Lou Ann Zelenik.

Zelenik, who has made opposition to the building of an Islamic Center in Murfreesboro, Tenn. a major issue in her campaign, was the executive director of the Coalition before leaving to run for congress.

The Coalition lists opposition to the growth of radical Islam and the promotion of "cultural cohesion" among its goals, among other conservative causes. In April 2011 the group hosted Dutch parliamentarian Geert Wilders as a speaker; Wilders is known across Europe for his anti-immigration and anti-Islamic politics. He has called for the banning of the Quran and called Islam a totalitarian ideology rather than a religion.

OpenSecrets blog, 20 July 2012

Zelenik's "Where I Stand" statement includes the following:  "I will work to stop the Islamization of our society, and do everything possible to prevent Sharia Law from circumventing our laws and our Constitution."

Not that Diane Black's line on these issues is a whole lot better. Her response to the recent court decision to allow Murfreesboro Muslims to occupy their new centre was to criticise the DOJ for intervening in the case: "Christians' rights to freedom of religion are violated frequently and the Obama Justice Department doesn't come rushing to our aid, but they will meddle in a local zoning matter to promote Islam."

This didn't prevent Zelinek from denouncing Black for adopting a pusillanimous attitude towards the Murfreesboro Islamic Center.

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The head of the English Defence League, Tommy Robinson, will be named deputy leader of the British Freedom party this week after proposing that the group adopt virulent anti-Islamic policies as its central strategy.

Confirmation that Robinson is to be offered a political platform within the BFP is contained in internal documents revealing that he has forwarded a number of "potential policy suggestions" that suggest the party will widen its attacks on Muslims.

The document suggests the BFP with Robinson would "focus on non-Islamic population, not white/black population", a move that critics describe as an attempt to antagonise relations between Muslims and other Britons. Other proposed areas of campaigning for the party, which will contest several seats in this week's local elections, include calls for regulation of all mosques and religious schools and the banning of the burqa and niqab.

The unveiling of Robinson as deputy leader of the British Freedom Party will take place in Luton ahead of an EDL demo in the town, during which supporters will be banned from its centre by police, following previous disturbances.

Last week, a BFP member tweeted his support for Norwegian killer Anders Breivik, while an EDL member defended the 34-year-old, currently on trial in Oslo after confessing to the murder of 77 people last July, and said that if he had "singled out the muslim filth" he would be viewed as a hero.

Internal notes of a meeting held in a Luton hotel between senior EDL and BFP figures on 14 April, which have been seen by the Observer, reveal that participants believe the alliance is a development that "will change the direction of British politics".

However Nick Lowles of campaign group Hope not Hate said: "Although this shows the new face of the far right, a move that further marginalises the BNP, their agenda is so hate-filled that it will remain a minority message."

Robinson and the BFP have yet to comment, but the documents show that he backs a ban on the building of mosques and madrassas, an end to mass immigration, withdrawal from the EU, and promotion of "Christian values".

Last week a report by Amnesty International warned of the rise of extremist political movements targeting Muslim practices in Europe, a development evidenced by the surprisingly strong showing of support for the French Front National, the far-right party led by Marine Le Pen, in France's presidential election. It also said that European laws on what girls and women could wear on their heads were encouraging discrimination against Muslims.

Observer, 29 April 2012

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The people who anonymously distributed anti-Islamic pamphlets to Canberra and Queanbeyan homes over the Christmas holidays are unlikely to have breached ACT law, the Human Rights Commissioner has found.

The Canberra Times revealed in January that the small, cartoon-style leaflets were hand-delivered to letterboxes in Queanbeyan, Kingston, Braddon, Lyneham and Civic, and included titles such as Is Allah Like You? and Allah Has No Son.

In a letter to Attorney-General Simon Corbell outlining her findings, Helen Watchirs said that while the characters drawn in the pamphlet appeared Middle Eastern and lived in a desert environment, precedent meant it was unlikely to meet the ACT's high thresholds for racial vilification.

Canberra Times, 18 April 2012

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