COTABATO CITY (Mindanao Examiner / Sept. 28, 2012) – While the protests against the anti-Islam film “Innocence of Muslims” have subsided in the southern Philippines, anger among individual Muslims in Mindanao still persist, particularly in social media sites where the issue continues.
Some Muslims called on more radical and violent protests and fanning the already volatile situations brought about by the showing of the film on YouTube. The low-budget film stroked violent protests that resulted in deadly attacks on US diplomatic missions in the Middle East.
In the Islamic City of Marawi in Mindanao’s Lanao del Sur province, thousands of Muslims gathered on the streets and burned US and Israel flags in protest of the film believed made by Egyptian-American Nakoula Basseley Nakoula.
Nakoula – who was arrested in the US for violating his probation after being convicted on bank fraud – used the name Sam Becile as the film’s director.
A group of Muslims in Mindanao who are members of the so-called Bangsamoro Nation petitioned the Supreme Court to ban the public showing of the film in the Philippines. They said the film is an “invasion of constitutional guarantee of free exercise of religion and to practice religion without fear or hatred.”
The country’s largest Muslim rebel group, Moro Islamic Liberation Front, and the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos have appealed separately to local Muslims not to resort to violence.
“We cannot address violence with violence. Islam is peace and a peaceful protest is better that a violent protest to express disgust,” Von Al-Haq, a spokesman for the MILF, which is currently negotiating peace with Manila, told the Mindanao Examiner.
Army Col. Daniel Lucero, commander of military forces in Lanao provinces, said the Muslim protests over the film were peaceful. “The protests were peaceful and so far there had been no reported violence in connection with the film Innocence of Muslims. The government is on top of the situation,” he said in a separate interview.
“The National Commission on Muslim Filipinos appeals to all concerned to stop further stoking the flames that have been started by the “Innocence of Muslim” video. We believe that there will be no rallies, no demonstrations, and no recriminations if the film is neither acknowledged nor dignified in any manner from here on,” said Mehol Sadain, head of the NCMF, in his Facebook account.
Just recently, UP Law Professor Harry Roque screened the film in his class, citing freedom of expression and academic freedom as his reason, despite appeals by the school administrators and various groups, and a Philippine ban on public showing of the “Innocence of Muslims” which is considered blasphemous by Muslims.
YouTube also refused to take down the film which generated over 14 million views already since it was uploaded to the popular video site on September 12.
“It is just frustrating how we work so hard for the success of inter-faith dialogue and reconciliation, and then somebody comes up with something completely absurd and unnecessary to wreck the foundation we have so painstakingly built. The producer may have his reason for doing it; but I do not see any rhyme or reason for the good professor to show it in his class, in spite the plea of some UP administrators,” Sadain said.
“Freedom of expression simply doesn’t wash in a situation like this. First, there is other less controversial and less insulting ways to demonstrate freedom of expression. Second, I don’t really know whether such is a sane application of the principle of freedom of expression,” he added.
Sadain said his understanding of freedom of expression is that it is used to stand up against persecution and tyranny, and not to abet them.
“It is used against the abuses of government or some authoritative institution, and not to abuse other peoples and faiths. It is used to prevent the trampling of our rights, and not to trample on other people’s rights and sensitivities. I don’t see how the grand principle of freedom of expression or its concomitant right to form one’s opinion, can benefit from a film that foments disinformation and arouses hatred,” he said.
One Muslim, Zed Sahi, said: “The Innocence of Muslims is not a form of freedom of expression. It is an intention to insult and malign the Prophet Muhammad, the Muslims and Islam. It should never be allowed and tolerated by any decent society.”
The National Ulama Conference of the Philippines also appealed to Muslims to stay calm.
“We called on all Muslims not to be easily provoked and trapped in vicious cycles of violence, in our reaction to criticisms and black propagandas against Islam. Please be mindful, the holy Prophet faced extreme criticisms and other inhuman treatments during his time but he reacted humanely with patience and compassion that made the people realized their own mistakes, and they appreciated the beauty of Islam as reflected in the behavior and attitude of the holy Prophet towards them,” it said.
In Zamboanga City where the US military maintains a base, Filipino army commanders assured the safety of American forces.
“Forced protection is integral to US forces activities in Mindanao. Even before the attack of their embassy (in Libya), they have been implementing strict security procedures to protect their soldiers, equipment and temporary facilities. They do not move around without their AFP and PNP counterparts and make the necessary coordination if they require additional security,” the Western Mindanao Command said.
In the Middle East, Filipino workers were told to stay vigilant amid the growing anti-US protests over the film.
John Leonard Monterona, Migrante-Middle East regional coordinator, said: “To emphasize the need to be safe and to secure ourselves from harm and violent acts, we strongly urge our fellow OFWs to stay clear of protesting crowds especially near the diplomatic posts of the US and similar establishments as targets of massive protests.”
“Once again, we strongly advised our fellow Filipinos in the Middle East to be respectful of the host government state religion and their symbols,” Monterona said, adding that Filipinos abroad must refrain from maligning any religion and their prophets as what Innocence of Muslims had disrespectfully conveyed.
“Our Muslim brothers won’t rise up in arms for nothing. Certainly, the movie Innocence of Muslims had done wrong or maliciously conveyed that is something protesting or even revolting courtesy of some war-monger US propagandists,” he said.
In the film, Nakoula portrayed the Prophet Muhammad as a child molester and a womanizer and showed Muslims attacking and killing innocent people. (Mindanao Examiner)
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