Headlines announcing violent protests in the Middle East and Europe continue to dominate the media two weeks after the first deadly attack on a U.S. consulate in Libya.
Although it is not confirmed that Innocence of Muslims, an anti-Islam film mocking the Prophet Muhammad that was uploaded to YouTube in July, has provoked all of the attacks, media outlets have placed emphasis on the video’s influence.
What has not been mentioned often are the peaceful protests being held, said Sidi Becar Meyara, president of the Ohio University Muslim Students Association and a graduate student studying African studies and linguistics.
“What is usually covered is when someone reacts violently, an ambassador is killed and that gets more coverage, but that’s not the right response,” Meyara said. “Protesting peacefully can get the message across without emphasizing the stereotype that Muslims are violent.”
The violence in response to the movie does not represent all Muslims or the Islamic faith, said Salah Awad, a member of the Muslim Students Association and a doctoral student studying biochemistry.
“It was an armed militia that caused the violence,” he said. “Young men from Benghazi tried to save the U.S. Ambassador after the attack; Chris Stevens was a beloved person to Libyans.”
The Innocence of Muslims film wasn’t the sole reason for violence, but it was a spark that set off the unrest, said Omar Kurdi, communication chair for the Muslim Students Association and a sophomore studying political science and global studies: war and peace.
“The movie was a spark that ignited this built-up pressure and kind of unrest in the region since the Arab Spring of last year,” Kurdi said.
Awad and Kurdi both saw parts of the film out of curiosity, but Meyara said he refuses to see the movie.
“I kind of feel like I should not watch the movie because it’s really not that important to me,” Meyara said. “If it wasn’t for the reactions that people have had, nobody would have watched the movie anyway.”
Kurdi said the movie was laughable and an obvious opinion piece meant to offend the Islamic religion.
“I was laughing because I’m not going to go crazy over it,” he said. “I’m not going to stoop myself to their level.”
Although some describe the movie as Islamophobic, Kurdi said he doesn’t like using the word.
“Phobia kind of gives you the connotation that people are scared of me, and I don’t think that I’m a scary person,” he said.
Kurdi said he doesn’t have any animosity toward the creator of the film or those who have Islamophobic beliefs.
“I understand that it’s their ignorance of the situation, of me and who I am, and that’s fine,” he said. “I do urge them to get educated, and I would love to talk to some of them and change their view.”
The movie isn’t an indication that the Western world is Islamophobic, Meyara added.
“I think that it was a group of people that doesn’t represent many,” he said. “I would add that people have tried to learn more about Muslims and the Islamic religion in recent years.”
ao007510@ohiou.edu
