Blasphemous Acts: YouTube Follows Facebook

By Sajjad Shaukat

Recently, YouTube was banned in Pakistan after a blasphemous video titled “Innocence of Muslims” was uploaded on it, causing massive protests and riots in the Muslim World, resulting into loss of life and property, while Pakistan, Afghanistan, Egypt, Libya and Iran asked YouTube to block the movie for viewing.

Although Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA) has banned access to the YouTube, yet the efforts remained unsuccessful because the anti-Islam elements have continuously been uploading the blasphemous movie targeting the Holy Prophet (PBUH). YouTube still contains clippings uploaded by these anti-Islam and anti-state elements for promoting sectarian hatred and vulgarity—also contains clippings of beheadings of Muslims including members of Pakistan’s armed forces.

In this context, YouTube follows the Facebook. In May, 2010, the sacrilegious caricatures competition of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) inspired by an American cartoonist on Facebook and YouTube triggered violent protests across the Muslim world in general and Pakistan in particular. On the orders of Lahore High Court, PTA had banned access to Facebook including YouTube, and even restricted access to Wikipedia in view of what it called “growing sacrilegious content.”

In 2012, demonstrations and violence hit more than 30 Islamic countries by the Muslims who protested against blasphemous US-made film “Innocence of Muslims,” produced by Israeli-American filmmaker Sam Bacile. In Pakistan, a national holiday was announced on September 21, 2012 to observe it as Yaum-e-Ishq-e-Rasool (PBUH) against the sacrilegious film. Violent protesters plunged the country into chaos as 30 people were killed in addition to widespread damage to public and private property in nationwide protests. In this regard, the American ambassador Christopher Stevens in Libya and three of his staff were killed.

However, anti-Islam activities have been conducted by some elements which not only want to distort the image of Islam, but also seek to create division between the Muslim and Western the Worlds.

In this respect, on March 20, 2011, a US evangelical preacher Terry Jones supervised the burning of a copy of the Holy Quran by Pastor Wayne Sapp in a Florida church, while similar sacrilegious act was done by the US troops in Bagram base in Afghanistan. In 2005, caricatures of Holy Prophet (PBUH) published in Danish newspapers sparked deadly protests in the Islamic countries. In that context, Al Qaeda claimed responsibility for a suicide attack on Denmark’s embassy in Islamabad in 2008, killing six people, saying it was in revenge for publication of caricatures.

Notably, reprinting of the caricatures about Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and release of a Dutch film against the Holy Quran in 2008 was also part of the same conspiracy against the Muslims. The film equates Islam with violence, followed by the 9/11 terror attacks inside the US, showing Muslim leaders preaching inflammatory sermons against Jews and Christians. It displayed that Europe is under threat from Islamic beliefs and practices.

Those who are behind these fanatic entities intend to fulfill their political designs. In these terms, by availing the international phenomena of terrorism, Indo-Israeli lobbies are collectively working in America and other European countries to manipulate the double standard of the west in relation to terrorism and human rights vis-à-vis some Islamic countries. Israel and India are equating the ‘war of independence’ in Kashmir and Palestine with terrorism. If India considers Pakistan as its enemy number one, Israel takes Iran in the same sense particularly due to its nuclear programme which is also negated by the US. However, all these similarities of interest have brought the two countries to follow a common secret diplomacy with the tactical support of Washington, targeting Pakistan, Iran, Syria etc.

Taking cognisance of the growing threat of global terrorism which has been dividing the Western and Islamic nations on cultural and religious lines, American and European governments have already started inter-faith dialogue especially between the Christian and the Muslim nations. But this measure is proving fruitless due to a deliberate anti-Muslim campaign, launched by the Indo-Israeli nexus.

Another regrettable point is that irresponsible attitude of some Indian, Israeli, American and Western politicians has introduced dangerous socio-religious dimension in their societies by equating the “war on terror” with “war on Islam” and acts of Al Qaeda with all the Muslims. Their media have also been contributing to heighten the currents of world politics on similar lines.

It is because of these developments that a greater resentment is being found among the Muslims who think that the US in connivance with the Indo-Israeli lobbies is sponsoring state terrorism, directly or indirectly from Kashmir to Palestine, and from Afghanistan to Somalia.

As a matter of fact, by hurting the feelings of Muslims through the previous anti-Islam activities, and the recent movie, these plotters intend to create a greater resentment among the Muslims against the Western world in general and the United States in particular. During each such occasion, protesters in the Islamic countries raised anti-US slogans, burnt American flags and targeted US embassies and installations. This was especially observed in Pakistan where leaders of the political and religious parties also delivered emotional speeches on this emotional matter.

These blasphemous activities against the religion of Muslims will result in the recruitment of more militants by the terrorist groups. Instead of curbing terrorism, it will cause more terrorism in the volatile countries like Pakistan, Somalia, Yemen etc. Now, this new sacrilegious film which was uploaded in the YouTube has provided the Islamic militants with new ammunition. It is said that Al Qaeda is the winner. If such nefarious acts continue, even moderate Muslims will join the radicals.

Indo-Israel lobbies and the US neo-conservative think tanks which are funded by the Zionists and CIA are secretly supporting propaganda against Islam and Muslim countries. With the assistance of fundamentalist Christians and Jews, the blasphemous movie against Islam has been produced by them to incite the sentiments of Muslims around the world in order to show to the west that all the Muslims are fanatics and extremists.

Another major aim behind is to unite the Islamic countries against the US-led western countries so that an unending rift could be created among them. So conspirators have been succeeded in their nefarious designs to a greater extent.

Regrettably, the US and some European top officials have defended the anti-Islamic cartoons and film under the pretext of freedom of speech. Critics say that if western democracies have passed laws against anti-Semitism and denials of the holocaust, as to why there is no such law about anti-Islam moves. Nevertheless, it indicates double standard of these liberal and civilised countries which have further encouraged those who want to sabotage the world peace through division.

Most alarming point is that if the anti-Islam activities of the Indo-Israeli lobbies including Jewish and Christian fundamentalists who are also using YouTube and Facebook for their sinister aims against the Muslims, are not being checked by the international community in time, the same will culminate in World War III.

Sajjad Shaukat writes on international affairs and is author of the book: US vs Islamic Militants, Invisible Balance of Power: Dangerous Shift in International Relations

Email: sajjad_logic@yahoo.com