Over 15,000 Rally in Pakistan against Anti-Islam Video
Over 15,000 people flooded the streets of Karachi, Pakistan, on September 29 for a rally against the U.S.-made 'Innocence of Muslims' video. The amateurish clip insulting the Prophet Muhammad sparked two weeks of protest in Pakistan.
Demonstrators filled the streets of the southern Pakistani port city, waving Islamic flags and banners and chanting “Down with America!” Hundreds of police were deployed to monitor the scene.
Speakers at the rally slammed the U.S. for refusing to outlaw the video clip despite persistent demands from Muslim countries. Both American leaders and Google – the company that owns the video website YouTube that is the main platform for the 14-minute trailer – said the clip cannot be banned outright, as this would violate freedom of expression laws.
“We strongly condemn this anti-Islam movie, it is a criminal act,” prominent Muslim cleric Mufti Muneebur Rehman said during the Karachi rally.
Muslim clerics at the rally said that while they support freedom of expression, the West should respect the Muslim community’s sentiments and stop promoting hatred towards Islam. They demanded that the video be removed from YouTube entirely.
Also a target of ire at the rally was caricatures of Prophet Muhammad published in France in the wake of massive anti-film rallies around the world. Demonstrators called on Western nations not to permit blasphemous acts, especially for the sake of monetary gain.
The rally took place despite a three-day ban on protests ordered by authorities. Over 20 people died at similar rallies in recent days. On September 28, clashes between police and protesters broke out in front of the American Embassy in Islamabad after demonstrators burned an American flag and portraits of U.S. President Barack Obama.
By Sadroddin Musawi
Other links:
Protests against Anti-Islam Film Continue in Pakistan
Nigeria President Condemns Blasphemous Movie
India’s Massive Protest against Film Insulting Islam
Thais Condemn Anti-Islam Movie
