Action … and Reaction

First, a salute to the General Board for Islamic Affairs and Endowments for their quick reaction to current events, by changing the subject of the Friday sermon yesterday from a sermon on manners in the mosque to one titled “We Will Sustain You against Those that Mock You” [Al-Hijr 95]. This is one illustration of Friday sermons being in step with reality, which is what we renewed the call for in this column last Sunday.

Yesterday’s sermon was an expression of the tremendous anger that overcame every Muslim as a result of the film which insulted Islam and the nation’s Prophet. At the same time, the sermon reminded Muslims of how to resist those who insult their noble Prophet: In the way the seal of the prophets and messengers taught them. Victory is not through violence, killing and destruction, as happened in some other countries.

The sermon also brought up the initiatives the country has undertaken. His Highness Sheikh Abullah bin Zayid Al Nehyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs, confirmed during his first meeting yesterday with envoys from the permanent member nations of the Security Council that “the United Arab Emirates bears a message of moderation and rejects terrorism and extremism in all its forms. It harbors more than 200 nationalities on its territory, and relations between them are predominated by moderation and tolerance. It takes a great interest in protecting and respecting all religions; their freedom of worship; the safety of believers; and respect for others.”

The Emirates also condemned in a formal announcement, and in His Majesty’s meeting with the ambassadors of the five countries, “the recent violent events which led to the killing of the American ambassador to Libya.” The angry demonstrations that happened and are happening in many Arab and Muslim countries came — as His Majesty noted — as a reaction to the production of the film insulting the Prophet Muhammad (praise be upon him), “which will have a widespread effect on political events in the region.”

His Highness’s invitation to the Security Council and the five permanent member nations is for “the necessity of taking all required measures to protect all religions from defamation, so that reactions of violence and extremism which the region is witnessing will not reoccur.” This call conveys what stirs in the heart of every Muslim and everyone who represents wisdom and moderation, and sees a horizon over which love, harmony, toleration and peaceful coexistence between the nations of the earth prevail, whatever their creed or culture. This horizon is far removed from extremist, fanatical voices like those behind the offensive film which insulted the Prophet of the Nation, Islam and Muslims, and which carefully timed its distribution to effect their malicious aims. At the same time, some of us unfortunately allowed them the opportunity to picture us as they wanted: As if we couldn’t express ourselves and our anger except through destruction and bloodshed.

The offensive film came from within the United States under the guidance and with the support of extremist voices, in order to shatter all the efforts Arabs and Muslims have made to remedy the associations of the terrorist attacks witnessed on September 11, 2001, and to correct the distortion of the image of Islam.

This film and the subsequent reactions are the biggest since the offensive Danish cartoons incident. It demands that Arab and Islamic countries mobilize to get the necessary decision issued by the Security Council, which would criminalize attacks on religions and prophets, so that world peace and security will no longer be a pawn of extremist actions and even more extremist reactions.