Insulting Faith

“It is not that you help us to achieve democracy, but that you insult our faith.”

On Sept. 11, the act of a notorious American director making a short 14-minute movie trailer ignited anti-American anger throughout the Islamic world. In more than 30 countries, from Libya to Egypt and Indonesia to Malaysia, Muslims have taken to the streets in protest and demonstrations. They even burned local American diplomatic institutions.

Faced with this scene, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton asked on the day of the death of the U.S. Ambassador to Libya, “While we are helping with the liberation of the country, why would we at the same time help the city that has caused this thing?”*

In relation, the China Youth Daily reporter interviewed a number of Chinese and foreign experts on the Middle East problem, trying to interpret the situation.

“Conceit and Arrogance of Western Civilization Toward Islamic Civilization Is the Root Cause”

On the anniversary of Sept. 11, the U.S. President Barack Obama stated the importance of reconciliation with the Middle East. The night the 14-minute trailer was released, the United States had to pay with the lives of an ambassador and three diplomats.

Since Sept. 11, Muslims in Libya, Egypt, Yemen, Iran, Morocco, Iraq, Sudan, Tunisia, Pakistan, Syria, Turkey, Kenya, Mauritania, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Bahrain, Qatar, Palestine, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Malaysia and other cities took to the streets in protest. Even in Israel, Arab Israelis protested at the Embassy of the U.S. ambassador. Muslims took to the streets in India, Australia and the United Kingdom.

Anti-American anger has engulfed the Islamic world and is still spreading into cyberspace. Middle East expert and former Chinese ambassador to Iran, Hua Liming, reported his interpretation on Sept. 19 in an interview with China Youth Daily.

Hua Liming pointed out to reporters that, for Muslims, the scope of the protests is broad and the violence is strong in such a way that is rare historically. The Middle East and the United States have played at “double-dealing” for more than half a century. Removing a prejudiced framework and imposing the Western concept of democracy and human rights are closely related. At the same time, during last year’s political and social change, North African countries such as Libya and Egypt had societies that did not usher in “democracy” and “freedom”, nonetheless the U.S. and Europe applauded these societies. The situation is a bleak security environment. The restoration and reconstruction of people’s livelihoods show slow progress, and the population is dissatisfied. In that climate, once there is the opportunity of a movie to discredit the Prophet Muhammad, there will be a wave of anti-American sentiment.

Eddie Mubarak, an expert in Egyptian politics from the International Institute for Islamic Thought, pointed out in a phone interview with the reporter on Sept. 19 that “the assumption of superiority and arrogance of U.S.-led Western civilization toward the Islamic civilization is the root cause leading to the anger of the people.”

Prof. Mubarak pointed out that after the “Arab Spring” (as it is so-called by the U.S.), drastic political and social change occurred. Many ordinary people in Egypt, Libya and other countries did not receive stability and development. Instead, it turned into a great turmoil. The people are of the firm opinion that the U.S. caused this mischief. The emotions of hatred and hostility toward the United States repeatedly accumulate. In this case, at any point a spark makes anti-Americanism anger quickly burn.

“The Level of Violence Is Indeed Beyond Expectation”

With regard to this motivated wave of anti-Americanism, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences West Asia and Africa researcher Yin Gang, a Middle East expert, pointed out during an interview with reporters on Sept. 19 that: “Objectively speaking, this time the movie triggered an anti-American wave that incidentally was formed by isolated incidents. It is related to religion; this is the bottom line for Islamists. Whether it is American or Danish behavior (as it was before), as long as they insult the Islamic prophet, it is bound to arouse protest.”

Yin Gang told reporters that this account of anti-Americanism mainly epitomizes the protests of the people at the bottom of society. The attitudes of the governments are mostly forced by domestic political pressure. What’s more, there is not much practical protest action. And this, therefore, should not affect its generalization.

On Sept. 18, Ma Mudi, a Benghazi University political science professor who saw the attack on the U.S. Embassy in Libya, pointed out: “From looking at the scene in Benghazi on Sept. 11, there was not a well-planned ambush. It is not only an outbreak of anti-American sentiment, but also pure sporadic events.”

Professor Caliph said: “The movie blames “Muslim ignorance.” American culture and civilization do not respect the Islamic civilization. They do not understand what causes things.”

Professor Caliph believes that this incident will not have a lasting impact. “Once you vent anger, it is over. But the level of violence is indeed beyond my expectation.”

“Things Detonating a Wave of Anti-Americanism Will Happen”

A number of Middle East experts in an interview with this reporter pointed out that no matter how much money the United States puts into operation in the Middle East, “accidental events” will continue to happen.

Egyptian Islamic civilization expert Eddie Mubarak said to the reporter that because of the United States’ so-called protection of “freedom of speech,” “speeches or actions in the future will set off huge waves of anti-Americanism.”

Mubarak said: “After this incident, the United States, on the grounds of its constitutional guarantee of free speech, not only cannot impose sanctions on the director and producer with regard to the “Ignorance of the Muslims,” but also can provide special protection instead. Of course, this can be understood by reading the Constitution of the United States. But Americans should also understand how important the dignity of the Prophet is for the millions of Muslims. If you want to know, if the producer of this film had been born in Egypt and made similar words and deeds, he would be charged with the crime of “insulting religion.” He would be liable to imprisonment of up to three years. In the face of charges of “endangering national security,” he would even be sentenced to life imprisonment.“

On Sept. 19, Lawrence Luosai’er, senior researcher of the Institute of International Relations of the University of Cairo, Egypt, said in an interview: “For Muslims around the world, the movie producer was so insulting to Islam’s leader that [the United States] ought to be subject to severe economic sanctions, whether for revenge or otherwise. But from the United States government’s perspective, this is a very difficult situation.”

Researcher Luosai’er further analyzed: “The Obama administration is walking a tightrope. On the one hand, they have to condemn the film. But with the freedom of speech considerations in the Constitution, they cannot punish the perpetrators. They even have to provide them with security and protection. And this will be seen in the eyes of Muslims around the world as supporting the film. The U.S. government cannot even command Google and internet companies to remove the movie from their networks. Plus, things like this are happening again and again. Many Muslims around the world feel that the U.S. government is deliberately appearing to abuse religious leaders. Therefore, there will definitely be outbreaks of anger.”

Middle East expert Hua Liming also told reporters that if the U.S. government cannot change its long-term arrogance towards Islamic culture, treat Islamic civilization equally and respect the religious beliefs of the majority of Muslims, there will inevitably be a “clash of civilizations” between the Western and Islamic civilizations. By then, the damage will not just affect people in the Middle East, but will also threaten the strategic interests of the United States.

Yin Gang, a Middle East expert, pointed out that perhaps this incident will be a warning to the U.S. government. That would be where the U.S. would be faced with touching on the point of religious civilization in its own country and putting cultural works before the public. Whether it should be through some public scrutiny methods or by establishing some mechanism to insult, the desecration of words and deeds of other religious beliefs should be punished. This would be in order to avoid “cultural conflicts” causing the U.S. to “miss what is big because it is small.”

“Arab Spring” Will by No Means Be Followed by a Western-Style Democracy

On Sept. 11, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has said: “I asked myself, why would such a thing happen? When we help liberate a nation and help save a city, why would such a thing happen?”*

For this “American query,” Hua Liming analyzes: “The United States confuses the distinction between means and purpose. Although, during the Arab Spring in countries such as Libya, Tunisia, Egypt and other places, people adopted American “democracy” and “freedom” methods. Even with the aid of the military forces of the United States, they overthrew the countries’ strongman rulers. But its purpose is not to implement the American-style “democracy and human rights,” but instead, to uphold and implement the values and ideology of the Islamists.”

Hua Liming thinks that this time an anti-Americanism wave is displayed again. In the current Middle East, Western “democracy” and the concept of “human rights” is not accepted by the people. According to traditional, mainstream Islamist thinking, “in this incident, the Muslim Brotherhood and the Salafist faction have popular support. Maintenance of Islamic religious orthodoxy has become strong, and there has been a willingness to further become strong through the Arab Spring.”

Eddie Mubarak, Egyptian Islamic civilization expert, pointed out to reporters that the anti-American wave of the Arab Spring was implemented instead of a “democracy” espoused and propped up by the United States and Europe. But instead of going as expected, Muslim politicization further expanded.

Mubarak said: “For now, Libya, Egypt, Tunisia and the developments of the situation in Yemen has led to a significant expansion of Muslim political influence. Those Islamists who are unwilling to reside under Western civilization find that actively speaking about politics is a way out in the future. Therefore, Muslims who used to stay out of politics are increasingly reluctant to adopt the equivalent of U.S.-based Western political thought.”

The United States’ Middle East policy is faced with failure or an insurmountable “clash of civilizations” in the situation in the Islamic world that the United States is now facing. Libyan protesters said, “Did you not help us to achieve democracy and freedom, but yet you can still insult our faith.” This may also answer Hillary’s questions.

*Quote not verified in English