Note: The Innocence of Muslim was the name attributed to an anti-Islam movie produced by a US-based Coptic Christian, which denigrated Islam and Prophet Muhammad. In July a video excerpts of the movie was uploaded onto YouTube and was subsequently dubbed into Arabic. On 9 September 2012, Al-Nas TV, an Egyptian Islamist television channel broadcast the Arabic version leading to widespread protest in a number of countries. Despite criticisms from the US officials, the movie evoked strong and often violent protest against a number of US and other western embassies in the Middle East. Editorial commentaries from the international and the Middle Eastern media on this event are reproduced here. Editor, MEI@ND

Global Times, Beijing, Editorial, 14 September 2012, Friday
1. US must learn to respect other cultures
Two US combat ships are approaching Libya with the intention of avenging the death of the US ambassador to the country. But the target is not a country or a well-known group. Libyans are greatly offended by a movie made in the US that is regarded as insulting to the Prophet Mohammed. With the attackers long since having disappeared, it is difficult to find a specific place or people to carry out this act of revenge against.
For the full text

The Nation, Lahore, Editorial, 14 September 2012, Friday
2. Studied mischief
A film titled, ‘Innocence of Muslims’, directed by a person using the alias ‘SamBaseel’ has led to breakouts of violent protests across several Muslim countries. The film, which is in shockingly poor taste and deeply offensive to Muslim beliefs, was funded by Jewish business to the tune of $5 million dollars, as admitted by Israeli-American director ‘Sam’. The hate speech enthusiast Terry Jones has been instrumental in promoting it, while clips of the film were placed on YouTube, especially dubbed in Arabic, so as to deliberately further inflame sentiment and give the offensive material as wide an audience as possible. For the full text

The Dawn, Karachi, Editorial, 15 September 2012, Saturday
3. A delicate moment
A dubious character of unclear nationality makes a highly offensive film about Islam and Prophet Muhammad in the US. With the help of others who, based on the available footage, had little purpose beyond tastelessly mocking the religion, a portion of it reaches the Arab world on the Internet. Understandably, in a part of the world where many are protective of their faith above all else, these clips spark deep offence. For the full text

The National, Abu Dhabi, Editorial 16 September 2012, Sunday
4. Crackpot video should not have any influence
To call Innocence of Muslims a ‘film’ is to give it too much credit. About the only description this web-only waste of 15 minutes deserves is ‘amateurish drivel’, best ignored. But over the course of a few days, the Muslim world has allowed the hateful production by misguided American crackpots to become something far more dangerous: an excuse. For the full text

The Times of India, New Delhi, Editorial, 17 September 2012, Monday
5. Anti-US violence over controversial film must be rejected
The violence targeting American embassies across Muslim countries, where mobs are incensed over a movie made by a private citizen in the US, is unacceptable and self-defeating. Furious over a scurrilous film about Islam, mobs from Tunisia to Sudan, Egypt to Yemen and beyond, are targeting American embassies and in some instances, Germany's too. The encounters have already resulted in the death of the American ambassador to Libya. These are also causing the deaths of those protesting and clashing with local security forces. For the full text

The Jordan Times, Amman, Editorial, 18September 2012, Tuesday
6. Protecting religious beliefs
Religion is a highly sensitive and emotional subject. Tackling it requires special treatment under national and international laws governing freedom of expression. This past week’s religion-related violent riots in several Arab and Muslim countries, where people were protesting the showing of a blasphemous video film about Islam and the Prophet Mohammad, shows to what extent public order and regional security and stability can be threatened and undermined by any attempt to ridicule a religion or its prophets. For the full text

The Nation, Lahore, Editorial, 18 September 2012, Tuesday
7. Anti-film protests
The anti-Islam film has continued to enrage and furious street demonstrations, even in countries like Australia, have been witnessed. The protestors called upon the US administration to ensure punishment for the filmmaker and to put an end to such periodic acts of provocation. Deliberate acts of mischief-mongering are bound to flare up public sentiment and cause ill-will and resentment not only against those individuals who indulge in the foul play of creating hatred between cultures and civilizations, but also against the country from which they originate – this applies equally to those who made and promoted the film and those who have killed in response to it. For the full text

The Dawn, Karachi, Editorial, 19 September 2012, Wednesday
8. More protests
Tuesday (18 September) saw more groups joining the protest against the anti-Islam film Innocence of Muslims. There were rallies by the Jamaat-i-Islami and Sunni Tehrik, as well as by traders, lawyers, railway workers, etc. All came out angrily to register their outrage. Much of the attention has so far been focused on the bigger cities but the demonstrations have spread to smaller towns across the country indicating the expanse of hurt. Notwithstanding condemnation of the film by the US, calls have been made for a more comprehensive shutdown and bigger processions in the coming days. For the full text

The New York Times, Editorial, 19 September 2012, Wednesday
9. The United States and the Muslim World
The anti-Islam video that set off attacks against American embassies and violent protests in the Muslim world was a convenient fuse for rage. Deeper forces are at work in those societies, riven by pent-up anger over a lack of jobs, economic stagnation and decades of repression by previous Arab governments. In the wake of the Arab Spring, these newly liberated nations have become battlegrounds for Islamic extremists, moderates and secularists, all contending for power and influence over the direction of democratic change. These forces and the attacks may be beyond the control of American foreign policy, no matter what some might want to believe. For the full text

The Daily Star, Beirut, Editorial, 22 September 2012, Saturday
10. Cool heads
The spontaneous protests that have erupted in response to the recent film and cartoons depicting the Prophet Mohammad may be understandable, but the reality is they have been destructive and counter-productive. The burning of a KFC outlet in Lebanon, for example, hurts the Lebanese who run and work for it first and foremost, and the intended targets not at all. However understandable the anger is, many of the actions can simply not be condoned. For the full text

The Guardian, London, Editorial, 23 September 2012, Sunday
11. 'Muslim rage' is lazy shorthand for a complex story
It would be idiocy, and dangerous, to judge the complex Islamic world by the outrage of a few extremists. There is nothing easier, at times of crisis, than to make sweeping generalizations and place whole groups, nationalities and religions into convenient boxes. After the latest spate of deadly protests in Muslim countries against a crude video mocking Muhammad, the debate over the last two weeks has been dominated by the notion of ‘Muslim rage’. For the full text

The Times of India, New Delhi, Editorial, 25 September 2012, Tuesday
12. The violent riposte to a gratuitously provocative anti-Islam film plays into the hands of its producer
A wide repertoire of peaceful and effective methods can be deployed to respond to a book, film, cartoon, play or painting that is perceived to offend deeply held religious beliefs. But, as the riposte to an overtly provocative anti-Islam film made by a US-based filmmaker shows, these methods, deriving their strength from the values of sanity and tolerance, have been jettisoned in several countries in favour of violent attacks. For the full text

Compiled by MariMuthu U

MariMuthu U is a Doctoral candidate at the School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. Email

As part of its editorial policy, the MEI@ND standardizes spelling and date formats to make the text uniformly accessible and stylistically consistent. The views expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views/positions of the MEI@ND.  Editor, MEI@ND:  P R Kumaraswamy