A hateful filmmaker based in California produced a movie attacking the last prophet of Islam. In one scene, the movie replaces the instance in which Muslims believe that the angel Gabriel informed Prophet Mohammad of his mission with a woman asking Mohammad to stick his head between her legs as if to perform oral sex. The film implies that Prophet Mohammad received his mission from a woman's vagina rather than from the Angle Gabriel. In response to the film, ultra-conservative Muslims began demonstrating against the United States. In Libya demonstrators attacked the U.S. mission whereby a U.S. ambassador and three other Americans were killed.

Initially, it was reported that the maker of the movie was an Israeli Jew and later it was reported that it was a right wing Christian. Regardless of who produced the movie, the ever growing number of hateful Americans whose main mission is to defame Muslims should be condemned for their hateful speech that hurts American interests all over the world.

Similarly, Muslims who demonstrate violently against the United States should also be condemned. Unfortunately, many in the Muslim world do not understand that the United States cannot outlaw films attacking religion. In much of the Muslim world, there are written and unwritten rules that prevent people from attacking religion publicly. This is because the type of separation of religion and state that exists in the United States does not exist in Muslim countries, including substantially secular Muslim countries.

In this regard, American Muslim leader have a special responsibility to explain to the world wide Muslim populations the nature of separation of religion and state that exists in the United States. American Muslim leaders should explain that while freedom of speech often leads to hate speech, most times society benefits from free speech. Free speech develops critical thinking among the general population and acts as a protector against governments that attempt to violate the civil rights of its people. This message maybe received well currently in light of the Arab Spring where people fought and are fighting to protect their civil rights.

Comment on this article.

For more information, contact Kamal Nawash, 202-776-7190, or president@freemuslims.org