MPAC Condemns Beirut Riots, Supports Calls for 'Calm and Restraint'
February 06, 2006
The Muslim Public Affairs Council today called on American Muslims to demonstrate calm and restraint, following the deplorable violence and destruction in Beirut where protestors set a building housing the Danish Mission on fire and attacked a nearby church. MPAC also called on Western media to feature American Muslim spokespeople urging calm and restraint in this deteriorating situation.
The world's leading Islamic body, the 57-nation Organization of Islamic Conference, also condemned the violence, saying "Over-reactions surpassing the limits of peaceful democratic acts... are dangerous and detrimental to the efforts to defend the legitimate case of the Muslim world."
Much of the Muslim world has for months been a powder keg of pent-up anti-Western anger over the war in Iraq and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and the European publication of caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad seems to have been the spark that lit the fuse. Islamic law forbids depictions of the Prophet. Many have viewed the cartoons as intentional provocation by conservative, anti-immigration forces in Europe, while others consider them an indicator of a broader perception of Islam and Muslims.
"True Muslims feel ashamed of what happened today," Lebanese parliament's majority leader, Saad Hariri, said. "They went to a demonstration of peace, but some little-minded people and criminals caused the trouble. We will not let them do this again because we Muslims and Christians are one people and we will do everything to protect this country."
The protest in Beirut began peacefully yesterday; however, thick smoke filled the sky as it degenerated into rioting. One of the demonstrators who set the consulate building on fire was encircled by flames and died after jumping from the third floor, according to Reuters news agency. Syrian protestors set fire to the Danish and Norwegian embassies, damaged the Swedish Embassy, and tried to storm the French Embassy but were fended off by riot police. Meanwhile, Turkish authorities have yet to determine whether the murder of a Roman Catholic priest, who was shot dead in a church courtyard yesterday, was connected to the cartoon protests.
The growing animosities cannot only be combated by bridging communication gaps between cultures and eliminating the suffering of the people. American Muslims have a large role to play in demonstrating a tempered and mainstream response to both the cartoons and the outrage that has followed their repeated publication in European media.
We call on Muslim leaders worldwide to extinguish the flames of hate with showers of compassion. In the spirit of the Prophet Muhammad, we should pray for God's mercy for all at this time, not for vengeance or harm to any human being.
The Qur'an states: "O you who have attained to faith! Be ever steadfast in your devotion to God, bearing witness to the truth in all equity; and never let hatred of any-one lead you into the sin of deviating from justice. Be just: this is closest to being God-conscious. And remain conscious of God: verily, God is aware of all that you do" (5:8).
