Report by Drieza Lininding, Marawi City
Marawi City, September 17, 2012 –
The Bangsamoro people from Mindanao, South of the Philippines, joined the worldwide protest from Benghazi (Libya), Cairo (Egypt),Tehran (Iran), Sana’a (Yemen) to other parts of the world against the people behind the film, "Innocence of Muslims", whose trailer is posted on YouTube that has caused and sparked deadly assaults on US embassies around the globe, by staging a mammoth protest rally of their own in Marawi City.
Nearly thirty thousand (30,000) Moro protesters had gathered at the historic Plaza Cabili, Gomisa Avenue, Marawi City. Moro Muslims from all walks of life trooped to the busy streets of the city to vent their fury over the filthy film that malevolently depicts the Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and his Companions, including his wives and family, in the most malicious manner.
Religious leaders, politicians, government officials, people from the academe and women and youth representatives delivered fiery speeches against the people behind this film.
Anonymous Muslim donors distributed food and water to the crowd to help them beat the heat from the scorching sun while listening to the speakers.
The highlight of said rally was the burning of the American and Israeli flags. The protesters blame the US and Zionist Israel for the demonizing propaganda against Islam.
A leaflet was distributed among the crowd from an unnamed organization in which a part of it reads: “What these facts reveal is that the film has the familiar signature of the US Christian Right, a far-Right Christian religious fascist movement that has its tentacles stretching from the US to Europe. The Christian Right is politically allied with the neo-cons and ‘biblically’ and fanatically supports the Zionists. Such an unholy alliance gained tremendous power and influence in the US during the regime of US President George W. Bush, whom they absolutely controlled. The alliance’s control of the White House led to the invasion and occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan and the ‘global war on terrorism’ which was, and is, being fought in Occupied Palestine, Lebanon, Pakistan and in other theaters of confrontation where Muslims are domiciled. This ‘global war on terrorism’ is, for all intents and purposes, a war against Islam and the Muslims.”
"We are not terrorists nor an angry mob: we are the voice of the oppressed Muslim Ummah around the globe, whose brothers in Occupied Palestine are suffering, whose brothers, mothers, and children in Iraq and Afghanistan were and are being killed by the Western Powers; we are the voice of Muslim Believers whose Religion is now being ridiculed by ignorant and stupid people behind the film ‘Innocence of Muslims’. We are the Oppressed People defending what is left of our dignity”, said Muhammad D. Salahuddin, a youth leader and one of the protesters.
Agakhan M. Sharief, one of the Lead Organizers of the protest rally and a Muslim Moro youth leader, "warns that the Philippine government should block the showing of this film in this country to avoid deadly confrontations between Muslims and non-Muslims.”
"We will not allow any form of insult to our Religion and to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and to any of the Messengers and Prophets of Allah; we will take it as an assault and we will surely respond and we are not afraid to die," added Agakhan M. Sharief.
A Muslim lady who occupies a high ranking position in the government appealed to the national government to criminalize the showing of this film in the Philippines. This is also the demand of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) as stated in its official website.
The spontaneous protest was organized through 2-way radio forums, text messages and through the Internet. One political analyst based at the Mindanao State University (MSU) was surprised at the huge turn-out of protesters. He opines that the sinister characters behind the film “failed to prove the ‘Innocence of the Muslims’ regarding their religion." He further said that “what we saw today are people determined to defend their faith even if it will cost them their lives. What transpired today proved them (the people behind the film) wrong."
Meanwhile, Brother Maulana M. Alonto, a member of the MILF Peace Negotiating Panel, when asked to comment on the worldwide Muslim protest and the Marawi rally, stated as a matter-of-factly: “While we do not and cannot condone any act of senseless violence against innocent people as this is against Islam, this act of protest is an Islamic obligation. What is transpiring should be a lesson to all nations and governments: that they can insult Muslims but they cannot insult the Holy Prophet of Islam, Muhammed (saw), without setting the world on fire.”
The rally ended peacefully with no reported violence and no one was hurt.
As this report was being filed, the information that similar protest rallies planned by Muslims in other cities has reached us as the Philippine government released an official statement that it cannot and will not block the offensive and filthy film in YouTube.
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