The attack on the U.S. embassy in Libya that resulted in the death of four Americans, including ambassador Chris Stevens, was the result of 13:51 minutes of a low-budget “movie” trailer that was uploaded to YouTube and has since gained infamy.
The video caused widespread resentment of the U.S. among Muslims in the Middle East because of its depiction of the Prophet Muhammad. First and foremost, to Muslims, the Prophet Muhammad can’t be depicted in any way possible, and to add salt to the wound, the movie depicts him in a bad light. In this day and age when information can be sent with a click of a button, it is important to be respectful of others.
The video, allegedly made by Nakoula Basseley Nakoula, is anti-Muslim. A pastor from Florida, Terry Jones, was involved in the video’s promotion. Back in 2010, there was a Qur’an book burning in Gainesville, Florida. Spearheading this sacrilegious effort was Pastor Terry Jones. This video is clearly anti-Muslim, but people need to respect what other people hold dear. Intolerance isn’t only afflicting Muslims, but a range of other subjects including homosexuality. We’re not in the Dark Ages anymore. Before, almost universally, anyone who came out was shunned from society, like a leper. In the present, tolerance mostly prevails in progressive states. That is not more obvious than in the San Francisco Bay Area. However, there are some areas in the U.S. where it’s still taboo. Bullying towards gays has been a presence in this world for a very long time, but ever since the inception of the Internet, bullying has increased exponentially. Cyber bullying has taken the lives of many teens in the past few decades, and sadly it won’t stop until people stop harassing them and show tolerance.
Our freedom of speech is something that we value and defend strongly. It will never be taken away from us. We have the right to say what we want and what displeases us. Remember “impeach Bush”? However there are some limitations. We can’t threaten anyone, slander or say something that will cause chaos. You can’t yell bomb at an airport without suffering the consequences. Just last week, a Harvard drop-out was arrested after making some comments on an ESPN article in which he threatened to shoot small school children.
Tolerance is something that must be advocated as strongly as our First Amendment. Americans often confuse freedom of speech with saying hurtful and damaging things. With the internet being so universal nowadays, information can easily be manipulated and misconstrued, which is why it’s important to show tolerance. Teach this Nakoula character as a lesson; He now has a $100,000 bounty on his head, which is being offered by a high-ranking Pakistani official. His attack on the Muslims’ prophet moved a whole sub-nation into a violent anarchy. Remember, respect other people’s beliefs. Controversy, and possibly danger, could happen in 140 words or less.
