Don't get violent over Viral Videos

Friday, October 12, 2012

Stop following the script of hate

By Joseph DeCaro, Worthy News Correspondent

ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN (Worthy News)-- A open letter by the Bishop of Karachi reminded all religious that living in the Internet age means their faiths will be mocked and that the mockery will find its way to them anywhere in the world.

So just get over it.

Bishop Ijaz Inayat especially admonished Muslims to stop following the script of a film by a con artist who portrayed them as ready to rage.

"He posted a 14-minute video excerpt of the movie on You Tube, but hardly anyone noticed," wrote Inayat. "Then, a week ago, an anti-Muslim activist in Virginia re-posted the video with an Arabic translation and sent the link to activists and journalists in Egypt ... Clerics sounded the alarm. Through Facebook and Twitter, protesters were mobilized to descend on the U.S. embassy in Cairo. The uprising spread. The U.S. ambassador to Libya has been killed, and violence has engulfed other countries.

"The men behind the movie said it would expose Islam as a violent religion. Now they're pointing to the riots as proof ... Congratulations, rioters. You followed the script perfectly. You did the propagandists' work for them!"

Inayat wrote that the spread of digital technology and Inet bandwidth makes it possible to defame any faith tradition in any part of the world.

"It can become an incendiary weapon. But it has a weakness: It depends on you. You're the detonator. If you don't cooperate, the bomb doesn't explode.

"This isn't just a Muslim problem, though that's been the pattern lately. On YouTube, you can find videos insulting every religion on the planet: Jews, Christians, Hindus, Catholics, Mormons, Buddhists, and more. Some clips are ironic. Others are simply disgusting. Many were posted to bait one group into fighting another."

Inayat warned that the hatred and bloodshed will continue until Muslims stop taking the bait.

"Mockery of your prophet on a computer with an Internet address somewhere in the world can no longer be your master. Nor can the puppet clerics who tell you to respond with violence. Lay down your stones and your anger. Go home and pray. God is too great to be troubled by the insults of fools."