Saturday September 22, 2012

One voice against film

KUALA LUMPUR: Muslims and non-Muslims in various parts of the country held peaceful protests over the film Innocence of Muslims, which is deemed insulting to Islam and Prophet Muhammad.

Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin led protests after Friday prayers at Masjid Jamek, Kampung Baru.

Many in the crowd wore black bandanas spelling out Allahuakbar (God is great) in Arabic.

Out in full force: Umno Youth members protesting against the film Innocence of Muslims at Kampung Baru in Kuala Lumpur.

Speakers included former PAS leader Datuk Dr Hasan Ali, Perkasa president Datuk Ibrahim Ali and Khairy, who said that freedom of speech should not be used as an excuse to mock Islam.

“However, we must not respond with violence,” he added.

Another protest was held at the United States Embassy, led by PAS Youth chief Nasrudin Hassan Tantawi.

The group marched 500m along Jalan Tun Razak from the Tabung Haji mosque to the embassy after Friday prayers.

They handed over a memorandum addressed to US Ambassador Paul W. Jones to a security officer at the embassy.

“We want the US government to take swift action against the producer of the film,” Nasrudin said.

A group of 40 people from Umno, PAS, and other NGOs also held a 20-minute protest outside the Subang Jaya district police station here.

In GEORGE TOWN, Muslims took part in a rally within the Acheh Street Mosque compound organised by the state Malaysian Indian Muslim Congress (Kimma) after Friday prayers.

Protesters carried placards which read “Stop insulting our Prophet” and “Bring them (the film-makers) to justice”.

In IPOH, six NGOs held a protest outside the Perak DAP office here calling for action to be taken against state DAP chairman Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham for his Twitter remark over the Muslims' reaction to the movie.

Although Ngeh has since apologised, Suara Anak Muda Malaysia spokesman Abdul Salim Putra Ahmad Shibi called on DAP to take disciplinary action against their leader.

In JOHOR BARU, the protest at Masjid Jamek Taman Perling, organised by Johor PAS, was attended by both Muslims and non-Muslims.

Among those present was state DAP deputy chairman Norman Fernandez.

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