First of all, if you are Muslim, and many readers here are, then stop being so hot-headed. Full stop. When Muslims fly off the handle at every little supposed insult to Islam, the only thing it really achieves is entertaining the self-appointed elite who love watching us squabble and fight. That Muslims are so predictably easy to set off makes you a tool of the people who want to control you, me and all the rest of us.
This past Monday, there were violent protests outside the US embassy here in Jakarta. What did it achieve? Well, it injured a few Indonesians, destroyed Indonesian property, and cost Indonesian taxpayers good money to mount a police presence. In other words, it did absolutely nothing to change things nor harm the supposed transgressors.
Because of that incident, four FPI members were arrested for inciting to riot, while FPI claimed it was framed for the whole thing. I'm inclined to believe the FPI claim. Why? Because I think that whole incident has been manufactured to stir up 'unrest' and cause more and deeper rifts among us people of the world.
The thing is that no one here in Indonesia (unless you've really dug into it and use a VPN) has seen the film, "Innocence of Muslims". In fact, from what I can find, no one has seen the film anywhere at anytime. The most I can find of it are two short clips, called "trailers" implying a longer film, that look as if they were produced by some drunk college kids playing with chroma-keying.
In other words, all of this violence and 'unrest' has been caused by rumors concerning a movie that doesn't seem to exist and, if the clips are anything to go by, would be so badly produced as to get little or no attention otherwise.
In the end, if you are Muslim and are angry and moved to protest over this matter, you are being used.
Think of a bully. He calls you out, starts insulting your mother, calls into question your heritage, makes fun of your clothes. You grow increasingly angry and your reason shuts off and emotion takes over. In rage, you throw down your books and rush at him. He is prepared for this, because he provoked it. You are doing exactly what he wanted you to do, and so he can use it against you. In the end, you are left in a heap on the ground with a bloody nose, humiliated and seething with anger, but you achieved nothing and really nothing was done to you until you attacked.
Furthermore, since you were the one who initiated violence by attacking, he can justify his response in beating you to a pulp because of it. So really, you lose twice.
Who or what started all this is a matter of conjecture. There are plenty of theories out there and you can pick any one of them you like. The point is, that someone picked this fight in order to get you into a rage and react with violence because it serves whatever end that someone intended.
Since Muslims have reacted to this 'film' in a predicable and emotional way, their anger and indignation can be used against them, much like a bullfighter provokes the bull to charge so that he can lance the beast repeatedly until it dies in a bloody mound.
Even if you live in a country that has not censored this 'film', you have the ability NOT to click the link and watch it. If you do, then you have the responsibility to maintain your reason and respond to it in such a way that it can be constructive and beneficial to others.
Violent protests and murder only serve to reinforce a perception are mindless hot-heads. This defeats any ability of Muslims to engage in constructive dialogue that fosters understanding and appreciation of the faith.
Someone with a cheap video camera and some chroma-key software invested a couple of hours to make two short clips that are supposedly from a longer 'film'. For that minor investment of time and equipment, they have managed to enrage the entire Muslim population, and in the process, cause great damage, both real and to reputations. On a cost-benefit basis, whoever created this 'film' has gotten a huge return on investment.
The small investment on the part of the 'filmmakers' has paid off with worldwide disgust at the mindless violence that it has sparked. It is a perfect example of asymmetric warfare. A tiny investment has paid off in great harm to the other side.
All any of this has done is to make Muslims look like mindless beasts repeatedly charging red capes while getting lanced again and again until the beast collapses and dies. Is that really what Muslims want others to think? I doubt it.
Time to put down the rocks and Molotov cocktails, go home to your family and enjoy a peaceful life. By NOT reacting with violence and mindless destruction, Muslims can show the world that they are thinking, reasoning beings capable of blowing off minor insults and petty taunts, because their faith is much stronger than that.
Whenever one encounters a provocation like this, one should immediately stop and ask, "Who is doing this and what do they exect to achieve, and what reaction are they trying to provoke?" This immediately takes the power away from the provocateur and places it firmly in your hands. Then you can react with precision and forethought to achieve the greatest good for you from the situation.
The answer is they are trying to make money by selling magazines, and then make more money by producing articles on the reaction.
Don't react.
If you do nothing, say nothing and pretend it never happened, you take all the fun and profit out of it for the bloated little jerks sitting in the board room laughing all the way to the bank.
Sure they'll change tactics, but every war, whether physical or of ideas, is won by a series of battles. The 'movie' is one battle. The cartoons are another. You can start winning these battles by simply taking away the thing they want...PROFIT.
To borrow a phrase, what would Mohammed do?
