THE Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was sent as mercy to the world. One action of our beloved Prophet that was part of his life was forgiveness accompanied by patience. Especially, when there was a verbal assault on him, he never retaliated. It was even practised by his companions (may Allah be pleased with them all) after he was gone.

It was his extra merciful and extremely forgiving nature which drew people to Islam more than anything. The toughest and hardest of hearts were melted by his overbearing kindness.

In the wake of latest events, not only have some Muslims forgotten these great virtues of Sunnah, but we have also forgotten that a nation doesn’t stand for one imbecile nor does one imbecile’s views are shared by the whole nation.

It was a YouTube video that caused anger and concern among Muslims but some people vented out their frustration by shamefully crossing the red line and killed those innocent Americans, including the US ambassador to Libya, who had nothing to do with this condemnable video.

It was a video, and if someone had wanted to protest, then the answer should have been given by a video. Killing people on the basis of nationality was an ignorant and a criminal act.

By practising violence in the form of protests, no one is going to lose more than Muslims. Violence has never been effective. By killing innocent Americans in foreign lands, Muslims have only endangered their reputation and the lives of their Muslim brothers and sisters who live in Western lands. What will be the result of this violence? Will non-Muslim world respect our Prophet and our nation when some of its people lose their sense of justice and kill someone innocent who has nothing to do with the verbal assaults of an imbecile?

Will people embrace Islam or will they shy away from it because in the media it shows angry protesters killing people on verbal assaults?

I condemn the video as blasphemous material against the greatest man who ever lived on the face of Earth will not change the history recorded by Muslims and non-Muslims.

I strongly condemn the attacks on innocent people, especially the American ambassador to Libya as he had diplomatic immunity which is shared globally.

Lastly, I condemn the Internet policy of freedom as freedom of speech is fanning hatred, and especially when it is showing disrespect for a personality whose reputation is noted and is being celebrated for the last 1,400 years of history not only by Muslims but by non-Muslims too.

There should be laws to regulate the Internet industry and should be made ethical for the people of all nationalities.

DURRE FATIMA Riyadh