TONY Blair, who is now Middle East peace envoy, recently said: “The film may be wrong and offensive but it is also laughable as a piece of filmmaking. And what I am afraid is very dangerous and actually is wrong is the reaction to it.”

The title of the blasphemous movie ‘Innocence of Muslims’ has double meaning. The filmmakers may be counting exactly on our innocence and predictable justified violent response. They seek to kill two birds with one stone. First, spread a message of hate and, second, defame the 1.5 billion Muslims for their volatile protests.

Today I feel I can only speak for myself. Having always seen myself as an educated tolerant Muslim, who is in the process of learning the depths of her religion. I do not disrespect others’ beliefs. I do not wear a hijab, yet I can respect women who have made that choice.

I offer my prayers without the need to summon others who do not follow the example. I would any day support the petition to amend the existing blasphemy law in Pakistan.

But this sacrilege, this uncalled-for vicious assault on Muslims makes me wonder: does all freedom of expression belong to them while Muslims should have all the patience in the world.

I would like to ask Mr Blair if he was going about his daily life and a passer by decided to exercise his freedom of expression and hurled profanities at him in front of an audience, would he find that incident ‘laughable’ or would he proceed to sue the offender.

Islamophobia is not a new concept, but with this ‘obscenely inept vanity project’, it has succumbed to unimaginable lows. A phobia is an irrational fear so when there are Danish cartoonists, when French sternly oppose hijab, when women like Marwah Al Sherbini and Shaima Alawadi are slaughtered in cold blood, it is more than hatred. It is fear.

In their fear, they seek to defame us, portray us to the world as hooligans and terrorists. But this time I see a different picture. I see all sects of Muslims forgetting their personal grudges, coming together to condemn this movie.

I hope to see their fear inevitably bringing together the Muslim world at large. Our methods may be raw at the moment but with time if their offences persist Muslims will refine their defences.

Islam preaches peace and tolerance and forgiveness to those who seek it but it also despises cowardice, it also demands justice, it also allows revenge. Above all, it teaches Muslims to live with dignity wherever they are. So if anybody wishes to bully and oppress us, they must know that we as a people lack that element.

They might turn our religion into a spear and try to bait us with it, but it’s their innocence that they fail to see how these assaults only feed a volcano of suppressed rage and the religion they acknowledge only as our weakness today is, in fact, our greatest strength.

When renowned Islamophobe Steve Klein says: “Do I feel guilty that these people were incited? Guess what? I didn’t incite them. They are pre-incited, they are pre-programmed to do this.” I hope he is right.

REDA CHEEMA Lahore

France ACCORDING to media reports, the French government temporarily closed its embassies and schools in 20 countries on Sept 21 after the publication of blasphemous material in a French magazine Charlie Hebdo.

The French government condemned the act of the magazine but said the country’s constitution grants everyone freedom of expression, and the government will not tolerate any agitation in the country.

However, recent events in France clearly show double standards of the French government. This week the French authorities in the hunt for the photographer raided and shut down on court orders the office of the French magazine which published topless pictures of British Princess Kate Middleton.

At the time when the Muslim world is already enraged on the blasphemous movie, this behaviour is further widening the gulf between different countries. The fact is that one cannot allow spread of hate and divisions in different religious communities in the name of freedom of expression.

Unfortunately, several hated personalities are getting international fame in the name of freedom of expression in the US and other western countries.

UMER FAROOQ Jeddah

Freedom of expression President Obama at the UN General Assembly stated that their constitution protected the right to practice free speech and, therefore, the US government will not ban the anti-Islamic video.

For President Obama it is surely a perplexing issue to deal with since the elections draw near. However, there are certainly some limits to freedom of expression. If anguishing the sentiments of billions of people is free speech and no crime, then why to blame the provoked protesters who wrathfully took life of the American ambassador to Libya in retaliation which surely was an unfortunate incident.

The anti-Islam filmmaker enjoyed the freedom of expression to such an extent that he had lost his freedom to freely move around as now he carries a $100,000 bounty on his head.

To rule out such chaotic incidents in future, there must be thorough legislation which could prevent miscreants making disharmony among the people.

USMAN SHAUKAT Islamabad