“What a disaster that struck Muslims, what happened? A group of American disbelievers have produced an anti-prophet movie and it was posted on the Internet and shown in America, the country hostile to Islam and Muslims. Answer me, is there a more terrible disaster than that?”

“What a disaster that struck Muslims, what happened? A group of American disbelievers have produced an anti-prophet movie and it was posted on the Internet and shown in America, the country hostile to Islam and Muslims. Answer me, is there a more terrible disaster than that?”

With these phrases, “the Sharia Supporters” or the so-called Jihadi Salafists started their statement, which they distributed to many mosques during Friday prayers on 14 September 2012.  Friday speeches were very enthusiastic and most of the mosque imams placed the blame on the American government and urged people to support the Prophet.

After Friday prayers, hundreds of protesters headed to the American Embassy chanting anti-Jewish and anti-American slogans like “Obama Obama, we are all Osama”. The bloody confrontations between the police and the protesters lasted five hours and resulted in breaking into the embassy. The American flag was brought down and replaced by the Caliphate flag and the cars inside the building were burnt. The attack left four dead and 50 wounded among the police and the protestors.

Is the American government to blame?

Until that bloody day, the identity of the movie producer has not been verified. It was then revealed that his name is Nicola Bassily Nicola, a Coptic Egyptian based in California in the U.S. He was previously convicted and he was arrested on Saturday, September 15^th to verify his adherence to the conditional release he was given. The movie actors and actresses released a statement condemning the producer for “changing the scenario and adding scenes they didn’t agree on”.

Despite all the uncertainty engulfing the movie, it seemed obvious for protestors that the American government is to blame but it is not that simple for two reasons: the first is the “semi-comprehensive liberties principle in USA where the first amendment to the constitution prohibits any censorship or impeding of the freedom of expression. The American government can’t stop any artistic production unless it promotes murder or violence, according to the American law. That was stressed by Hilary Clinton, the Secretary of State, when she said on Thursday, September 13^th: “The U.S. would never stop Americans from expressing their views, no matter how distasteful.”

On the other hand, Rashid Al-Gannushi, leader of Ennahda ruling party, ascribed these events to the absence of an American law that criminalized offending religious sacred symbols, the same law the party is trying to incorporate in the new Tunisian constitution. This request seems difficult to achieve for the above mentioned reasons. Al-Gannushi’s remark comes, probably, to score political points over his secular opponents who think such laws impede liberties.

The second reason is political. Many observers believe that showing the movie in the midst of the American presidential race doesn’t serve the image of Obama who welcomed the Arab Spring and approved of the Islamists’ rise to power. Moreover, the movie put Obama in an embarrassing situation, for his opponent exploited this crisis to show Obama as a weak president who can’t protect American international interests.

What did protestors get from the move?

Many politicians, especially Islam-oriented ones, didn’t hesitate, after condemning the violent events, to praise the noble cause, which made protestors take to the streets and support the Prophet. The real losses caused by the confrontations will not be known until the storm passes. Because of a suspicious movie and an obscure director, four died and scores were injured in their country in confrontations with their fellow people. Protestors gave vandalism gangs and saboteurs the opportunity to join and mutilate their main aim.

Through breaking into the embassy and burning the American school, the protestors confirmed an aspect of the image the movie director wanted to convey about Muslims. They looked like violent fanatics who loathe the west but in reality the great majority of Tunisians were watching TV more in sorrow than in anger. These events confirmed the stereotype of Tunisia after the revolution that it is an insecure country, which is controlled by religious extremists. Furthermore, this incident will have disastrous economic effects for the superpower; if can’t protect its embassy it will find it difficult to prove its ability to protect investors.

In an unprecedented move last Saturday, the USA called on its citizens not to visit Tunisia and deported its non-essential staff from Tunisia. It is probable that other countries will do the same.