Yesterday I looked at the violence triggered in Egypt and Libya by the foul video produced and promoted by Christofascist pastor Terry Jones and his fellow hate merchants. This morning, it is being reported that the U. S. ambassador to Libya Chris Stevens (pictured above) and three others Americans were killed in yesterday's violence, so once again we see Jones' hate and hubris claiming the lives of innocents. I in no way condone the actions of the protesters in Egypt and Libya, but on the other hand deliberate efforts to promote hate and violence should not be allowed. There need to be serious consequences for Jones and his accomplices. Here are highlights from the Virginian Pilot:
Libyan officials said this morning that the U.S. ambassador and three other Americans were killed in an attack on the U.S. embassy in Benghazi by protesters angry over a film that ridiculed Islam's Prophet Muhammad.
The officials say Ambassador Chris Stevens was killed Tuesday night when he and a group of embassy employees went to the consulate to try to evacuate staff. The protesters were firing gunshots and rocket propelled grenades.
The protests in both countries were sparked by outrage over a film ridiculing Muhammad produced by an American in California and being promoted by an extreme anti-Muslim Egyptian Christian campaigner in the United States. Excerpts from the film dubbed into Arabic were posted on YouTube.
"Some have sought to justify this vicious behavior as a response to inflammatory material posted on the Internet," Clinton said in a statement released by the State Department. "The United States deplores any intentional effort to denigrate the religious beliefs of others. Our commitment to religious tolerance goes back to the very beginning of our nation. But let me be clear: There is never any justification for violent acts of this kind. "
A 14-minute trailer of the movie that sparked the protests, posted on the website YouTube in an original English version and another dubbed into Egyptian Arabic, depicts Muhammad as a fraud, a womanizer and a madman in an overtly ridiculing way, showing him having sex and calling for massacres.
A YouTube spokesperson said the website would not take down the video at this point. The website's guidelines call for removing videos that include a threat of violence, but not those only expressing opinions. YouTube's practice is not to comment on a specific videos.
Some work for peace and tolerance in the world. Others do not, including Christian and Islamic extremists who I view as a pervasive evil. Meanwhile, You Tube's gutlessness is disappointing. Meanwhile, part of me would love to see a similar video depicting Christ put up on You Tube so that the Christofascists would get a taste of their own medicine. Somehow, I suspect that You Tube would suddenly find a reason to remove the video. After all, far right Christians in America seem to have special rights not allowed to the rest of us.
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