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Originally posted by fenceSitter
You don't have to agree with it. You don't have to like it. But you can tolerate it out of respect for your fellow man. We all believe in things that other do not and as long as we live in a world where tolerance of those differences do not exist, violence and hatred will always rule.
Any visual depiction of Mohammed risks offending almost 25% of the worlds population. So if you are out to make a few enemies, this is certainly the best way to do it.
The U.S. embassy in Cairo released the following statement:
The Embassy of the United States in Cairo condemns the continuing efforts by misguided individuals to hurt the religious feelings of Muslims – as we condemn efforts to offend believers of all religions. Today, the 11th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States, Americans are honoring our patriots and those who serve our nation as the fitting response to the enemies of democracy. Respect for religious beliefs is a cornerstone of American democracy. We firmly reject the actions by those who abuse the universal right of free speech to hurt the religious beliefs of others
The statement comes after a mob of Egyptians climbed the walls of the embassy and tore down the American flag. Reuters reports:
Egyptian protesters scaled the walls of the U.S. embassy in Cairo on Tuesday and pulled down the American flag during a protest over what they said was a film being produced in the United States that insulted Prophet Mohammad, witnesses said.
In place of the U.S. flag, the protesters tried to raise a black flag with the words "There is no God but Allah and Mohammad is his messenger", a Reuters reporter said.
Once the U.S. flag was hauled down, protesters tore it up, with some showing off small pieces to television cameras. Then others burned remains.
"This movie must be banned immediately and an apology should be made ... This is a disgrace," said 19-year-old, Ismail Mahmoud, a member of the so-called "ultras" soccer supporters who played a big role in the uprising that brought down Hosni Mubarak last year.
The Romney campaign accused the Obama administration of sympathizing with the protests in a statement released after the administration statement.
“I'm outraged by the attacks on American diplomatic missions in Libya and Egypt and by the death of an American consulate worker in Benghazi. It's disgraceful that the Obama administration's first response was not to condemn attacks on our diplomatic missions, but to sympathize with those who waged the attacks,” Romney said.
According to the Wall Street Journal, the film depicts the Muslim prophet Muhammed as a “womanizer, pedophile and fraud” — depiction bound to offend many Muslims.
"The statement by Embassy Cairo was not cleared by Washington and does not reflect the views of the United States government," an administration official told POLITICO.