By Hafidz Baharom and Nomy Nozwir
KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 21 — Thousands of Muslims shed their political differences and thronged the streets of the capital this afternoon to condemn the controversial “Innocence of Muslims” video, a short film mocking the Prophet Muhammad that has fuelled international fury and wreaked a storm of violent protests across the Muslim world.
Two simultaneous rallies — one by Umno Youth and another by PAS Youth — drew large crowds of angry protestors to different checkpoints across the city, all chanting praises to Allah and taunting the United States as they pushed their way through the mob.
Outside the Tabung Haji building in Jalan Tun Razak in the capital, the protest led by PAS Youth was joined by at least 5,000 people, including two Islamic non-governmental organisations like Teras and Angkatan Belia Islam.
The group gathered shortly before 2pm before marching down the 1km stretch to the US Embassy in Lorong Kuda, waving flags of PAS, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia and a modified version of the pre-independence flag Sang Saka, and yelling “Down with America and Zionism”.
“America must take full responsibility for this issue. We will show that the patience of Muslims and the non-Muslims is limited.
“If they go on with this, we will take more action,” Teras president Azmi Abdul Hamid said.
Barely 5km across the city at the iconic Masjid Jamek in Jalan Tun Perak, Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin led over 2,000 people, including members of Malay rights group Perkasa, Majlis Belia Malaysia and Puteri Umno, to protest the controversial film.
The Rembau MP praised PAS for agreeding to shed its political differences and take a stand along with Umno for the sake of Muslim solidarity.
“Two days ago, I phoned PAS’s Nasrudin Tantawi and together we agreed to put aside our differences.
“Umno Youth gathers today in solidarity with PAS, unlike their political allies,” Khairy said, criticising PAS’s partners in Pakatan Rakyat (PR) for not joining the party in today’s protests.
US embassies worldwide have all been placed on high alert following protests against the controversial video, which have even led to the death of a US ambassador and three other Americans last week during a protest at the US consulate in the Libyan city of Benghazi.
The crudely made 13-minute English-language film that mocks the Prophet Muhammad was produced by American Sam Bacile, filmed in California and circulated on the Internet under several titles including “Innocence of Muslims”.
Clips of the film posted on the Internet since July have been attributed to Bacile, which two people linked to the film have said was likely an alias.
For many Muslims, any depiction of the prophet is blasphemous. Caricatures deemed insulting in the past have provoked protests and drawn condemnations from officials, preachers, ordinary Muslims and many Christians.
MORE TO COME