After God Almighty, the Libyan revolution would not have succeeded without the support, both military and logistical, provided by the United States and other Western allies. The American government played a major role in saving the lives of many thousands of Libyan civilians during the February 17 revolution, not least in Benghazi. US Ambassador Chris Stevens, who was murdered in Benghazi on Tuesday, was a friend to Libya who did his best to support our country and present a positive picture of its development to the world. During both the revolution and subsequently, he sincerely sought to enhance cooperation between Libya and the United States, most recently by reopening channels of communication that enabled the resumption of visa services to America. Sadly, however, some ignorant fanatics were of a different opinion. They tried to smear the image of Libya and Libyans in the eyes of the world through a vicious attack which left Ambassador Stevens and three of his colleagues dead. What possible responsibility can Stevens and other innocent employees be said to have had for making a film deriding Islam and the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in the United States? Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said: “Whoever has killed a person having a treaty with the Muslims shall not smell the fragrance of Paradise.” Ambassador Chris Stevens was a peaceful person who had nothing but good intentions for Muslims. Extremists are on the fringes of the Libyan society. They are doing nothing but more harm to the country. They are a cancer to Libya, and Libya will never move forward unless they are firmly stopped. May the voices of moderation prevail. What happened in Libya on Tuesday was not a demonstration; it was an act of hate. I am not sure that an act of hate should be expressed or protected. If we protect someone's right to hate, then how are we going to protect the innocent people who are hurt or even killed as a result of a backlash? Demagoguery and aggressive demonstrations to protect a religion neither increase someone's faith nor enter them to paradise; they just keep all the good away and release all the harm from a Pandora's box. Muslims can only show love and support to the Prophet (pbuh) by learning and applying the speeches of the Prophet (pbuh) , not by changing a Facebook profile picture or going on violent demonstrations and killing innocent people. Only hypocrites, who commit a series of sins, could assume they will reach atonement with their faith by pressing the button and outrageously killing innocent people in the name of Islam. Nothing will touch Islam or the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), not a book, not a movie, not a picture. What touched Islam and the Prophet (pbuh) in Libya and in the world is the failure to remember and apply his speeches in our life.
