An anti-Islam video, “The Innocence of Muslims,” initially posted on Youtube this past July and intended to be the trailer for a longer film, sparked demonstrations across the Arab world. The clip depicts Muhammad as a philanderer who approved of child sexual abuse, along with other outrageous claims, resulting in Muhammad appearing to be a murderer.
While many mourned the great loss and epic tragedy of the terrorist attack on September 11th, the people of Libya faced what seemed to be a repeat of the past, as demonstrations in response to the video led to the burning of American flags and the attack on the U.S. embassy. The violence lead to the deaths of the U.S. ambassador in Benghazi, Libya, along with three fellow Americans. With chaos everywhere, several people were wounded by police gunfire. The police allegedly used tear gas to prevent the protesters from approaching the U.S. embassy.
An angered Libya has closed its airspace over Benghazi because of Islamics who were firing at U.S. investigating planes, of which were flying across the city. This closure induced the idea that the U.S. was planning a rebuttal attack towards those individuals involved in the previous attack.
Not only did protests continue throughout the tragic day in Libya, but throughout the Middle East, Africa, and Asia; the largest protests taking place along the Gaza Strip, where approximately 30,000 Palestinians were found leading rallies concerning the coastal territory. Protestors continued in rage to set fire to both American and Israeli flags, along with a statues of the film’s producer and President Obama. Iranians continued to construct protests throughout the nation. As the unhappiness continued, the violence only increased. Obama is now presented with yet another foreign policy crisis with just one month before the upcoming presidential election.