With the Muslim world again in turmoil, ostensibly because of a film insulting to The Prophet Mohammad, but more likely thanks to a variety of factors know only to those wishing to provoke such a reaction, Libyans are expressing another view. This report from Libyan newspaper Al Watan extensively quotes a statement by the Libya Fatwa Court, an officially sanctioned religious body, which not only condemns the murder of U.S. Ambassador to Libya Christopher Stephens and the film Innocence of Muslims, it describes the violence that has erupted as an offense against The Prophet and a danger to the Libyan people.
For Al Watan of Libya, reporter Naiima Al Masrati quotes the statement of the Libyan Fatwa Court in part:
The Fatwa Court described the attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi as “irresponsible, and greatly damaging to the interests of our nation, which puts it at a disadvantage in relation to other nations; alienates us in reference to other nations by giving them reason to classify Libya as a terrorist country; and makes interference in our domestic affairs and violations of our sovereignty more likely.”
The Fatwa Court made clear that what happened to the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi is to be condemned, is a dangerous indicator of a serious breakdown of security, and is a challenge by force of arms to the power of the state. It is an act that is rejected by all Libyans who love their homeland and all of those who define themselves as Muslim and belonging to Islam.
The statement added that “what happened to the U.S. consulate in Benghazi is an offense to Islam, strengthens and encourages its enemies, and will tend to drive away anyone interested in Islam and wishing for Islam’s victory.” It said that what happened there is a result of the “unwarranted bloody violence that has taken place over recent months in many areas of Libya between and among armed groups which battle one another without the authority and legitimacy of national authorities, which are responsible for the nation’s shrines and tombs.” The statement labels as criminal any armed attack by any group outside the legal framework of the state.
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