I do not hate Nakoula Basseley Nakoula. Hatred requires a lot of tough emotions. I refuse to splurge them on him.
I pity him.
Inebriated with the deadly concoction of hate and envy, Mr Basseley in attacking the persona of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be to him), comes across as extremely insecure, miserable, devoid of truth and love. What else can explain the making of an inflammatory movie with no artistic merit whatsoever? A movie disavowed by its cast and crew who have publicly accused its maker of deceiving them of the purpose and content of the film. The drastic script re-writes and overdubbing of the religious references have shocked the actors themselves.
Pure mischief. Utter fabrication. I have my doubts about reasoning with a man who does not feel the guilt of hurting over a billion hearts, of letting loose tears and blood.
Basseley is not the first. Nor will he be the last. Those of his ilk unable to counter the message try to shoot the messenger. The truth of the matter is Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be to him) despite fourteen centuries of character bashing, still stands tall and always will.
For it isn’t only about faith. Nor is it about my religion or yours. It’s about truth and historical facts. Let’s care for the feeble voice of our conscience and approach this matter with integrity.
How fair is it to accuse the man who gave women revolutionary rights – not as a favour, but a birthright – on a platter, fourteen centuries ago, of being a womaniser. This at a time when the world debated on whether a woman has a soul. When female infanticide rarely pricked a conscience. When sexual gratification was her only productive role. Prophet Muhammad stood up for me and proclaimed I could stay alive, I could choose my spouse, I could divorce him, I could inherit property, I could run a business… I could hold an opinion….
The advent of Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be to him) for women was therefore like the break of a dawn after a long, turbulent night. For the first time, women’s welfare was addressed, sanctioned by the divine.
However, the violent reaction by the Muslims is unjustified and regrettable too. It does not behove the followers of a man who humanised even the battlefield. Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be to him) ordered his army when fighting aggressors not to kill an old woman or a child or a woman, not to cut trees or destroy homes, not to slaughter animals but only for food, not to disturb monks and leave them in their hermitages. On another occasion he reprimanded his companions for burning ants, stating that none had the right to burn save Allah.
No innocent life can be made to pay for Basseley’s crime. It defeats the justice enforced by Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be to him). Let us fear with horror the slightest resemblance (even in rage) to the insensitivity and vulgarity exhibited by Basseley. Prophet Muhammad’s supreme message of one God and equality of mankind belittles Basseley’s hateful, malicious and obnoxious attempt. Muslims have to realise that the Prophet’s character and honour is too lofty for Basseley to comprehend, let alone attack.
We take serious offence to the double standards on freedom of speech and blasphemy laws. Why is it that anti-racist, anti-Semitic, anti-gay remarks are met with zero tolerance but the slander against Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be to him) gets accommodated in honour of freedom of speech? When a David Irving (historian, Oxford University) can be imprisoned for questioning the 6 million figures of holocaust, why is Mr. Basseley not answerable for libel against a man whom billions revere? Who decides that Basseley’s sacrilege is less horrendous than that of ‘pussy riot’? I ponder and then shrug it off because I feel helpless against the power and luxury of the media to choose which voice to hear, which truth to proclaim.
Yes, we are angry and deeply offended. Prophet Muhammad is more than family. He’s faith itself. Any attack on his honour sets my blood on boil but I clench my fist, swallow the lump in my throat and strive for restraint in the spirit of the Qur’ān that categorically states:
You shall certainly hear much that will grieve you, from those who received the Book before you and from those who worship many gods. But if you persevere patiently and guard against evil, then that will be a determining factor in all affairs. (3:186)
At the end of the day, a consolation I offer myself is the fact that Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be to him) came as the benefactor to entire humanity, including Basseley. Miserable as he is, he chooses to deny himself this love.
I wish all those who agree with him the sagacity to calculate this loss.