Zafar Bangash stepped off his makeshift stage across the street from the U.S. consulate Saturday to hugs and kisses from his Muslim brothers.
Bangash, director of the Institute of Contemporary Islamic Thought in Toronto, led a crowd of roughly 1,500 in chants against the anti-Islamic film, Innocence of Muslims.
“The Muslims, united, will never be defeated,” yelled Bangash, the crowd following suit. “Shame, shame, U.S.A. Shame, shame, U.S.A.”
Bangash, the organizer of the protest, told the crowd to rise up against the inaction of the U.S., and the Canadian government as well.
“Harper, Harper, shame on you,” said Bangash, the crowd of men, women and children roaring his words back at him.
“Islamophobia has now become the official policy of the U.S. and Canadian governments,” Bangash said once offstage. He said that neither government has taken enough action against the film.
“Not a single Canadian politician has uttered a single word about this scandalous and filthy movie,” said Bangash, adding the statement issued by the U.S. government is not enough.
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has denounced the film, which ridicules the Prophet Muhammad, following violent protests across the Middle East, including an attack on the U.S. consulate in Libya that killed U.S. ambassador Christopher Stevens on Sept. 11.
Bangash wants the U.S. to remove the film from YouTube and prosecute Nakoula Basseley Nakoula, the California man allegedly behind the film, for public mischief and hate speech.
“We simply cannot accept the excuse that it’s freedom of expression,” said Bangash. “There is a limit — it’s hate speech.”
The Toronto protest remained peaceful as violence continued in Muslim countries. In Bangladesh, police fired tear gas Saturday to disperse stone-throwing protesters.
The protesters burned several vehicles, including a police van, and more than 100 people were injured.
In Pakistan, Railways Minister Ghulam Ahmad Balor said he would pay $100,000 out of his own pocket for the death of the filmmaker.
Balor’s comments came a day after more than 20 people died and 160 were injured during violent protests against the film in Pakistan’s largest cities.
“We condemn the violence taking place elsewhere,” said Bangash, adding those gathered Saturday in Toronto were protesting the Canadian way.
Meanwhile, a Toronto man linked to the movie by the Egyptian government visited Toronto police’s 42 division Saturday in Scarborough to ask for protection after Egyptian imams ordered he be beheaded.
Nader Fawzy, 52, denies any involvement with the film and says it’s the Egyptian government’s way of retaliating against a lawsuit he filed on behalf of Coptic Christian activists who died in police custody during former president Hosni Mubarak’s rein.
“I’m scared, number one, for my small kids,” said Fawzy. “Each time they are leaving the home … I’m calling them now like crazy.”
Scarborough-Agincourt MP Jim Karygiannis joined Fawzy at the police station and said he’s concerned for Fawzy’s safety.
“This is not the Canadian government I used to know,” said Karygiannis, who’s frustrated with the inaction of Minister of Foreign Affairs John Baird, whom he asked to intervene and request Fawzy’s name be cleared.
Karygiannis said he plans to speak to the RCMP to assure Fawzy’s safety and plans to bring the issue up in Parliament this week.
Protesters at U.S. consulate in Toronto demand government action against anti-Islamic movie - thestar.com
