CAIRO: The World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Reverend Olav Fykse Tveit has expressed great “regret" on making of the film “The Innocence of Muslims". He called the film an “an insult to the heart of the Muslim faith" and “to all peoples of faith." The film made in US offensive to the Islamic faith has recently spurred reactions, including an attack on the US Consulate in Libya. In a statement issued on Friday, Tveit urged non-violence, respect for religions and the Christian and Muslims to “stand together in condemning such insults." Tveit said that “the film was produced and distributed by particular individuals who are not in any way representative of the attitudes of any mainstream religious group, nor indeed of particular countries or governments." Affirming the WCC's continuing commitment to the dialogue with the Muslim partners, Tveit said that “we have confirmed our commitment to work together with our Muslim partners for justice and peace. So we believe that it is tragic if the reactions provoked by this film were in turn to lead to negative stereotyping of Muslims." “It is vitally important that the relevant authorities ensure that such potentially vulnerable groups are protected and do not become the target of violence by misguided individuals reacting to the actions of those far away," added Tveit. The film clip, now revealed to be produced and financed by exiled Coptic Christian extremists, highlights the ongoing battle for tolerance. One of the leading producers of the film, Morris Sadek, is known for his virulent attacks against Islam, including calling for the Israeli government to invade Egypt and save it from the “Muslim occupation" of Coptic Christian lands. At least now, after days of speculation, the truth of the film is coming to light and it shows the extremist nature of the Coptic Christian community abroad who want to inflame the Muslim majority in Egypt toward violence. But Christians in Egypt have shown their solidarity with their Muslim brothers and sisters, organizing a protest on Wednesday against the film, a sign that most Christians in Egypt do not support the extremism being spouted by those who helped bring forward this film.
