At the time, President Mohammed Morsi was requesting President Barack Obama and the American Congress to issue legislation against desecration of religion, the Egyptian Public Prosecutor was referring the Islamist preacher Ahmed Mahmoud Abdullah (Abu Islam) and his son to the criminal court. They are to stand trial accused of desecrating the Christian religion. The accusation was directed at the man who heads a cultural satellite channel for his shameful act of setting fire to a copy of the Bible while demonstrating in front of the American Embassy in Cairo. The protests there were to condemn the anti-Islam film recently produced by some extremist and fanatical Christians in the US to defame Prophet Mohammed (PBUH). The charges were also directed at a journalist on Al-Tahrir private newspaper for publishing an interview with Abu Islam that included clear sentences encouraging desecration of Christianity, that could provoke hatred and even sectarian sedition in the country. It was commendable that Egypt did not request the US and the other countries to issue legislation banning desecration of religions while closing its eyes to a similar act occurring at home from a Muslim against Christianity or any other religion. Actually, Abu Islam's deed took place while the entire Muslims society in Egypt and the other world countries were feeling real bitterness and injustice at seeing these endless insults and defamation of the image of Islam and its Prophet. However, voices from noted Muslim figures and ordinary citizens condemned the shameful deed of Abu Islam, not only in rejecting meeting a harmful deed with a similar one but for the fact that Islam shows real respect and belief in Christianity and other divine religions, books and prophets of Allah. Muslims, who keep requesting the UN and the international community to take action to censure and criminalise desecration of religions, are actually defending all religions of Allah and not just Islam. It is no secret that to have full faith in Allah and Islam requires Muslims to believe in all prophets of Allah, the Holy Books, His Angels and the Day of Judgment. They are doing so not to please followers of other religions but out of the strong belief that Islam as a religion came to complete the previous religions of Allah and Prophet Mohammed came to conclude the chain of His messengers to humanity. Thus, it is very aggravating for Muslims to see some Christians devoting their life for nothing other than defaming image of Islam and its Prophet despite the fact that Islam is the only religion that gives Jesus Christ and his Virgin Mother the deserved respect. The Holy Qur'an also put them in high esteem to the level of having a full chapter of it named after the Virgin Mary, that is Surat Maryam, who is described as the greatest of all women of humankind. In return, Muslims see that a man claiming to be a religious person set fire in a copy of the Holy Qur'an one time and repeat the disgraceful act outside his small nondenominational church centre Florida. He shot against another copy recently to tear apart the very book that announced the innocence of Virgin Mary and denounced the Jews' accusation against her. That same offender Terry Jones participated in disseminating the offensive film that provoked the anger of the Muslims of the world as if his sole mission is to provoke hatred against Islam and Muslims. President Obama in his address to the UN's General Assembly concentrated on defending freedom of speech even if it violates natural respect for others' religion. He even condemned the violent acts some Muslims perpetrated against American embassies and consulates without uttering a single word expressing his condemnation of the offensive film produced on his land against Islam. Neither did he clarify to angry Muslims that the United States does not sponsor or endorse religious slander. We will not respond here to America's exceptional legislation issued against those that dare to offend Israel; instead we would just like to remind the Americans and their leader of the well established American value of freedom of worship that should go hand in hand with freedom of speech. The question is: How can one ensure freedom of faith in a country where freedom of speech could reach the level of allowing blasphemy against the most sacred beliefs of others?! Obama said that facing hateful speech should not be via repression but by more speech. So does this mean one should respond to accusations in a similar way, which could drive the world to a religious war as some far rightists wish to have, or by putting the Muslim world eternally on the defensive? Obama's address to the UN totally contradicts his speech directed to the Muslim world from Cairo on taking office four years ago, which was expressing tolerance and fraternity that should be enhanced between the West and the Muslim world. The majority of Muslim oppose resorting to violence when expressing condemnation of those who offend them by insulting their sacred symbols and beliefs. However, seeing the head of the biggest power in the world underestimating the major offence they suffer, at the hands of those irresponsible extremists, would surely make those people loosen any friendly ties to the American state and nation alike. Is this what the American administration wish; to provoke Muslims' enmity towards America? Strangely, this is exactly what they are apparently doing all the time.
