Hundreds of Muslims gather in Teesside to protest at controversial video (From Darlington and Stockton Times)
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Hundreds of Muslims gather in Teesside to protest at controversial video
5:51pm Sunday 28th October 2012 in News By Joanna Morris
HUNDREDS of Muslims gathered today (Sunday, October 28) to demonstrate against an anti-Islamic video that has sparked outrage across the world.
The demonstration, at Stockton’s Muslim Welfare Trust, was held as a reaction to the ‘Innocence of Muslims’ video, which depicts a doctor teaching his young daughter that Muslims are terrorists.
The film's maker, Egyptian Nakoula Basseley Nakoula, has been in hiding since it was released on September 11.
The video, which went viral, led to protests and riots all over the world amid claims that it undermined and insulted the prophet Muhammad.
The demonstration in Stockton was organised in order to give Teesside’s Muslim community the chance to voice their concerns in a peaceful manner.
Mahroof Hussein, Treasurer of the Muslim Welfare Trust, said: “We wanted to make sure this was a peaceful demonstration.
"We decided not to take to the streets because we wanted to avoid any conflict and wanted to get our point across through a peaceful gathering and the lobbying of our MPs.
“We are demonstrating because our prophet Muhammad was insulted.
"Our community feels very strongly that no religious prophet should be insulted, whether it is Muhammad or Jesus.”
Stockton North MP Alex Cunningham and Hartlepool counterpart Iain (CORRECT) Wright joined Middlesbrough Councillor, Barry Coppinger, at the event and agreed to deliver a petition on behalf of the Muslim community to the Houses of Parliament.
Mr Cunningham told those gathered: “I am a Christian and I get upset about the way my religion and my faith is compromised by other people.
"I can understand the parallels with our faiths.
“There has been a terrible loss of life across the world because of this film and I am sure those here today would share our upset at that happening.
"My commitment to you is that we will take this to the House of Commons and will raise the matter in Parliament and address the upset and anger of the Muslim community.
"People doing this sort of thing need to realise that it is not right and that it is costing lives.”
Ambreen Hussain, 16, said: “When something is wrong, justice needs to happen. Protesting in a respectable manner is the best way to go about it. Voices need to be heard.”
Comments(6)
whitbyharbour
says...
8:46am Mon 29 Oct 12
,but no one takes it serious and start doing marches in the street and shouting the odds.
Yemen
says...
9:20am Mon 29 Oct 12
aside from the fact its one of the worst made films I have ever seen. people should be concentrating on educating people so that they don't go out and murder,throw stones and generally act in a way we have not seen since the muddle ages.
That's the true outrage of this stupid film.
also is it only me that find the fact they are using their right to free speech to protest someone exercising their right to free speech ?
st-george1
says...
3:19pm Mon 29 Oct 12
I agree to a point, but I don’t recall seeing the same Muslims and their Leaders gathering or demonstrating anywhere in the UK against such a horrendous group of the Muslim child-sex-abusers of white-children at Rochdale which also sparked outrage across the world.
frankyboy
says...
3:26pm Mon 29 Oct 12
I see from comments on the Michael Kenny story that he accuses the Echo of banning and censoring all the time. Kenny seems a bit odd, but comments do seem to get removed an awful lot.
Anyway, I assume the two MPs have a lot of Muslim voters in their constituencies, so I guess they had to turn up to this demonstration.
Yemen
says...
3:55pm Mon 29 Oct 12
st-george1 wrote:Mohammed Shafiq of the Ramadhan Foundation has spoken, and continues to campaign, against the abuse that went on. and in his opinion still goes on.
Ambreen Hussain, 16, said …When something is wrong, justice needs to happen …
I agree to a point, but I don’t recall seeing the same Muslims and their Leaders gathering or demonstrating anywhere in the UK against such a horrendous group of the Muslim child-sex-abusers of white-children at Rochdale which also sparked outrage across the world.
not only has he spoken out about it to the press but also to the eldars and imans and speaks in mosques about it.
maybe that story is not worth column inches in the press but it does go to prove to you, in some small way, that the same Muslims and leaders are as appalled at the barbaric acts perpetrated by these monsters.
i for one hope they are passed around in a similar fashion inside. and with any luck they will never see the light of day again.
spragger says...
6:59pm Sun 28 Oct 12
Sticks & stones may break my bones
I guess you all came in taxi's?