US Embassy Dialogues With Muslims

As part of efforts being made to curb the violence that is engulfing the Islamic world in the wake of a documentary that purportedly slanders the Islamic religion, the United States Embassy officials in Accra have met the National Chief Imam and his elders to discuss how to forestall similar occurrences in the country.

In the past week, wave of violent protests have rocked Islamic countries following the documentary allegedly produced by a California-based Sam Bacile (whom many claim is also called Nakoula Basseley Nakoula), which Moslems have argued that it is an insult to the Prophet Mohammed.

Countries such as Afghanistan, Algeria, Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Lebanon, Malaysia, Mauritania, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sudan and Tunisia have witnessed violent protests but it became deadly in Libya leading to the death of the United States Ambassador Christopher Stevens in Benghazi and other embassy officials.

Close allies of the United States have also not been spared as protests have hit Australia, Belgium Denmark France, Germany and the United Kingdom.

According to United States sources, the film: ‘Innocence of Muslims’ had been on social networking site YouTube since July but it sparked outrage in September.

The US Embassy officials: Pat Alsup –Charge d’ Affairs, Cheryl Anderson – Director of USAID Ghana, Vanelle Trim – Political Section Officer, and four other officials who met the Chief Imam in Accra, declined to speak to the media about what transpired at the close-door meeting.

Alhaji Maman Gardo Mohammed, spokesperson of the Chief Imam Sheikh Dr. Osman Nuhu Sharubutu later told the media that “The American Embassy yesterday called the Chief Imam to say they want to come and see him in connection with events in Libya leading to the death of their ambassador. They believed that in Ghana we have a lot of Moslems and there is the possibility that there may well be some reaction so this is why they came to see the man.

“What transpired was that there was a dialogue of what happened and the implications of it not only to Ghana but to the Moslem world.

“They gave us their perception of what has happened and said it was reprehensible. They condemned the video and said the condemnation is from the top – from the President to the Secretary of State.”

He said the constitutional provision that allows Americans to have free speech might have been the cause of the production of the video saying “people are taking advantage of that clause.”

He said the visiting officials believed that whoever produced the film was “ignorant” and did not “understand Islam.”

When asked if he anticipated the protests spilling over into Ghana, Alhaji Gardo Mohammed said “already it is happening all over Islamic countries and we have Moslems here…We should not forget that Moslems have a shared vision all over the world so the same reaction could come from here.

“The embassy officials came to us to explain their feelings about the damages that the documentary has caused. If you look at the reactions across the Islamic world, we may not have gone on demonstration but we feel the same way because our prophet has been abused.

“The Chief Imam believes that the visit by the embassy officials is a mark of respect that they have come all the way to see him on a matter of considerable implications to Moslems all over the world.

“What we are concerned about is that we told them that we do not want a repetition of the current situation. If there is a way that we can put our heads together to ensure that similar provocations do not recur, then we must find that way.

“We were clearly provoked by the producer of the film and we made our feelings known to the Americans.”