by Orkhan Sattarov, head of the European Bureau of VK
Guido Steinberg, a well-known specialist of Islamic and an expert of the Science and Politics Foundation, has commented on the repercussions of the “Innocence of Muslims” film and attacks on embassies in Arab states.
- Mr. Steinberg, what is your forecast for the anti-western protests in Arab states?
- I assume that the fire we see in the Middle East today will be put out by itself. Perhaps, the protests may last a few days or even weeks. Last year, we saw that similar protests against Americans and Europeans in Islamic states were eventually stopping. Such acts are often used for domestic political purposes of political actors in the states themselves. When their interest is gone, the protests will gradually end.
- The US sent military ships to Yemen, which seems like an attempt to demonstrate force and weapons. How did the Muslim world respond to such actions?
- I do not think the US would want to aggravate their positions in the Arab world even more. I believe that sending the military fleet to Yemen has practical purposes. The events in Libya showed that, despite common views about protection of US diplomatic missions, their security in some cases becomes insufficient. I think that Americans have realized the weaknesses of American diplomatic missions. Besides, it must be noted that the situation in Yemen is especially complicated, because the local central government had problems controlling the capital. This is why Americans had to take own measures to protect its citizens. So I doubt that it would make a big impact on the US image in Arab states.
- What does the Islamic world expect from the West?
- I suppose that many expect us, Europeans, and Americans to prevent insults against Islam and Prophet Muhammad. “Innocence of Muslims” is a shameful home-made product. Many people hospitable towards the West, including conservative Muslims, keep asking why such things are allowed. They do not view it as freedom of speech, but rather as proof of Islamophobia in the West. When people with sympathy towards us talk about, we have a reason for reconsiderations.
In general, it is not only the film itself, it is also the processes, which are a lot more global and higher-scaled. Relations between the West and the Arab world, despite some positive moments during presidency of Barack Obama, have aggravated. Both the West and the Islamic world are dominated by forces escalating the conflict. In the Islamic world, it is the Salafis, oppositionists, Muslim Brotherhood and other radical groups. In the West, it is Christian fundamentalists, in Germany it is Nazis of Pro Deutschland. They are people gaining more attention, which results in escalation of the conflict.
- You have mentioned the Pro Deutschland ultraright organization planning public demonstration of the “Innocence of Muslims” film in Berlin. Do you believe it may cause protests in Germany?
- We cannot rule that out because Pro Deutschland had a demonstration in Bonn in May this year, the Salafis organized a response, causing violence. The ultrarightists have recently shown caricatures of Prophet Muhammad at Salafis’ mosques in Berlin. Presence of police is doubtlessly necessary during such actions to prevent collisions. The possibility of such actions spreading to Germany seems real enough.
