Ten years ago, the Danish Embassy in Damascus, Syria was attacked as a result of the degrading drawings of the Prophet ﷺ. This “anniversary”, sparked a few articles and comments from Danish politicians remembering the period and the incident. Some focusing on the events being the result of “extremist Muslims”, others focusing on the role of the Syrian regime and the fact that it was not the Danish Embassy that was burned but the Norwegian, since it was on the ground floor while the Danish was on the first floor behind security doors.

Comment:

In 2006, the Danish media and politicians used the incident to attack all Muslims criticizing the drawings and making them responsible for the incident in Damascus. They showed pictures of the burning building for days, knowing that the Danish Embassy was almost unharmed, just to arouse a negative atmosphere that would silence all critics. Even though this can be regarded as a low and unethical trick by media and politicians, it is a detail compared to what other lessons can be learned from the incident and the following ten years.

In 2010 secret American documents, leaked via wikileaks, showed that the Syrian regime was behind the incident, using the feelings of the Muslims to remove the increasing dissatisfaction and anger from themselves, and towards a foreign enemy. At the same time an influential Syrian man named, Sheikh Salah Kuftaro, wrote a message to CIA, that stated, that Assad was sending this message to the world: “We are the only ones standing between you and the Islamic hordes (…) This is what you get, if you allow real democracy and let the Islamists come to power.”

A message he would repeat 5 years later when the people finally rose up against him.

Using the drawings and the emotions of the Muslims they provoked, as a valve to redirect increasing dissatisfaction, was not special for Syria, but was done by the tyrants all over the Muslim world. It shows us that we as Muslims, are in dire need of political awareness, so we are not misled and distorted by calculating oppressors exploiting our feelings, nor exhausting our energy on actions without real effect.  For one, it might have been one of the factors that kept the tyrants in power for a few more years before the uprisings began 4 years later. Secondly, the attack on the Embassy had no real impact on the country behind the drawings, which has only increased its hatred, persecution and witch hunt on Muslims ever since.

The Muslim Ummah, wants and deserves change, and that change comes with a price.
A high price has already been paid in Syria and elsewhere, so let it not be in vain by being misled yet another time by the West and its agents, such as right now under the Genève 3 negotiations, nor in the future.

It cannot be stressed enough, how important it is, that we as Muslims start increasing our awareness. Firstly, by focusing on understanding the political reality that surrounds us, and secondly to understand the Islamic rules regarding that reality, in order to achieve real change and regaining our shield and protector of honor, Khilafah Rashidah (Caliphate) upon the method of the Prophethood.

Junes Kock

Media Representative of Hizb ut Tahrir in Scandinavia