...

Thai Sunni Muslims protest internet film outside US embassy

Other News Materials 27 September 2012 12:11 (UTC +04:00)
Hundreds of Thai Sunni Muslims protested outside the US embassy in Bangkok Thursday against a film considered insulting to the Muslim prophet Mohammed, after a similar protest by the Shia community more than a week ago.
Thai Sunni Muslims protest internet film outside US embassy

Hundreds of Thai Sunni Muslims protested outside the US embassy in Bangkok Thursday against a film considered insulting to the Muslim prophet Mohammed, after a similar protest by the Shia community more than a week ago, dpa reported.

About 250 Sunnis from the Muslim Group for Peace waved placards outside the embassy reading "Protect our Beloved Prophet," and "Peace be Upon Him." They then moved on to the Thailand office of Google Inc to demand it withdraw the controversial film Innocence of Muslims from its Youtube service.

"We have to keep the pressure on the US government to arrest the people who made this film, and get it removed from YouTube and Google," said Abdul Asis, a spokesman for the protesters.

On September 18, about 400 Shia Muslims protested outside the US embassy in Bangkok against the film, chanting "Destroy America," although the demonstration remained peaceful.

The embassy shut early for the Shia protest but remained open on Thursday.

"We don't want to mix with the Shia because we have different styles," said Asis, a member of the Young Muslims Association of Thailand. "The Shia are more violent."

The majority of Thai Muslims are Sunni.

Islam is a minority religion in predominantly Buddhist Thailand, accounting for less than 10 per cent of the population.

Tags:
Latest

Latest