Arab World: Outrage Over Killing of US Ambassador in Benghazi

This post is part of our special coverage Libya Revolution 2011.

Arab netizens have condemned the cowardly attack on the United States Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, last night (Tuesday 11 September, 2012). Four Americans, including Ambassador Christopher Stevens were killed when militants fired rockets at them as they were being driven to a safer location after protesters surrounded the consulate building.

News reports say protesters surrounded the Consulate, outraged over a film which ridiculed Prophet Mohammed, produced by an American-Israeli film maker. In Cairo, a similar protest was staged, where protesters scaled the US Embassy walls, tearing down the US flag, and replacing it with an Islamic banner.

The killing of Mr Stevens and three other US Consulate staff has outraged netizens from across the region.

The Libyan Youth Movement asks:

@ShababLibya: What did attacking the consulate last night achieve? Nothing but destruction, violence, & utter tragedy

Abdulraqeeb Al Azzane notes [ar]:

قتل السفير الأمريكي ليس نصراً للرسول صلوات ربي وسلامه عليه ياحمقى، بل هو ترسيخ للصورة الذهنية السيئة التي يروج لها منتجو الفيلم. أسفي ‎‫#ليبيا‬‏
@alazzane: The murder of the US Ambassador is not a victory for the Prophet you fools! It instills the wrong stereotype that the producers of the film are promoting. What a shame!
Protesters outside the US Embassy in Cairo last night

Protesters outside the US Embassy in Cairo last night. Photograph shared on Twitter by @khadrania

Nasr Aldbea says [ar]:

أنا بعد شفت مظاهرات ‎‫#مصر‬‏ توقعت ح يصير شي مماثل في ‎‫#ليبيا‬‏ .. انا متأكد اللي حرقوا وفجروا ما عندهمش علم حتي بالفيلم !
@NasrAldbea: I am certain those who burned and bombed have no idea about the film. When I saw what happened in Egypt, I suspected something similar will happen in Libya.

Khalil Agha tweets [ar]:

السفير الامريكي الذي قتل في بنغازي كان مناصرا قويا للثورة في ليبيا، واحب العالم العربي. فكافأنه بالقتل. بئس الامة نحن. ‎‫#ليبيا‬‏ ‎‫#عرب‬‏ ‎‫#امريكا‬‏
@Khalil_alagha: The American Ambassador who was killed in Benghazi was a strong supporter of the Libyan revolution and he loved the Arab world. His reward was his murder. We are a doomed nation.

Saudi Fahad Albutairi reminds us [ar]:

لا شيء أشد خطرًا من شخص اجتمع فيه الحماس الديني والجهل. الثورة الليبية ستفقد مصداقيتها إن لم يُحاسب المجرمون الذين قتلوا السفير الأمريكي.
@Fahad: No one is more dangerous than someone who has religious zeal combined with ignorance. The Libyan revolution will lose its credibility if the criminals who have killed the American Ambassador are not punished.

And Libyan Ahmed Misrata agrees:

@AhmedEMisrata: Last night's event was a disgrace to our revolution, our martyrs and most of all, a disgrace to the teachings of the Prophet PBUH #Benghazi

From Egypt, Schehrazade remarks:

@_Schehrazade_: A man doing his job got killed in #Libya because some amateurs made a worthless movie and some freaks valued it. Continue hating.

And from Benghazi, @N_Benghazi writes:

@N_Benghazi: The Prophet (saws) wouldn't have accepted that innocent blood be spilled because people are offended over some nobody's movie. #libya

Egyptian writer Karim El Degwy predicts [ar]:

الهجوم على السفارة الليبيا هيكون له تأثير كبير أوي وهـيغير نتيجة الانتخابات بما لا يفيد العرب ولا المسلمين … مبروك علينا الأرهاب يا رجاله!
@KarimElDeqwi: The attack on the Embassy in Libya will have a huge impact and will change the result of the elections in a way which will not benefit Arabs and Muslims. Congratulations for the terrorism we enjoy!

And still in Egypt, Nadia El Awady concludes [ar]:

والله نستاهل كل اللي يجرالنا. العالم كله حيعاملنا بقرف لحد ما نخلص على الجهل والتعصب اللي فينا. العيب فينا مش في حتة فيلم عبيط.
@NadiaE: We truly deserve all that is happening to us. The whole world will despise us until we get rid of the ignorance and fundamentalism we are in. There is something wrong with us and not with a stupid movie.

This post is part of our special coverage Libya Revolution 2011.

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