Facts and Discussion Points for your Teens and Older Tweens Regarding Islam, Libya, the Movie Innocence of Muslims and the United States Involvement
I didn’t go into the political side of this. Instead I gave the facts. This is a great opportunity to discuss hate and tolerance with our teens. To explain that every action has a reaction and to show what this video has caused. It is a time to discuss things like Facebook posts and their ripple effects and how simple words can alter lives. It’s a time to discuss the power of social media and why it should never be used for evil.
I did some research and have put together a list of points to discuss below and questions you can use to guide the situation. I admit that until yesterday I was not clear on who Mohammed was or why the video was so damning.
The movie Innocence of Muslims, is a movie displaying Mohammed, the prophet of Allah, in a disgusting light. There is a Muslim prohibition against showing the prophet Mohammed. Even if you are doing it in a kind way. They believe that if people see his face they would worship him and not God.
Mohammed:
Mohammed was born in 570 A.D.
At the of 40 he claimed he heard an Angel from God speak to him. He says the angel, Gabriel, said that there was only one God, that worshiping idols (statues or images of Gods was wrong and that the end of the world was coming soon.
Mohammed claimed he was the last of the prophets, which included Moses, Noah, Abraham, Ishmael, David and Jesus.
He was driven out of Mecca for claiming that people should not worship the old Gods, only his and because he was gaining many supporters of his beliefs. He fled to Medina. This flight is called the Hejira and is where the Muslim calendar begins.
He went on to gain many followers elsewhere and returned with an army and conquered Mecca. Many Arabic tribes submitted to his rule as they believed he could only win so many battles if God was on his side.
Mohammed claimed that the Angel Gabriel spoke to him the words of the Koran. The Koran was written shortly after Mohammed’s death.
The Movie’s Affect:
An attack on our Consulate in Libya which led to the deaths of four Americans and wounded others.
According to CNN there have been demonstrations in Cairo, Tehran, Tunisia, Morocco, Gaza City, Sudan and Tel Aviv.
An attack on our Consulate in Yemen.
The Afghan government has ordered a blockage of YouTube to prevent people there from watching the movie.
United States Warships have been sent to Libya.
The United States has pulled out all personnel in Libya, a country we had helped liberate from Muammar Gaddafi.
Strain on the US relationships with other Nations.
Questions For Your Teens and Older Tweens:
(I highly recommend you do not interject your positions into the questions below. Just listen and discuss their answers. You are going to learn a lot about your teen or tween.)
Did the person who created this movie do anything wrong?
Is he responsible for the four deaths at our Libyan Embassy?
Is his movie any different than bullying?
Are there instances where the government should step in and remove our First Amendment Rights? What are they?
Should YouTube take the movie down because of the conflict it’s causing?
What is a lesson you will take from the chaos this movie has caused?
Why is it important to be aware and educated on the goings on around the world involving the U.S. even at your age?
Why are they attacking Americans and blaming us?
What should the President of the United States do to handle this?
How do you feel about the Afghan government banning the movie from it’s people?
Why do you think religion is such a divider among people?
Is war necessary?
What are the similarities between Mohammed and Jesus?
Disclaimer: I am not a professional. I am not a history professor nor am I a religious historian. If I have made mistakes, please feel free to repsectfully leave them in the comments section below and I will make updates. This post is meant to create conversations with your teens and your older tweens, to educate them and to help create a situation in which they would be involved in the goings on in our world.
Sources: CNN, Huffington Post, Answering-Islam, History for Kids
