An Egyptian's Voice on the Embassy Attacks

Ron what I understood from Masoud's answer isn't that it is a "tough moral dilemma" but, as in any democratic society people have not only a right, but a duty to have their voices heard through protest.  Masoud's "dilemma" is that he doesn't believe the protest is likely to be carried out without trouble, thus how to appropriately advise a young facebook kid who is himself conflicted about joining the protesters.  Masoud ends by advising the kid not to join the protest in this hypothetical question posed to him by Dick Gordon.

Talking about a "duty to have their voices heard" gives more credit to this inconsequential trash than it warrants.  I can find much more offensive (and much better presented) anti-Muslim screeds on the Internet any day of the week.  Singling out this particular item for public protest only gives it a whole lot of richly undeserved publicity, which is exactly what this guy wants.  On that account alone the youth should be advised not to fall into that trap.

If you want to register your protest, then go to Youtube and post your critiques there.  At least you will be directing your comments to the person who posted it, which is more effective than targetting embassies that had nothing to do with it.

Which brings me to the main point, and the one which both you and Masoud seem to be missing.  Here is Masoud's analysis as he presents it to this hypothetical youth:
"The part of you that wants to go is the part that wants to object, and it has every right to do so, in the same way that a Jewish person (say) would object to an improper citation of the Holocaust or something; and that is a good part in you, and I would like to see you nurture that. And the part of you that doesn't want to go is the part that does not approve of the way in which this objection is being expressed -- you don't think you should break laws, you don't think you should use curse words -- and I completely condone you in all of that.  And so I would say why don't we together ... come up with alternative suggestions with which we can have it our way?  Where we can object, and at the same time be civilized and actually be representative of the Prophet Muhammad, as we object to the improper characterization of the Prophet Muhammad?  We want to have his character while we 'defend him' and represent him."

So where is the part of him that recognizes and condemns the blatant anti-American prejudice and stereotyping?  Apparently it's okay with Masoud to direct his anger against the US Embassy, merely because the perpetrator happened to be American.  This is exactly like the enmity that peaceful Muslims constantly endure just because many terrorists happen to be Muslim.  One would think that Muslims of all people would be especially sensitive to the injustice of this guilt by association.  How can Masoud be so blind to it?  How can you?

IMHO it is these protests that blur the line.  When I watch news reports that show thousands of angry Muslims rioting outside an embassy, especially over such a trivial issue, it certainly looks like extremism to me.  It is very worrying that a supposedly mainstream representative of Islam would want to "nurture" this inclination, even if ultimately he advises against it.

By the way, I understand what you mean by "blurring the line", but in fact there really is no line between mainstream and radical Islam (or any other faith).  There is a continuum of gradually increasing extremism: from mere attendance at these demonstrations, to joining in the chorus of slogans and chanting, to confronting and taunting the police, to picking up a stone and smashing a window, and so on.  Crowds like this tend to amplify hostility and suppress rational thinking, which is yet another reason to stay away.