Recently, a video posted on YouTube by a director from California, defaming the prophet Mohammed of the Islamic religion, has caused several major demonstrations and protests in the Middle East, targeting especially U.S. missions.  In the past week, the demonstrations have spread to Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad where some 2,000 protestors attempted to raid the U.S. embassy of Pakistan.

The United States has attempted damage control to counteract the situation, fearing that it will become more dangerous.  According to an article from the Washington Post, written by Anne Gearan, “the Obama administration paid $70,000 to buy ads on Pakistani television disavowing the video,” the State Department said.  Despite the efforts of the United States, the ads did little to help our cause.  Gearan also writes, “Anti-American sentiment runs high [in Pakistan], and suspicion of U.S. motives run deep.”

The video itself is 15-minutes long and still available for viewing on YouTube (as ruled by a California judge last week.)  Entitled Innocence of Muslims, the short film depicts an offensive representation of the Islamic Prophet Mohammed and the Islamic religion in general.  Still, many Americans, especially students, find it hard to believe that a short viral video could cause so much upset across the world.  While everyone seems to have their own theories as to what is really behind the controversies, the majority opinion seems to be that religion is taken more seriously in other parts of the world.

Grace Agosto, a junior at Suffolk University certainly agrees.  “That part of the world is big on religion and will pick up on anything,” said Agosto, 20, of Chelsea, MA.  “It’s very disrespectful; I can’t believe that the director went out of his way to include certain details in the video.”

Fatalities have also included those from the U.S., such as U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens, who was killed in the protests in Libya on September 11th, 2012.  “It is sad that that happened,” said Agosto.  “I remember when the president reached out to his family; I just feel bad for his family.”

The entire cast and crew of the poorly made film have come forward in a statement made through CNN, stating, “We are 100 percent not behind this film and feel grossly misled about its intent and purpose.”  While it may be that the actors in the film are among those who have been the most misrepresented, the horrible truth is that our entire country has been misrepresented. The opinions and views, not to mention directing and filmography styles of one man, have now served to represent the opinions of an entire nation; ours.

While we are guaranteed the right to free speech here in the United States, what is not guaranteed is how that speech will be perceived across the world.