Militants are now free to pursue their agendas

Dubai: An anti-Islamic movie whose screening triggered protests and attacks on US missions in Egypt and Libya that resulted in the death of an American, was an attempt to stoke sectarian tensions in Egypt, the Muslim Brotherhood’s political arm said in a statement.

The Freedom and Justice Party, the Brotherhood’s political wing, “strongly condemned” what it said was a movie produced by U.S.-based Coptic Christians, dubbing it a “racist crime and a failed attempt to provoke sectarian strife between the two elements of the nation, Muslims and Christians,” according to a statement posted on the party’s website. The movie is a “blatant violation of religious sanctities, international norms and conventions on human rights which emphasize that freedom of expression with respect to religion must be restricted by controls within the law that safeguard public interest,” the Freedom and Justice party statement said. The party “affirms that both elements of the Egyptian people - Christians and Muslims - have been and will always be united in the face of such despicable attempts that seek to foment conflict in this homeland.”

The condemnation came hours after demonstrators attacked the US. consulate in Libya’s eastern city of Benghazi, in an outburst of violence that left an American dead. Protesters angered over the film fired gunshots and burned down the U.S. consulate in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi, killing one American, witnesses and the State Department said. In Egypt, protesters scaled the walls of the US Embassy in Cairo, and tore and replaced the American flag with an Islamic banner.

Tuesday’s attacks were the first such assaults on US diplomatic facilities in either country, at a time when both Libya and Egypt are struggling to overcome the turmoil following the ouster of their longtime leaders, Muammar Gaddafi and Hosni Mubarak, in uprisings last year.

The protests in both countries were sparked by outrage over a film ridiculing Islam produced by an American in California and being promoted by an extreme anti-Muslim Egyptian Christian campaigner in the United States. Excerpts from the film dubbed into Arabic were posted on YouTube.

US. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton confirmed that one State Department officer had been killed in the protest at the US consulate in Benghazi. She strongly condemned the attack and said she had called Libyan President Mohammad Al Megarif “to coordinate additional support to protect Americans in Libya.” Clinton expressed concern that the protests might spread to other countries. She said the U. is working with “partner countries around the world to protect our personnel, our missions, and American citizens worldwide.”

Hours before the Benghazi attack, hundreds of mainly ultraconservative Islamist protesters in Egypt marched to the US Embassy in downtown Cairo, gathering outside its walls and chanting against the movie and the US. Most of the embassy staff had left the compound earlier because of warnings of the upcoming demonstration. “Say it, don’t fear: Their ambassador must leave,” the crowd chanted.

Dozens of protesters then scaled the embassy walls, and several went into the courtyard and took down the American flag from a pole. They brought it back to the crowd outside, which tried to burn it, but failing that tore it apart. The protesters on the wall then raised on the flagpole a black flag with a Muslim declaration of faith, “There is no god but God and Mohammad (PBUH) is his prophet.” The flag, similar to the banner used by AlQaida, is commonly used by ultraconservatives around the region. The crowd grew throughout Tuesday evening, with thousands standing outside the embassy. Dozens of riot police lined up along the embassy walls but did not stop protesters as they continued to climb and stand on the wall - though it appeared no more went into the compound.

The crowd chanted, “Islamic, Islamic. The right of our Prophet will not die.” Some shouted, “We are all Osama,” referring to Al Qaida leader Bin Laden. Young men, some in masks, sprayed graffiti on the walls. Some grumbled that Islamist President Mohammed Morsi had not spoken out about the movie.

A group of women in black veils and robes that left only their eyes exposed chanted, “Worshippers of the Cross, leave the Prophet Mohammad (PUBH) alone.”

By midnight, the crowd had dwindled. The US Embassy said on its Twitter account that there will be no visa services on Wednesday because of the protests.