Jordan on Thursday sharply condemned a movie mocking Islam and the Prophet Mohammed, and urged the United States to hold to account "the criminals" behind the film.
"Jordan strongly condemns this hideous act, which was made by malicious people who seek to sow sedition and harm Islam," Islamic Affairs and Awqaf Minister Abdul Salam Abbadi said in a statement.
"The people and government of the United State should punish the criminals who produced, supported and promoted such a crime."The low-budget movie "Innocence of Muslims," in which actors have strong American accents, portrays Muslims as immoral and gratuitously violent.
It pokes fun at the Prophet Mohammed and touches on themes of paedophilia and homosexuality, while showing him sleeping with women, talking about killing children and referring to a donkey as "the first Muslim animal.""The movie has insulted Islam as well as 1.5 billion Muslims worldwide," the lower house of parliament said in a separate statement.
The Muslim Brotherhood and its political arm, Islamic Action Front, urged Muslim governments "to stand firm against this racist attack and boycott US and Israeli products," calling for "peaceful demonstrations.
"Salafist jihadists said they plan to demonstrate after Friday midday prayers outside the US embassy in Amman to condemn the movie.
The embassy has said that as a "precautionary measure," it has "increased its security presence at our facilities." "US citizens should avoid areas where demonstrations are ongoing," it added on its website.
"Protests intended to be peaceful can turn confrontational and possibly escalate into violence. We therefore urge US citizens to avoid areas of demonstrations if possible, and to exercise caution if within their vicinity."
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