"President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono also strongly disapproved of the anti-Muslim film that had led to the incident," presidential special aide for international relations Teuku Faizasyah said.Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Indonesia has condemned the attack on the US consulate in Benghazi, Libya, which led to the death of a US diplomat, according to presidential special aide for international relations Teuku Faizasyah.
"President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono also strongly disapproved of the anti-Muslim film that had led to the incident," he said here on Thursday.
"The President viewed the film uploaded on social media website YouTube and deplored the way the movie insulted Muslims. He said it was the main reason why people got so angry, but he also pointed out that the US diplomat, who had nothing to do with film, became a victim," Teuku added.
"Therefore, we express our regret over the two different but related incidents," he stated.
According to the Geneva Convention, Teuku noted, a country must protect all foreign diplomats within its territory.
He said President Yudhoyono condemned `any kind of religious disrespect through any media' because such actions could trigger public anger and communal riots.
Earlier, a film titled "The Innocence of Muslims" was uploaded on YouTube. The narrator in the film, speaking with a strong American accent, described Muslims as immoral and violent.
The film caused an outcry among Muslims in the Middle East. This led to protests outside the US embassies in Cairo (Egypt) and Benghazi.
One of such events turned extremely violent as protesters attacked the US consulate in Benghazi with rockets and grenades, killing the US ambassador and several other diplomats.(*)
Editor: Heru Purwanto
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