American Islamic Congress director: 'All critical thinkers are being silenced' in Middle East unrest

An anti-Islam film that has Muslims all over the world enraged is again making headlines this morning. 

Nasser Weddady, director of the American Islamic Congress, joins Early Start today to discuss the escalating situation, explaining that both conservative and political elements in power are encouraging the protests.

“Today, we should expect a lot of radical elements surfing on this wave and trying to stoke anti-American sentiment,” Weddady says. “It is important to stress that we know who triggered this and we know how to stop it.”

Weddady explains that people opposing the demonstrations are unable to voice their opinions. “As a result of these riots and this explosion of outrage, all critical thinkers are being silenced effectively by this,” he says. “No one can come out at this moment and take a different opinion than is being broadcast and basically that is used to rouse the masses."

Regarding the future of the protests, Weddady says that he expects to see popular anger spread until the big next event happens.

Weddady explains that some governments will leverage this situation to drive through an effort to “impose through the U.N anti-blasphemy laws as a new international norm.”

“That is cause to concern, because it would create basically this double standard where free speech is gonna be curtailed,” Weddady says.