Wa `alaykum As-Salamu wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.

Dearest brother, thanks for your question and concern about the affairs of your fellow Muslim brothers and sisters.

In principle, public and peaceful protests against the anti-Prophet cartoons are absolutely permissible and legitimate, for they are an expression of the viewpoint of the demonstrators against the provocative insults to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). However, these protests and demonstrations do not warrant riots or destructive acts against public or private property. They also do not warrant burning or destroying others' properties. Such acts are wrongdoings that cannot be justified by the mistakes of some individuals, communities, or even countries.

Muslim scholars and institutions should educate and spread awareness among Muslims regarding Islamic ethics and morals that protect and safeguard people's rights and properties with no discrimination on the basis of religion, race, culture, etc. Islam, as a religion of mercy and justice, safeguards people's life, property, and honor. It is in this light that Islam prohibits aggression against innocent people, Muslims and non-Muslims alike. The Qur'an and the Sunnah are abundant with provisions that crystallize and emphasize this principle.

Responding to your question, Sheikh Muhammed Nur Abdullah, president of the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) and member of the Fiqh Council of North America, states the following:

First of all, the anti-Prophet cartoons are very insulting and unacceptable to all people of faith. Even the Vatican condemned this type of defamatory media. It is not about freedom of speech, because freedom of speech does not mean to insult people's faiths or their religious figures.

However, this does not justify violence in responding to this ridicule of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). We all know the teaching of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) where he said, "Whoever hurts a dhimmi (non-Muslim living under the protection of the a Muslim state), it is as if he has hurt me."

The right course to be followed, however, is as follows:

1. Express anger and protest in a polite way through rallies and peaceful demonstrations.

2. Send e-mails to relevant authorities to inform them about our stance.

3. Boycott the products of the countries that did not apologize for the defamation of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him).

4. Launch a campaign to educate the people about Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him).

This is the right response; burning embassies is totally rejected and highly condemned.

Dr. Jamal Badawi, professor of religious studies and management at St. Mary's University, and vice-chairman of the Islamic American University, adds this:

I see that peaceful protests are legitimate. However, resorting to violence is not. The great Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) for whose sake we protest taught us to control our anger and to be just, even in the battlefield. Response should be legitimate, just, intelligent and non-destructive.

Also, Dr. Maher Hathout, director of the Islamic Center of Southern California and senior advisor of the Muslim Public Affairs Council, says this:

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is too noble and too great to have his image affected by such an impolite projection. However, the over-reaction — especially the acts of violence of some Muslims — is  completely misguided for the following reasons:

Moreover, the suggested course of action referred to in the question is to publish a well-studied, and well-produced paper about the greatness of the Prophet and how he transformed life to the betterment of humanity, according to some objective non-Muslims like Karen Armstrong and others.