As violent protest in the Middle East over an anti-Islamic viral internet video known as "The Innocence of Muslims" began to calm in the Middle East, fresh anti-U.S. protests arose in other countries around the world with Muslim-majority populations. Afghanistan, Pakistan and Indonesia all saw riots break out, as fringe groups sought to condemn the message of the film, and force the U.S. to recall its diplomats. Protesters continued to target American consulates, embassies and military sites, where local police had to battle crowds, thrown rocks and fires. On September 11, during a protest in Benghazi, Libya, militants used the cover of a protest to mount a siege on the U.S. Consulate that killed the American Ambassador to Libya Christopher Stevens and three others. These riots come at a time when American and NATO forces are already stretched thin from a string of deadly attacks in Afghanistan. Taliban fighters and other Afghan militia-men have begun disguising themselves in U.S. or Afghan Army or police uniforms to mount deadly attacks on American and allied troops. U.S.- Afghan relations are also tense because of a NATO airstrike that targeted insurgents, but also killed eight Afghan women and children who had gone out to gather firewood. Warm Up Questions 1. What is propaganda? 2. How do videos on YouTube “go viral”? 3. List the countries in the Middle East. What do you know about them? Discussion Questions 1. Why do you think the U.S. embassies were the targets for violent protest? 2. Why do you think many Muslims have reacted so strongly to the film? 3. Should the U.S. have the power to censor films like "The Innocence of Muslims"? Why or why not? Additional Resources Video Transcript Why Did a YouTube Film Spark Mideast Riots? Anti-Islam Film Stirs Protest in the Middle East Four Americans Killed at U.S. Embassy in Libya Download this Video