Three young Lebanese men started a social movement Saturday when they took to a busy street corner in Sassine Square in Beirut Saturday to protest the Islamic State’s conquest of large portions of the Levant.
The protest consisted of burning the now-infamous black-and-white Islamic State flag, and it was a direct response to the group’s alleged beheading of a member of Lebanon’s armed forces. Now the gesture is taking off among opponents of the fanatical Islamist terror army.
Burning the Islamic State’s flag is especially daring because the Islamic State flag bears the Muslim declaration of faith in white Arabic letters: “There is no god but God and Mohammed is his Prophet.” Lebanon’s justice minister, Ashraf Rifi, has threatened the protesters with the “sternest punishments,” saying burning the flag was an “insult to the religious slogans of the Abrahamic faiths.” However, many Lebanese political leaders have taken a stand against the justice minister. Nabil Naqoula of the Lebanese Change and Reform Party has said, “This flag does not represent Islam in the slightest.”
The young men uploaded video of themselves burning a print-out of the flag to YouTube under the hashtag #BurnISISFlagChallenge. The hashtag is modeled on the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, which has dominated social media for much of the summer.
I NOMINATE THE WHOLE WORLD TO THE #BurnISISFlagChallenge . YOU HAVE 24 HOURS. GO!!!http://t.co/zza1OCNrDY
— BURN ISIS (@BURNISIS) August 30, 2014
https://youtube.com/watch?v=GuIhWeKJVoc
Although the catchy hashtag is trending, many Muslims on social media have condemned burning the flag, agreeing with Justice Minister Rifi that because burning the flag would also involve burning one of Islam’s central tenets, it would be wrong for a Muslim to partake in the action, however noble its intentions may be.
https://twitter.com/Abd_urRaheem/status/507834101676515328
#BurnISISFlagChallenge is in my opinion a normal reaction to Rifi's statements and actions… نكاية يعني… #blameRifi #Lebanon
— Abir Ghattas (@AbirGhattas) August 31, 2014
Seriously if u are muslim & burning a flag shahada , prophets name written on it , You got serious issue My friend . #BurnISISFlagChallenge
— aatif (عاطف) (@mdaatif_) September 5, 2014
Despite the dissenters, the overall message of the trending hashtag and protests is clear: Many Middle Easterners and Americans share a hatred of the Islamic State.
People who say Muslims are bad need to realize . Arab Muslims started a new campaign called #BurnISISFlagChallenge
— SENNAONE (@senna1) September 5, 2014
Odd question, does anyone have an ISIS flag kicking around for the #BurnISISFlagChallenge
— JacobLavs (@JacobLavs) September 5, 2014
Dear @FLOTUS & @statedeptspox: Will you please take pictures holding up signs saying #BurnISISFlagChallenge – That would be great, thanks
— Cameron Gray (@Cameron_Gray) September 5, 2014
Is ISIS starting to lose at their social media PR war with Lebanon teen's now viral #BurnISISFlagChallenge?
— Rebecca Sesny (@rebeccasesny) September 5, 2014
— Christine Sisto is an editorial associate at National Review Online.