Protesters outside the US Embassy in Jakarta on Monday light fires during protests against the American-made film Innocence of Muslims. Many people in Muslim-dominated Indonesia have been angered by the anti-Islam film. Protesters clashed with police outside the embassy on Monday, hurling rocks and Molotov cocktails.
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2012/09/18/film-protest-turns-violent.html
You probably heard, yet again, some irresponsible people in America (umm.. and France and Germany too) have managed to make Muslims around the world very angry. I'm all for freedom of speech, but if you're going to say offensive things, could you please make sure they have some purpose other than to simply offend?
I didn't really realize how stressful it is to be in someone else's country when your own people have just misstepped. We live in a compound that is enclosed and guarded 24-hours a day. We even had police guarding a few days last week (to be honest, I had that same feeling of unease as I do in Paris when I see very young men with semi-automatic weapons..). But we also drive around in a car that has license plates that clearly identify us as American diplomats. It's good for driving in the HOV lanes whenever you want.. but it sucks when you have to get kids to and from school and you don't know what kind of angry person might be standing on the next corner. Most of the action has been directed at the Embassy, though, and we are very far south of it (as Zeric's commute is testimony of).
Anyway.. we seem to be back to normal after a couple of days off. We still had the internet and enough flour to do some baking.. so no big worries. And fingers crossed that the bad feelings are blowing over.
Oh yeah.. and did I mention? They burned our flag.
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