DAMASCUS, (SANA)- Hundreds of citizens gathered in front of the U.S. Embassy in Damascus following Friday Prayers in protest against the U.S.-produced film "Innocence of Muslims" which denigrates Islam and Prophet Mohammad.

The participants in the protest denounced the film as being aimed at stirring religious conflicts and igniting the war waged against Islam, holding the U.S. administration responsibe for allowing the production and release of this film.

The protests chanted slogans calling for taking the film's producers to international courts on charge of disdaining religions and encroaching on Islam and Prophet Mohammad.

Fayez al-Asta, one of the participants, noted that "Innocence of Muslims", which was directed and produced in the US by an Israeli amateur director, constituted an offense to the whole humanity, stressing that the goal behind this film is to ignite antipathy among religions, "which will not happen." 

For his part, Mu'taz Anbar, another participant, called on all international organizations to condemn the film and work on holding its producers to account.

The participants criticized the attempts at putting the film within the framework of freedom of expression and opinion to provide cover for this offense which is denounced by all the holy religions.

A similar protest was held outside the U.S. Embassy on Thursday evening and included the participation of hundreds of citizens.

A number of Arab and Islamic countries also witnessed gatherings in front of the U.S. and Western Embassies in protest of the offending film.

H. Said