The Muslim Council of Montreal is condeming this week's deadly anti-American violence in the Middle East stemming from a previously obscure American-made video that depicts the prophet Mohammed as a womanizer and a madman.

“The filmmaker desires to create hatred and division and to react with violence is to fall into their trap,” said the Council's president Salam Elmenyawi in a statement. "Such violence will only lead to more violence and will not advance the religious, political or social interests of any group."

The statement adds that while he's disgusted by the video, the kind of violence which led to the killing of the American ambassador to Libya and three other Americans in Benghazi, Libya on Tuesday can't be justified. "To take the life of an innocent person is like taking the life of all of humanity and these senseless acts go against the very teachings and values of our Prophet.”

There've been angry, large-scale demonstrations across the Muslim world since the film came to light. U.S. diplomatic missions have been the main targets.

Elmenyawi is calling for countries around the world to take steps to combat defamation on the basis of religion, and calling on Muslims to avoid acting on emotion and increase their efforts to show Islam's true teachings and values.