This photo, appearing to show security agents forcing protestors to prostrate to images of Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad, was posted on a Syrian Revolution Facebook Page on May 5th, during the current rebellion against the regime.

 

‘Ubadah ibn Al-Samit (may Allah be pleased with him) said, “We gave the pledge of allegiance to hear and obey at our times of vigor or unwillingness, our times of ease or difficulty, and to give preference over ourselves and that we should not dispute the authority over matters with those charged to lead them and he (the Prophet, peace be upon him) said, ‘Unless you see blatant Kufr (disbelief) for which you have a proof from Allah.’” - Bukhari

As for the scholarly explanation of this Hadith:

The highest committee of senior scholars, known as the Permanent Committee, of Saudi Arabia issued a fatwa clarifying this Hadith. The following is an excerpt:

"His (sa) statement, “unless you see” indicates that mere assumptions and rumors are not sufficient. His (sa) statement, “disbelief” indicates that committing evil, crimes, sins, even major sins, is not sufficient, such as if he is oppressive, drinks alcohol, gambles, or commits other forbidden sins. His (sa) statement, “clear and absolute” indicates that an act of disbelief that is not completely apparent and explicit is not sufficient. His (sa) statement, “for which you have evidence from Allāh to support you in that” indicates that there must be an explicit supporting proof that is authentic, clear in its evidence. So, a proof with a weak chain of narration for example is not sufficient, nor is a proof that its evidence isn’t entirely clear and applicable. His (sa) statement, “from Allāh” indicates that regardless of the statement of any scholar – no matter what level he may have achieved in religious knowledge and trustworthiness – if he does not have a clear explicit proof from the Book of Allāh or the Sunnah of His messenger (sa) to support his statement, then  it is rejected."

Majallah al-Buḥūth al-Islāmiyyah (no. 56, pgs. 357-362).

By His Eminence, Shaykh Abdullah Ibn Jibreen, Rahimahullah:

"It is known that al-kufr al-bawah (manifest, clear kufr) is an open, outward matter, such as when [the ruler] abolishes the teachings of Islaam, or we see him for example, destroying mosques, or he fights the people of the mosques (i.e. those who frequent them), or he abolishes the [Sharee'ah] law courts, or he abolishes the religious lessons, for example, or we see him burning the copies of the Qur'aan, or that he orders for them to be burnt, and he promotes, assists the books of misguidance, the books of the Christians, and whatever resembles them, and he spreads them and makes reading them to be binding, or we see him erecting those things that are worshipped besides Allaah, such as idols and the likes.

This is considered manifest, clear kufr."

[Source: Cassette: Sharh Lum'uat il-I'tiqaad, (No. 7), Tasjeelaat at-Taqwaa, Riyaadh. Download the audio file]