Dutch fear attacks over Islam film

[Mugu]

Nicola Smith

The Netherlands is bracing itself for an international backlash as Geert Wilders, a maverick right-wing MP, prepares to release an anti-Islamic film that is already causing anger.

Critics fear the much-hyped film Fitna, which criticises the Koran, could lead to bloodshed in Muslim countries, damage Dutch business interests and endanger the lives of Dutch troops in Afghanistan.

Wilders – who has received death threats from Islamic extremists – has promised to release the film before the end of March despite pleas from the Dutch government and mounting unrest in the Muslim world.

The actual content of the 15-minute film has been kept tightly under wraps, even from the Dutch prime minister and security officials.


Complete article at:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article3602738.ece

[MaryCeleste]

1. The article fails to point out the the Dutch government has been looking for ways to ban it

but could not come up with one. There is still the threat of charges against Wilders under anti hate laws or inciting violence should riots occurs.

Also Network Solutions pulled his distirbution domain for "violations" but its unspecified what they were. Mirror sites will be used as well.

I am very troubled that more and more people are giving in to the hecklers veto of muslims. Free speech needs to be cherished and defended even when it is offensive.

[treestar]

2. Man, I get so tired of people trying to "prove" that one religion

is worse than all the others. It only upsets the people in question. Why insult their religion?

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

4. That's the point

Wilder is trying to bait Muslims so he can show his followers that they are fanatics that can't be trusted, and therefore should be deported from the Netherlands. And there are enough hot-headed fundamentalists to rise to the bait because it fits into their own agenda, which is to foment hatred against the West.

Meanwhile, the non-fanatics just want to be left in peace. I'm sure many Dutch will be as embarrassed by this film as many Muslims are embarrassed by the ridiculous fatwas some imams have made against things like cartoons. (BTW, no Muslim is bound to follow a fatwa.)

[WillowTree]

10. Pity that the attitude you express...

....isn't expressed more often around here when it comes to Christianity. Christians are insulted as a matter of routine with virtually no criticism.

[VotesForWomen]

11. when nutcases try to kill people who 'insult' their religion, it pretty much proves the point of the

insults.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

3. Lets look at who benefits from the release of this film

First of all, Wilder. His followers will agree with what is said.

Second of all, the fundamentalist Muslims, at whom this film is directed. The imams will be glad it is out there, because it can be used by them to persuade their followers that there is a big Western Conspiracy to defame and wipe out Islam.

The imam's fatwas will, in turn, inflame Wilder's followers, which is exactly what he wants.

Sadly, it looks like both of these sides win in this hate fest.

[treestar]

5. What a horrid example of a win-win situation

Generally, it is hard to disagree with the idea that Christians don't respond as violently to this kind of thing as Muslims do, yet there are reasons for that. But it is tough to stop the right wingnuts from drawing a "we-are-more-civilized-therefore" argument.

[MaryCeleste]

6. Freedom of speech and expression is scarecly a right wing nut argument

muslims need to come out of the 14th century and deal with critiques and people who refuse to follow their rules.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

7. Yet how much more civilized is it

if the actions of the right wing in, say, the Netherlands results in discrimination against everyone in a group?

Also, there have been isolated incidents of violence by Christians against Muslims--I'm thinking of incidents in the US that I know about--but these aren't widely reported, and if they are, the event is usually only mentioned in local coverage. How civilized is it to firebomb mosques and threaten individuals?

Of course the "we are more civilized" argument reminds me of the basic racist arguments I recall reading about in history--you know, the idea that we "helped" Africans by kidnapping and enslaving them because that way they learned about civilization. Or the idea that Jews were "lesser people". Anytime you have blanket generalizations of entire groups, watch out, especially when the generalizations are designed to polarize and antagonize.

[treestar]

8. IA, Christians are just as capable of violence

Right wingers refuse to recognize it because the current historical situation is such that Muslims may be more sensitive to slurs on their religion than Christians and therefore react violently more often.

The right will also point to Muslim civilization as "behind" say when it comes to treatment of women (though with them, they're just envious, as they'd like to return to that state of affairs for Western women). I can agree with that, and the judicial system in many Muslim dominated countries is abysmal. But Western civilization has had more opportunities to advance. Muslim countries were liberalizing before the U.S. started meddling so much in their affairs. Some of this Muslim extremism is backlash from that.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

9. You're right

and I have to add that, in some cases, the US has meddled in elections in the Middle East, and has even deposed democratically elected officials in favor of pro-Western dictators which they have propped up. The Shah of Iran is an example of this. And we wonder why people in the Middle East don't trust us!