FITNA: Anti-Muslim Short Sparks Controversy in The Netherlands
March 3rd, 2008 by Andre Soares
Agence France-Presse reports that organizers of the Cairo International Film Festival for Children has agreed to reinstate Mischa Kamp’s Dutch film Where is Sinterklaas’ Horse? (above) after banning it because Dutch far-right member of parliament Geert Wilders is planning to show a 15-minute anti-Muslim short, Fitna, online this month.
As per the AFP report, Fitna in Arabic means sedition, or division (or strife), in the heart of Islam. The film reportedly "links images of current bloodletting in Muslim countries to chapters of the Koran," ending with an image of Mohammed, something that devout Muslims consider blasphemous. Wilders, for his part, has likened the Koran to Adolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf.
At a press conference last Thursday, Feb. 28, Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende asked Wilders to reconsider his decision to release the film on the Internet, stating that "we have fundamental differences of opinion … It is our responsibility to Wilders to point to the possible consequences of his actions. Freedom does not absolve anyone of responsibility.
"To ensure the safety of Dutch citizens and businesses abroad … for our international reputation, we call on (Wilders) to take all these aspects into account for his decision" on whether or not to show Fitna.
Three Dutch business confederations have also asked him not to show it for "it will cause great risks for Dutch businesses and their employees abroad." (As per a Reuters report, the Dutch government may be seeking a way to legally ban Fitna.)
Looking at Wilders you may think that he belongs in a home for the mentally ill. But then again, most legislative houses (and presidential houses, and royal palaces) around the world seem to be inhabited by the demented. In other words, Wilders, courtesy of a not insignificant number of (equally demented?) Dutch voters, is perhaps in his rightful place.
A member of the Netherlands’ Freedom Party (ah, the irony), Wilders is a dream-come-true for deranged Muslims everywhere. After all, without people like Wilders, Muslim fanatics would — sooner rather than later — lose their grip on power. But, really, who would want that?
Ah, Sinterklaas is the Dutch Santa. Directed by Kamp and written by Tamara Bos, Waar is het paard van Sinterklaas? / Where is Sinterklaas’ Horse? stars Anneke Blok, Robbert Blokland, and Jan Decleir.
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9 Responses to “FITNA: Anti-Muslim Short Sparks Controversy in The Netherlands”
Wilders is a danger.
This is one of the most heavily biased film reviews I have ever read. Most people know that islam is an extremely violent religion. This man is simply trying to give a wake up call to the few people who haven’t noticed that yet. I bet the film will highlight the violent nature of islam, and ironically he may be murdered by an islamic extremist (aka devout muslim) for pointing that out.
There are lots of wars going on all over the morld in the name of islam.
Other than Sri Lanka and Columbia, can anyone name a serious conflict (of which thee are many) that was not started in the name of islam?
If anyone has any doubts about the violent warlike nature of islam, please read the koran.
The article above is not a film review, but a political commentary.
Most people who “know” that Islam “is an extremely violent religion” have probably never even heard of the Koran, let alone read it.
(I make no remarks about the Koran per se because I’ve never read it. I have, however, read numerous passages from the Bible for my religion classes, way back in my Catholic school days. You wanna talk about religious violence and intolerance??? Read that book.)
Also, I don’t know which world you live in, but in the one where I live, most wars have had absolutely nothing to do with Islam — instead, they’ve had a lot to do with tribalism, greed, and power lust, plus a healthy mix of human madness and human stupidity.
Apparently, you’ve never heard of the Basque separatists or Kosovo or Northern Ireland or the Congo or Uganda or Rwanda or the Sikh separatist movement or…
So, let me just add that the Iraq War, for another, didn’t begin because of Islam, and there’s a place called Bosnia, where, a mere decade ago, the aggressors (murderers/rapists/pillagers) were Christians. The victims, by the way, were Muslims.
This is not a film review.. just a political view. what is it doing on this site?
It’s a “political view” about a short film. That’s what it’s doing on this site about film, political or otherwise.
¿tot nog toe zijn de naakte warheiden wel bedekt door een zwaarte sluier?
I wish to see a Muslim charity set up to fund the security forces required by people like Geert Wilders and Ayaan Hirsi Ali for 24/7 protection.
This would be the most beautiful response the peace-loving Muslim community can give to a video like this. It would prove Geert Wilders wrong not by mere words but by solid convincing action. It would prove to the world that Muslims also wish to protect freedom of expression, freedom of the press, and to protect people like Wilders and Ali who only wish to free the world from ideological tyranny. This gesture would say “we disagree with you but we do not wish to harm you.”
Another way to respond to Wilders’ video: put together a good video response showing the good verses of the Koran and the accompanying footage of Muslims contributing meaningfully and positively to the world TODAY. It is not enough to cite examples of deeds done by obscure Muslims in the Dark Ages of humanity. There are plenty of exemplary Muslims alive today who would love to contribute to such a creative endeavour. Let’s have healthy back and forth discussions! Let’s be creative and critical and constructive and intelligent. Let’s not simply condemn the work of Wilders.
Show the world what Islam is really like with a truthful, unbiased documentary that opposes the views shown by Wilders’ work.
I would watch such a video eagerly and would share it widely. I’m eagerly waiting for outraged Muslims to step up and deliver this creative challenge.
Regarding the religious intolerance I prefer all religions treated in the same way. Religion is a very personal issue and religious statements should not be expressed in public. No matter if it is christian, buddhist, hinduist, taoist, islamic or whatever ..istic religion.
However, what I excpect is that the common muslim community distants clearly from islamic extremism because this is a clear political statement.
Expample: A couple of years ago in Germany some neo nazi assholes burned down a house in Moelln, near by Cologne, where lived turkish people. Several of them died. It was a really dreadful story. But - what did a lot of Germans? The same evening of the day when the house burned thounsands of Germans went down to street and lighted candels in thought of the victims. Sure - the victims won’t be made alive - but it showed a clear political statement to the aggressors to make them ashame and hopeflully not to repeat similar deeds.
This is an example of how I expect muslim or whatever religious group should behave when a deed of violence is committed ‘apparently’ in their name in order to isolate the agressors who mislead the religion.
When the twin towers in NY burned there was no candle lit up by so many mulim people. The question is why? My suspect - I’m not sure - is that there is a thing like a hidden or latent sympathism for extremism in the common muslim community. As long as the leaders of the muslim communities don’t really fight against intolerance I’m not really convinced that muslim religion is really peaceful.
Regarding religion, all religions contain an exclusive element, excluding non-religious or other religious people. All religions make a difference between religious and other religious people. Of course there is a thing like the separatism in Spain or the war between protestant and catholic extremists or a president called Bush who is a very dangerous ideologic and religious aggressor - but fortumately people are going to be less and less religious. And the less religious people are, the more they tend - not always but in most cases and that is the good thing - to be peaceful.
Not very much chistian would protest when some anti-chistian videos come up - not that chistians are so peaceful - no, but just because there are not so many ‘real’ christians any more!
Peace comes from banning religions from the public.
It’s a political view only. islam is good religion, peace religion.