MIDDLE EAST: Dutch film about Koran could spark new clash

Uh-oh... The clash of civilizations may fire up again with the possible release of a short film by an ultra-rightwing member of Holland's parliament who has likened the Koran to Adolf Hitler's "Mein Kampf."

Geert Wilders, a Dutch lawmaker, has made a movie that has raised alarm bells across Europe even before it's been screened. Political leaders worry about another flare-up of cross-cultural conflict like the one that erupted in 2006 after the Danish publication of cartoons depicting the Prophet Mohammed. 

The film purports to show the dangers of the Koran and Wilders has threatened to air his movie during a segment on Dutch television alloted to his Freedom Party. Wilders has a less-than-stellar record when it comes to cultural sensitivity on the issue of Islam. He has demanded an outright ban on Islam's holiest book, which he calls a "fascist" text. And he means it when he says ban, according to his website:

Not only the sale, but also the use in mosques and ownership in a household context should be punishable. If the current legislation does not allow that, then a new law on banning the book should be introduced. This book incites hate and murder, and therefore does not fit in with our rule of law. If Muslims want to participate, they must distance themselves from the Koran. I know that is asking a great deal, but we have to stop making concessions.

The Muslim world has already reacted to the prospect of any movie by WIlders on the subject of the Koran. On Monday, an Iranian lawmaker warned the Dutch not to allow the screening of the film. Alaoddin Boroujerdi  said there would be protests and a "review" of Tehran's relationship with the Netherlands if Wilders' work is shown, according to the Fars News Agency.

If Holland allows the broadcast of this movie, the Iranian parliament will request to reconsider our relationship with it. In Iran and other Muslim countries insulting Islam is a very sensitive matter and if the movie is broadcasted it will arouse a wave of popular hate that will be directed towards any government that insults Islam.

The Grand Mufti of Syria, Ahmad Badr al-Din al-Hassoun, has also denounced the film.

Unlike the Danish cartoon controversy, which caught the government in Cophenhagen by surprise, the Dutch aren't taking any chances. The government has publicly warned Wilders that his film could spark violence and jeopardize his safety.

"The government is taking the announcement of this movie quite seriously," said Floris van Hovell, a spokesman for the Dutch Embassy in Washington, D.C. "Obviously, because the movie hasn't been made, we cannot say anything about the movie until the movie has been shown, but the message Mr. Wilders has told us he wants to portray is disturbing."

The Dutch government is reaching out to Muslims and in Holland and abroad in an effort to distance itself from the movie, instructing its officials at embassies across the world to disavow it.

"We're explaining that in the Netherlands you have freedom of expression, and that at the same time the Dutch government is very concerned about the message Mr. Wilders supposedly wants to portray in his movie," van Hovell said.

Violence erupted in Holland in Nov. 2004 after a Dutch teenager of Moroccan descent stabbed to death film-maker Theo Van Gogh, who made a movie that had a scene super-imposing lines from the Koran over images of naked veiled women.

There's a lot of back-and-forth in the blogosphere about Wilders film, much of it in Dutch. Daniel Pipes, the conservative American writer, describes this incident as the first such flare-up, beginning with the 1989 controversy over Salman Rushdie's book "Satanic Verses, in which both a government, a provacateur and his opponents are preparing in advance for a cross-cultural clash, as opposed to stumbling into one:

That a lone individual, a Rushdie or a Wilders, is in the anomolous position of driving a state's policy makes this situation so fascinating...

Blogger Fred Stopsky over at the Impudent Observer thinks folks make way too much of characters like Wilders:

At some point, those Muslims who become upset at the Wilders of this world must come to the realization they thrive when you trnasform into martyrs. The most effective anti-Wilders action is to ignore his behavior. He can not thrive in the silence of anonymity.

— Borzou Daragahi in Beirut

Photo: Angry demonstrators set ablaze the Danish embassy in Damascus on Feb. 4, 2006 over cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed that appeared in a Danish newspaper. Almost two years later, Dutch fear a another controversy, this time over a film about the Koran.  Credit: LOUAI BESHARA/AFP/Getty Images

Comments

[Samantha Serra / From Canada]

IF MUSLIMS CAN'T LIVE IN A FREE WESTERN SOCIETY ... LET THEM GO BACK TO WHERE THEY CAME FROM ... THEIR CAMELS AND THEIR DESERTS, WHERE THEY CAN BEAT THEIR WIVES AND HAVE AS MANY AS THEY WANT.

I READ THE KORAN AND IT IS VERY CLEARLY WRITTEN THAT:

--A WOMAN IS WORTH HALF OF A MAN.

--INFIDELS (Jews and Christians) should be decapitated if they do not convert to Islam!!!

--And many, many, many other things against EVERYTHING that is not Islamic!!!

[Rolla Bey, Australia 5th Feb 2008]

In the names of Allah the most gracious the most merciful,
As a Muslim I am angered at the world for its perception over Islam thanks solely to the US. However don't get me wrong, I have nothing against the US, just George Bush & his associates. As regards to Wilders & his pathetic movie in the making, I am utterly disgusted. How dare he call the Koran a 'fascist' text, where it is evident that he hasn't taken the time to actually read it. He bases his evidence on the actions of individuals. I do not agree with suicide bombings, or the slaughter of innocent people nor does Allah, for only he has the right to take the life of a human being. However, I strongly believe in the right to respect other people's religion if you agree with it or not.
When it comes to Muslims & the Koran, you're stepping into dangerous territory when it becomes the centre of abusing it in any way. Freedom of speech should be allowed, but not when one's belief is ridiculed for one's popularity in politics. This movie won't prove anything, won't change our devotion to the Koran, but will certainly enrage a lot of Mulims who would give their lives to defend it. If it was a Muslim tearing up the Bible, we would definitely get the same reaction, however the "western world" likes to make a mock of it in alot of their movies even Jesus is made a mockery of. It saddens me to know that this Wilders has gone to the extreme to ban the sale, reading & lectures within mosques of the Koran. What's next its against the law to call yourself a Muslim? The Dutch government should really brace for a tsunami of ignorance.

[Mark Alexander]

Geert Wilders is to be applauded for his courageous stance on the evils of Islam. It dismays me greatly when the mainstream media refer to this man as being "extreme-right wing", of being a "populist", etc. At this time, at least, I am not so interested in what he has to say on other matters, since I am not a Dutchman; but I am interested, very interested, in what he has to say about Islam, since Islam is a growing threat to our Judeo-Christian civilization, and Geert Wilders is one of the few voices of courage in a sea of cowardice in the political world and in the media.

What is particularly nauseating among our politicians is the cravenness of just about all of them - Bush, Blair, Brown, et al. They're all the same; they are all pathetically weak . They all come out with the papulum that Islam is a religion of love, that Islam is a tolerant religion, that Islam has made a "wonderful" contribution to the world. Of course, this is all cobblers! Islam is not, was not, and never will be either tolerant or loving. It has made no contributions to speak of for more than five hundred years; and nor will it, because Islam stifles creativity and stultifies the brain. And that is indisputable!

Indeed, the Koran is exactly what Geert Wilders says it is. Wilders is the courageous one. The rest of us need to 'get with the story'.

[Max]

A mature civilization, as well as a mature religion, cannot but accept and face freedom of expression. As far as we know, Jesus Christ didn't call people to take, nor did he avoid facing arguments and discussion.
Same for Buddha.
Therefore, it's absolutely clear that something is wrong with islam.
And, moreover, European countries, as well as America, have been Christian Judeo-Christian countries for ages.
Muslims have to face criticsm, reason, arguments, science, western culture, wine, women, sexuality, eroticism, etc.... or else have to remain contained both in certain areas of earth and stuck in the Middle-Age...
Whatever the future brings, the West has the very duty to protect itself.

[deutscherdave]

Daniel Pipes is certainly right about this being an interesting milestone in the "clash of cultures" with regard to the preparations being made. The unfortunate milestone is that these states have come to realize that, in order to protect both life and liberty, they have to ASSUME that Muslim populations will react violently to non-violent provocations. After all, it is not these "lone individuals" (Wilders, Rushdie, Hirsi Ali, Theo van Gogh, ...) that are "driving a state's policy." It is the hysterical MOB REACTION to these individuals that is driving states' policies.

And ignoring "characters" like Wilders would actually make them go away. Not so much because it would dim the limelight, but because there would no longer be anything for his kind to fight against. That the Islamic masses don't seem to be able to self-rightously ignore (much less rationally debate or counter or reflect upon) such challengers is the crux of the problem!

[Art]

(continued from previous) Western governments should vigorously support people such as previously mentioned who tell the truth about Islam. People such as the Pope, George Bush, Tony Blair, etc. should abandon the lie that they have "a profound respect for Islam." I hope that (likely next president) Hillary Clinton has the integrity to say "no comment" if and when she is asked about Islam (comments deferred to Muslims and ex-Muslims). Islam will self-destruct of shame within 100 years. Western countries must completely abandon the idea of killing Muslims as a way to win the war on terror. For every jihadi killed, 2 more are inspired to join their cause, and there are a billion Muslims. The only way to win in the long run against the terrorists, who are actually very devout Muslims, is the method I have described. I am myself ashamed of the cowardice of our media and public officials in this area.

[Art]

This film might serve a useful purpose, but it is never a good idea to attack by using labels like "fascism" or "Nazism." Better to attack Islam by simply stating the facts about the religion clearly. The Koran should not be banned, but its contents (as well as the Hadith and Sirah, the actions and biography of Muhammad) should be loudly, clearly, prominently, frequently, and unabashedly repeated and printed on all media such as NYTimes, CNN. The U.S. and European governments should provide billions of dollars of support to people of integrity like Wafa Sultan, Salman Rushdie, Ibn Warraq, Robert Spencer, etc. There are probably a million or more Muslims who would leave their countries and say the same thing as found on sites such as answering-islam.org, faithfreedom.org, thereligionofpeace.com, etc. (continued)