Thursday 6 March 2008

Freedom of speech

Something that the Netherlands are famous for. Not everybody appreciates the consequences, though. A while back, I mentioned that Dutch MP Geert Wilders has made a 15 minute movie called Fitna; Arabic for religious discord or strife. The film starts by showing the Koran (the Muslim holy book) opening, with the pages showing images of what the filmmaker thinks are Muslim-inspired atrocities in Islamic countries. Mr Wilders has also stated that Dutch culture is far superior to (I quote) the retarded Islamic culture.

The Dutch government has warned that the movie could damage the country's economic and security interests, and the authorities in The Hague have now augmented the security status to Substantial, the second highest. This as a result of disapproving noises from Islamic countries like Pakistan.

To my mind, the Dutch government has it wrong this time. Mr Wilders, a far-right MP, has done well in calling his film Fitna, because he is causing discord alright, by gratuitously insulting a major religion of the world on the back of blatant racism. He is playing right into the hands of religious extremists by releasing his production. To my mind, it should be stopped from reaching general circulation.

I am only too aware of the atrocities being committed in the name of Islam, but I also know that the true Islamic faithful abhor violence.

2 comments:

  1. Wow.  Tough one.  I agree whole heartedly with you.  I would stop it. But then, there are other things I would have stopped that if I hadn't of listened to I would not have been educated.  (keep your friends close and your enemys closer)

    It's a hard one this freedom of speach isn't it.  Sometimes I like watching and listening to such things just to be educated.  It scares me to know that there are people out there who hate so much to produce such a film, but if we do not listen to them, are we able to combat them?

    Still, I would like to see it stopped.  

    ~Rosemary

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  2. wow, thanks for the info; I have a sister who lives in the Hague

    betty

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