Wilders has launched the website where people will be able to view his anti-Koran film 'Fitna'. Editor Natasha Gunn sifts through some press, political and public opinion on the matter.

Update: Wilders' has launched a website where shortly his movie Fitna - Arabic for 'the 'tribulation' or 'trial' - can be viewed. Not a single Dutch TV channel wants to broadcast the film in its entirety.

The most controversial news topic of the moment is Wilders’ anti-Koran film and the consequences of its release this month – that is if the Dutch government does not put a stop to it – an avenue which the government prosecutor is currently investigating. 

Wilders’ has expressed surprise and anger at the lack of support he has received from his colleagues in The Hague and at Prime Minister Balkenende’s “passive stance” when Al Qaeda called for a jihad against him last week. He says that the only support he received was a text message from Rita Verdonk wishing him strength.

Foreign Affairs Minister Maxime Verhagen has clearly voiced his concerns to Wilders over what the film could unleash.  He pointed to demonstrations – such as the protests in Afghanistan Sunday (2 March) against the film along with the Danish Muhammad cartoons first published in 2005, possible attacks on embassies, and damage to Dutch institutions and businesses abroad. The Taliban has also threatened to step up attacks against Dutch soldiers in Afghanistan if Geert Wilders releases his film.

Everyone has an opinion on the matter and likely, as with Salman Rushdie’s controversial book 'The Satanic Verses', those opposing the film will react without actually viewing the content.  

Change from within

My Dutch neighbour, a staunch atheist, sees religion as the root of all evil (or at least war). She believes that Wilders is being ridiculously provocative and should leave the emancipation of Islam to the Muslims themselves. This sort of change “should happen from the inside out as has happened with the Catholic and Protestant faiths,” she told me. She still remembers stones and mud being flung at her at school by children who knew her parents were atheist – this was around fifty years ago.

All religions are dangerous

Well-known intellectual Christopher Hitchens has written a bestseller from an atheist standpoint, “God is not great,” which attacks organised religion.  In his book, Hitchens argues that all religions are dangerous. 

[This  presentation  Hitchens  gives on his book is similar to a presentation he gave, which I attended, in Amsterdam last month at the John Adams  Institute.]

I quote from the book:
 “When the worst has been said about the Inquisition and the witch trials and the Crusades and the Islamic imperial conquests and the horrors of the Old Testament, is it not true that secular and atheist regimes have committed crimes and massacres that are, in the scale of things, at least as bad if not worse.”

“One could go further and say that secular totalitarianism has actually provided us with the summa of human evil. The examples most in common use – those of the Hitler and Stalin regimes – show us with terrible clarity what can happen when men usurp the roles of gods.”

Hitchens suggests that out of all religions, Islam, because 'it's unalterable, is the biggest threat.

Wilders' next step

The general consensus according to Dutch newspaper Algemeen Dagblad is that all the commotion and the media circus has made it impossible for Mr Wilders to back down as he would lose all credibility with his supporters.

However, one of the experts says it is possible for Wilders to hold back the film at this stage as "the furious reactions from some segments of the Islamic world have already proved his contention that Islam is an intolerant ideology.”

Update (5 March):

Fitna: the movie 'Coming soon'
Geert Wilders announced this morning the website address where the film will be aired: www.fitnathemovie.com/

An anti-Fitna movie site - which has been active for some time and which has ownership of a URL which people searching for the film will hit through logic is located at: www.fitnathemovie.nl/ 

Read Expatica's news story 'Fitna the movie is online'.

and 'Fitna won't be aired'.

Recent articles in the Dutch press from Geert Wilders website (in Dutch).

One of the many Anti-Wilders' film videos on Youtube

What Expatica readers think

Here are some of the comments posted this week by Expatica readers on the topic of Wilders and his film:

Jessi
You have the right of freedom of expression until your expression infringes or damages the freedoms of other people. And in the Netherlands you do not have the right to incite violence, preach hatred, spout bigotry, or espouse racism. The Dutch learned their lesson with those things with the Nazi's. Hopefully they will remember their willingness to slaughter people for their religion two generations ago and err on the side of tolerance for human beings.

I think Wilders would be very wise in reconsidering the broadcasting of this film. It will not just influence him; it will have repercussions for all Dutch people and anyone living in the Netherlands. And at this point, this seems to be more about his personal problem with Islam and foreigners than anything else.

Geoff
Sometimes violence must be faced. Hitler should have been faced early as he incited violence, preached hatred spouted bigotry and espoused racism - as does Islam. The lesson the Dutch have learnt (or should have learnt) is to face off early and hard.

Gigantor
I've never heard Mr. Wilders say all foreigners are terrible or that they should have their religious freedoms removed and forcibly repatriated.

Now, on the other hand, I do read regularly of imams urging violence, preaching racism and bigotry and extreme intolerance. How about the anti-gay ravings of the imam in Rotterdam that say gays ought to be killed violently for their 'sins'? It's not hypocritical to want security as an MP when his life is repeatedly threatened by these types.

The lesson many Dutch did learn from the Nazi's was that one does have to stand up to evil and threats or face the consequences. Hopefully, like the Danes who are also under threat today, they'll continue to stand up to the threats we all face now.

Albrecht
Appeasement doesn't work. Willful ignorance and 'hoping the situation will go away' will not solve the problem of the backwards, often violent, Islamic extremists in the Netherlands and around the world. Why must free societies curb their freedoms because of a backward religion (either give up civil rights for 'security reasons' or give up civil rights for 'political correctness' reasons)? It seems that both the 'left' and 'right' parties wish to use Islam as an excuse to eliminate civil freedoms in Western parliamentarian democracies or republics. Why is it 'wrong' to wish to control immigration to preserve one's culture and civic society? Why shouldn't guests obey the rules and customs of the house they are visiting? If anything it is just a common courtesy.

M Graves
He certainly has the right to free expression. Voltaire would certainly defend his right to free expression. Is it the right thing to do at this time?

These comments were taken from the still-growing thread of readers' reactions posted after the news article Wilders furious with Balkenende after threats. 

4 March 2008 (updated 5 March)

Natasha Gunn, Features Editor Expatica Netherlands.

Photo by Rachel Levy, dpa.

[Copyright Expatica  2008]