Sun, 22 November 2009
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The upcoming release of a film about the Koran by Islam critic and Freedom Party leader Geert Wilders is causing unrest in the Netherlands. Rachel Levy reports.The government has met several times in recent weeks to prepare itself for possible strong negative reactions to the film among Muslims in the Netherlands and abroad.
Wilders, 44, is the most outspoken Islam critic of the Dutch political scene, and runs on a political platform that advocates a total halt to Muslim immigration.
In August, he publicly called for a total ban on the Koran, calling the Muslim ‘holy scripture’ a "fascist book that incites people to commit violence." He also refers to Islam as a "backward culture."
Wilders has been living under continuous personal security surveillance since the assassination of Dutch film maker Theo van Gogh in 2004 by a Muslim fundamentalist.
Van Gogh was killed following the production of "Submission", a film criticizing the position of women in Islam.
Minister of Interior Affairs Guusje Ter Horst (Labour) has requested all Dutch mayors to remain "on high alert" and maintain an ongoing dialogue with representatives of the local Muslim community in the run-up to the film's release.
In November the Dutch government formally warned Wilders for the potential security risk he may run with his film. The legislator said he refused to let himself be "intimidated" and insisted he would not call off his plans.
On Thursday last week Wilders criticized Gerrit Braks, mayor of Eindhoven in the southern Netherlands, calling him the "mufti of Eindhoven."
Earlier Braks had officially distanced himself from Wilders, the Freedom party and Wilders' upcoming Koran film.
"The film has not even been released," Wilders said, "No one knows what may happen."
Wilders accused Braks of "incitement" and said his behaviour was "irresponsible."
In contrast, Wilders praised Amsterdam mayor Job Cohen, who said he would not speak about the film until after it had been released.
Bravo Wilders!He is a hero and defender of freedom. Islam is a totalitarian political ideology founded by a psychopath, which seeks to establish a world order and caliphate.The koran is full of hate speech and viciously anti-semitic. It is anti-democratic,hates freedom of speech and conscience and does not recognise equal rights for women and non-Muslims.It must be challenged and stopped.
"fascist"? "backward"? Is Wilders looking in the mirror?
Why should I pay taxes to protect this maniac?
http://www.filmwilders.magnify.net/
Traditional Dutch tolerance relies primarily on mutual respect. Anyone familiar with Dutch history knows that the 'pillorisation' of social relations has its origins mainly in the contractual resolution of bloody religious conflicts. This compromise was successfully worked out over time by those dedicated to forming and maintaining a tolerant society.
The basis of the liberal-humanistic principals that still underlie Dutch society are shared by secular and religious forces alike. Characters such as van Gogh and Wilders take careless advantage of this environment and totally abuse the obligation to preserve tolerance in the context of open debate.
Although, there has always been a vociferous minority in Dutch society intent on inciting intolerance and aggressive division (the Dutch fascists during WW2 being perhaps the prime example), the majority of citizens have no sympathy with Wilder's vicious divisiveness.
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evil flourishes when good men do nothing.Islam is the embodiment of intolerance and 'vicious divisiveness' and to accuse Wilders of that betrays a malevolence that can only come from someone with their own fanatical political belief system they would like to impose on others...a set of values that purports to be liberal and humanitarian but is far from it. This is the tragic alliance of the Left and fascist Islam in a war against our own culture. Wilders recommends deporting any Muslims who incite hatred against the host country....he should include any seditious Dutch non-Muslims too.
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