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Commentary: 'Fitna': Hate documentary about hate speech
Endy M. Bayuni , Jakarta | Mon, 03/31/2008 1:01 AM | Headlines
The anti-Islam film Fitna, posted by Dutch politician Geert Wilders on the Internet last week, amounts to nothing more than a hate speech about the hate speech coming from the Muslim world. Wilders is just as guilty of spreading hatred through his lies about Islam as the Muslims who preach and use violence against what they perceive to be the enemies of Islam.
The documentary is part of an Islamophobia industry that seems to be growing rapidly in the West. And Wilders is hiding behind freedom of speech to engage in hate speech. Let's just hope Europeans have the common sense to dismiss Fitna as nothing more than a propaganda tool for the Dutch politician's anti-immigration platform.
The Muslim world would also do well to dismiss the film without further thought. A strong or violent reaction is just what Wilders was looking for in producing and releasing the film. Such reactions would vindicate his claim that Islam, instead of being the religion of peace that it is, preaches violence.
Wilders conveniently picks and chooses verses from the Koran (the translations of which are dubious, and all of them taken out of context) that seem to call for the use of violence, and runs them alongside clips of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States and other terrorist attacks since then that were perpetrated in the name of Islam.
He also includes hate sermons by radical Muslim leaders, and adds a quotation from Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for good measure.
Voila, in 15 minutes, the film manages to convey the message that violence is an inherent part of the Islamic faith. By way of implication, since the teaching is violent, so are the adherents. In the film, Wilders warns that the presence of 54 million Muslim immigrants in Europe, including close to one million in the Netherlands, is a threat to freedom and to the European lifestyle.
The film shoots down the argument commonly presented by the Muslim world that terrorist attacks are carried out by a tiny minority who do not represent the Muslim majority. It also dismisses the notion that Islam is a peaceful and tolerant religion, or that by and large, Muslims are comfortable living side by side with non-Muslims.
The video does not turn out to be as vicious as had been hyped in the months before its release.
There were none of Wilders' claim likening the Koran to Adolf Hitler's Mein Kampf, which actually does preach violence. And there was none of the tearing up of the Koran in the video as was earlier claimed, an act that would surely have upset Muslims and provoked strong and violent protests of the kind we saw in 2006 in response to the publication of offensive cartoons lampooning Prophet Muhammad in a Danish publication.
Instead, at the end of the video, the screen turns black and there is the sound of a page being ripped from a book, and a voice suggesting that Muslims themselves should tear out the page(s) of their holy book that preach violence.
Depending on how the public receives the video, the first and foremost concern is the fate of the millions of Muslims who live in Europe, as they are the real target of Wilders' message.
The vast majority of them have nothing to do with the violence Wilders' talks about in the film. A worst-case scenario would be the persecution of Muslims as Islamophobia grows in the same way Christian Europeans persecuted Jews in the 20th century. As it is, Muslims in some European countries have already begun feeling the heat in recent years.
Thankfully, after failing to prevent Fitna's release, the Dutch government disassociated itself from the film as soon as it became publicly available on the Internet, as has the Danish government. This is a first step in calming the situation and easing tensions in their own communities, as well as in their relations with predominantly Muslim countries.
Their next task is to deal with the growing Islamophobia in their societies. Muslim minorities, most arriving through decades of immigration, are a fact of life in Europe. They are reminders of the growing presence of peoples of different cultures and religions in the once predominantly white and Christian Europe, and the need for everyone to learn to live side by side in peace despite their differences.
Some tensions are inevitable during such a process of integration or assimilation, and it is therefore all the more important for governments to get a handle on the situation and start promoting multiculturalism or pluralism to ease the tensions.
If there is anything good coming out of Wilders' film, it is to remind Europeans of the urgency for them to deal with the problems and challenges of the ever-growing diversity of their societies.
The author is chief editor of The Jakarta Post.
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The Reader (not verified) — Tue, 04/01/2008 - 11:53am
I agree with the ealier comment that muslims(who do not agree with the imams)should condemn the imams in that film rather than Geert. Peace!
Thank you
Chris (not verified) — Tue, 04/01/2008 - 10:31am
The fact that there are near-zero churches in muslim countries (1 was built in the DESERT of Qatar not too long ago) shows that the tolerance-aspect is always expected to come from the "West".
And it has been like that for more than a century.
Until I see the first church being built in Mekka, just as there are mosques in Rome, I cannot accept the statement that Islam is tolerant.
Actions speak louder than words.
The 'film' Fitna does not contribute anything for that matter, as well, and what I feel about the film has already been stated before.
It is indeed just as bad as the intolerance of much of the muslim world.
The Reader (not verified) — Mon, 03/31/2008 - 7:45pm
I have seen the film. I think the ones who are more disturbed by the film should be jews and other non-muslims. Because those imams clearly stated what to do with them and it also shows what islamic terorists have done to them. In my opinion after watching the film is that muslims(who do not agree with the imams)should condemn the imams in that film rather than Geert.
After all the islamists are the tiny minority, so it should be a peace of cake for the so-call moderates to handle them no? Or could it be because Geert is more dangerous than the terrorists?
A free man (not verified) — Mon, 03/31/2008 - 6:30pm
Please allow me to comment as I'm a citizen of the Netherlands and proud of the way most of us have peacefully coexisted for many decades. I do not associate myself with Islamophobia, nor have I been concerned a moment about the response by the Islamic world to this 'film', which is an obvious attempt to create more division in a society which in majority is longing for more unity. The vast majority of the Netherlands is not supportive of the views of Mr Wilders or any of his kind.
It is my humble opinion that the relatively peaceful coexistence in my country of many people from different origin or belief for centuries, has always been based on the firmly rooted principles of free speech, equality of all and mutual respect towards one another. A people that talks and maintains dialogue, doesn't fight and is able to provide and digest criticism.
In addition, I do believe that any meaningful dialogue has to go along the lines of respect, dignity and sincere willingness to listen to the other side. It is obvious to me - and to most people in my country - that Mr Wilders hopelessly fails in this respect and in fact doesn't contribute to solving the perceived problematic situation. He's only aggravating it.
The response in Dutch society has been very encouraging, in my view. Over the past few days many people - both Muslims and non-Muslims - have engaged in a respectful discussion, but were united in their condemnation of Mr Wilders attempt to create a split in society. This has been the product of an individual, who claims to defend traditional free rights, but in order to do so, seeks to restrict those of a minority. I'm convinced this does not get any following in our society.
I object strongly to anyone who seeks to limit free rights, as it has taken us centuries to obtain them and they have rendered us a society which is prosperous and generally peaceful (although I acknowledge the likelihood that the people of Indonesia have different views on the Dutch past).
Mr Wilders is a threat to my freedom to the same or even bigger extent as any extremist is. In this respect I would like to call upon the very few in your country who wish for Holland to go to hell. How in God's name can you wish for 16 million people, including 1 million Muslims, to be destroyed because one person's distorted views upset you? Does your burning our Dutch flag really address this problem. Is your behaviour - as broadcast extensively by Western media - going to help solve the misperception of Islam that unfortunately exist all around the globe? I take your disagreement with this provocative movie as justified, but the images of masked fanatics issuing threats to my country disgust me perhaps even more than the movie itself does.
I share the chief editor's hope something good will come out of this and Europeans come to better grip with their diversity. I'd like to stress that these 'Europeans' are inclusive of many Muslims, many of which in Holland have so far shown a much more dignified and nuanced response than their brothers and sisters in predominantly Muslim countries. Let them be an example to the fanatics calling for a boycot of Holland, which would hurt all 16 million of us, not only Mr Wilders.
Insha'Allah (I hope I spelled it right)
Rizwan - Bandung (not verified) — Mon, 03/31/2008 - 5:21pm
It is the worst film that have created in the world. The man who creating this film is a man who does not have responsibility in himself. He is the real terrorist not Islam as he showed in the film. He does not have a responsible in himself. He know that this film can attract negative responses from Muslim in the world. But he still posted this film. He absolutely defy to Muslim. It can excite a war. So, it's why i said that he is the real terrorist.
Rob (not verified) — Mon, 03/31/2008 - 5:20pm
I think it is somewhat easy to "stamp" Fitna as being a "propaganda tool for the Dutch politician's anti-immigration platform". Wilders is trying to make a stand against islam radicals who base their ideas on a few pages in the Koran. Wilders does this in his own way: seeking the confrontation. Although (even in Holland) many disagree with his approach, I feel he does deserve - some- respect because he wants to open a dialog, a dialog which has to be lead by muslims themselves and no other
R. Tiara D.M.S. ( Bandung ) (not verified) — Mon, 03/31/2008 - 11:38am
"Fitna"
When I saw little part of this controversial movie, I absolutely shock and feel very stange.
How come one of the Dutch politician made this film?
Is he did this because he wanted to show his existence in this world? Or because he was annoying by the Moslems?
As the parts of the world, people should stand together for the better future of the world. So do in the religious life.
Every body has their own right to choose and believe in the religion they wanted to believe.
What he done was very contrast with the humanity perspective.
But, as a human who help each other. We should claim that FITNA just one of more problems from who will destroy the human being indirectly.
Whatever it will mock one of the religion, we must strong to face this and think that it just a little unimportant thing to think.
Ronald (not verified) — Mon, 03/31/2008 - 9:49am
This mp Wilders is just targetting himself, putting a price on his head and waisting public funds for protecting, propaganda and he is denying modern times. Untill now the islametic world has reacted in a very positive and adult way which makes his statement worthless and wordless...