Fitna is out
Okay, Geert Wilders’ movie Fitna is finally online. It was posted sometime yesterday and the English version has already been viewed over two million times. As I write this the Dutch version is at 2.5 million views. Talk about word-to-mouth!
First, the good news. Wilders did not do anything really stupid and really irresponsible like tear up or otherwise damage or deface the Koran. In other words, there is no reason whatsoever why someone should want to kill him or anybody else over this*. Besides, it turns out there already has been more than enough ado about nothing.
The sixteen minute movie is essentially a copy-and-paste job with verses of the Koran followed by images and speeches of violence and hate in the name of Islam. A good thing about the film is that, at the end, Wilders addresses the Muslim community, or his vision of this community, to tackle the problem of Islam-inspired violence. He does not advocate non-Muslim violence against Islam. The problem with Fitna is that its vision of Islam is terribly one-sided and limited. The movie, basically, could have been made by your average blogger. There is some truth in it, but it gets mixed up with a great number of simplified associations and generalizations.
Anyway, these are my first thoughts. I am writing this in the middle of the night and I think I should have another look at the movie when my mind is well-rested. In the meantime I am looking forward to comments from our readers. You can view Fitna at LiveLeak.com (or here in case of high traffic) and embedded below. Francophone readers can click here. For the time being, I’ll post any updates in the comments section.
*Disclaimer: I do not believe anybody should ever be killed or hurt over an expressed opinion. I wrote this with some of the death threats that Wilders has received in mind.
UPDATE: LiveLeak apparently had to nix the flick but you can still watch it HERE or HERE. Threats suck and are so pre-internets. Plus, they give the movie more credit than it deserves. I am providing the mirror links because now it really has become an issue of freedom of speech. And sadly so.
UPDATE2: Dutch anthropologist Martijn dissects Fitna. He concludes his in-depth and fact-based analysis with:
Astonishing therefore that people are really seeing this film as soft. Are we used already to all the violence that is depicted, don’t we think that using lies, distortions and so on is a problem? It is an irresponsible form of abusing the freedom of speech, not only towards Muslims but also with regard to the people who voted for Wilders. I have spoken to some of them in the past and they have put their faith in him as the one who perhaps could solve the problems they experience. What Wilders has done know is behaving like a charlatan who sells rubbish, nonsense and a pack of lies and something that probably will not solve any problem.
14 thoughts on “Fitna is out”
The Youtube version has an English translation. A stunning error in the movie is the picture of Theo van Gogh’s murderer: It shows Moroccan-Dutch rapper Edin and not Mohammed B. The rapper said that he will not sue Wilders. “We wanted to show that any common Dutchman thinks that a Moroccan with a beard is Mohammed B.”, said Edin’s manager. “Well, this a convincing proof of that”.
Wilders should be happy, that Dutch Moroccans are so cool…
Wilders should be happy, that Dutch Moroccans are so cool…
@Huib
What could Edin sue him for? For misidentifying him? LOL.
What is insane is how much the Islamists have effectively cowed the West.
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I have read somewhere, but I need to see this confirmed, that the author of the Danish cartoon Wilders used in the movie is indeed going to sue Wilders for copyright violation. Would be kind of ironic.
Yep, Westergaard wants his cartoon to be removed alright. He does not want it to be used for rightist politics. He is considering to sue but needs to inform himself first about his rights.
From: www.ad.nl/binnenland/2173952/Mijn_cartoon_moet_eruit.html
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And we have a Danish lawsuit:
From iht.com
And some international reactions:
From Radio Netherlands Worldwide
Apparently Dutch Muslims have stated that any attack on The Netherlands or its citizens would be considered an attack on Dutch Muslims. Very nice.
Wilders has congratulated the Muslim community with their reaction to his movie, even when he’ll get sued for equating the Koran with fascism…
The movie has been removed from Liveleak following serious threats against their staff… Sadly that was somehow predictable.
That is just bloody ridiculous. Does not matter.
Mirror, mirror on the wall…
Ah yes, that very liberal side of Islam – effectively censoring free speech and free thought as well as threatening and intimidating with violence those who would criticize.
Why does the tolerant West (prime example: The Netherlands) tolerate the intolerant of Islam?
Does no one see the brutal irony? Islam is criticized for being a violent religion — Islamists respond by threatening (and often executing) violence.
Way to make a case for yourself.
Varangy: I think it’s safe to say that everybody here sees the brutal irony. However it’s worth bearing in mind that “irony” is not a universal cultural trait, and that Islamists in particular (fundamentalists of any stripe, actually) have no concept of irony whatsoever.
Europe returns to its roots of racism and religious hatred. Muslim countries have been invaded and occupied for centuries, Europeans killed uncounted millions and are still doing it.
Even as muslim immigrants are constantly being murdered now, we’re supposed to listen to some sociopathic Zionist thug who revels in xenophobia and generalises over a widely diverse religion of maybe 1 and a half billion people.
Stunning hypocrisy. Wilders is the sickness of Europe personified.
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