| FrontPageMag.com | By Robert Spencer | By Hugh Fitzgerald | Books | Jihad Watch | Islam 101 | Qur'an Blog | Raymond Ibrahim | Robert Spencer |  |
|
|
|||||||||||
|
|
The movie threatens the nation, you see. Not the irrational rage and grievance culture found in Muslim populations at home and abroad. Not the texts and teachings of Islam that mandate violence against uppity dhimmis and other unbelievers. Therefore, Wilders is to blame for people who react to his film with said irrational rage and violence.
Question for Balkenende: Would Andres Serrano (of P*** Christ infamy) be responsible for the actions of Christians who tried to kill him, or violently took out their anger on the U.S. government and its officials for the funding of Serrano's work by the National Endowment for the Arts?
What? That didn't happen? But aren't all religions equally prone to violence?
"Dutch movie about Islam threatens nation," from the Associated Press:
Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende has warned a maverick lawmaker of the risks to Dutch national interests if he presses ahead with a film criticizing the Koran.
Balkenende's appeal to Geert Wilders on Friday stopped short of demanding that he not release the film, which Wilders said was in the final stages of editing.
"Already we are having to take account of serious threats to Dutch people," Balkenende said in a televised news conference.
"When you see how the reactions have been at home and abroad, what the risks could be of this film, then there's one person who must answer for it, and that is Mr Wilders himself," he said.
Wilders said his short film would portray the Koran as a "fascist book." He does not yet have a broadcaster for it, but says he will release it on the Internet if he fails to find one.
In a statement after Balkenende's news conference, Wilders accused the Cabinet of "bowing to fear of terror and fear of Islam" and rejected calls to scrap the movie.
"Let me make one thing clear: The film will be released," he said.
Last week, the Pakistani government ordered Internet providers to restrict access to YouTube, allegedly to prevent Pakistanis from accessing a clip of Wilders in which he makes derogatory remarks about Islam. The move inadvertently caused a worldwide outage of the video sharing site.
The Dutch development minister called off a visit to Somalia on Friday after he was warned his life would be in danger on the trip.
"This is about the safety of Dutch citizens and businesses abroad, the Dutch military which is on a mission [in Afghanistan], about the broader interest of the Netherlands, the values for which we stand, our reputation internationally," Balkenende said.
In an earlier last week, Wilders said negative reactions to his film "only served to prove the point" that Islam should be criticized.
Wilders said the film would demonstrate how the Koran incites violence and intolerance of women and homosexuals.
Muslim groups in the Netherlands say they will file hate-speech charges against Wilders for previous statements, such as his description of Islam as a "retarded" religion. The Grand Mufti of Syria has warned of "bloodshed" if the film is released.
The Dutch national antiterrorism coordinator has told Wilders he may have to go into hiding abroad once his film is released. He already lives under constant police protection.
Dutch embassies have warned staff to brace for similar violence if the film is broadcast.
Posted by Marisol at March 3, 2008 12:31 AM
Print this entry
| Email this entry
| Digg this
| del.icio.us
The outpouring of hate and threats of death by the ministers and muftis of the religion of perpetual inflammation only prove how thin skinned and intolerant they are of pluralistic societies and freedom of speech.
These people need to be locked in a cage given their obsession with violence and death. They are a menace to civil society and humanity in general.
Maybe one day after enough western blood has been shed by these blood thirsty men, we will issue the long needed corrective for Islam and its followers.
![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.jihadwatch.org/dhimmiwatch/nav-commenters.gif)
at March 3, 2008 1:39 AM
The stupidity of the Dutch PM threatens the West's survival.
That's the real headline.
Posted by: profitsbeard at March 3, 2008 1:43 AM
When NATO spokesmen say that the movie poses a danger for our boys there, my conlusion is clear:
We've overextended ourself. When our engagement becomes a problem for our civil liberties, the civil liberties are more important. These liberties are what NATO is created to defend, anyway. If NATO degenerates to being some anonymous "International actor", it would have lost its purpose.
We can let the Afghans themselves care about building schools & democracy. We've paid enough, we've worked enough, we put enough lives on the line.
I think we need to get out. Iraq, too.
We'll leave behind a note saying "If you attack us again, we'll pulverize you."
Posted by: Henrik at March 3, 2008 2:53 AM
Profitsbeard,
'The stupidity of the Dutch PM threatens the West's survival.'
Just about putting it up...
Posted by: sheik yer'mami at March 3, 2008 3:00 AM
"When you see how the reactions have been at home and abroad, what the risks could be of this film, then there's one person who must answer for it, and that is Mr Wilders himself," he said."
Muslims arent responsible for self control?
Posted by: Elric66 at March 3, 2008 4:19 AM
If the "religion of peace" is so bloodthirsty & threatening is that not proving Geerts point ?
Posted by: ericthekuffar at March 3, 2008 5:25 AM
Dutch government is discussing censor ship rules, to ban anti Islamic expressions:
http://kleinverzet.blogspot.com/2008/03/dutch-government-discussing-censorship.html
at March 3, 2008 5:39 AM
It's sickening how the media describes Geert Wilders' as being "far right" and a "maverick lawmaker". I assume that, since he's an elected member of parliament, it must be because he represents the views of a substantial number of his constituents. If they don't like his views, then they are free to vote him out of office. Until then, he is a valuable mouthpiece for Dutch citizens who are concerned about the effects the high rate of Muslim immigration are having on their culture.
The terms "far right" and "maverick" are smear adjectives used by "far left" politicians and pundits to try to discredit conservatives with whom they disagree.
Muslims becoming violent every time someone points out their violence is becoming tiresome.
Posted by: Eastview at March 3, 2008 6:10 AM
"Dutch embassies have warned staff to brace for similar violence if the film is broadcast."
Why would they issue a warning like that? Islam is a peaceful religion; George Bush said it was.
Posted by: Pelayo at March 3, 2008 6:28 AM
In a sane world, all this fear of reactions and threats of violence would give Wilder's critics pause and reflect that maybe, just maybe, that Wilder's film is a work of non fiction and that Wilder is correct in his analysis of Islam and the Qur'an.
Posted by: Elric66 at March 3, 2008 6:51 AM
In Holland, it's the conservatives (Christian Democrats) who want to ban the film; it's the Lefties (Labor) who are advocating for free speech.
Should give all us conservatives pause for reflection. I've been periodically critical of Robert when he advocates for the conservative-liberal united front....and enthusiastically supportive when he castigates the Left for their dhimmitude, but this is a perfect example showing that the lines of battle are not neatly delineated.
http://sugiero.blogspot.com/2008/03/dutch-government-seeking-to-ban-wilders.html
Posted by: Cornelius at March 3, 2008 7:21 AM
But the immigration from muslim countries continues....
Posted by: Borg at March 3, 2008 8:29 AM
Muslim groups in the Netherlands say they will file hate-speech charges against Wilders for previous statements, such as his description of Islam as a "retarded" religion.
Is it time to rethink that whole hate-speech thing? Free speech is free speech- you cannot qualify it.
Posted by: tanstaafl at March 3, 2008 8:45 AM
Cornelius,
The Dutch Christian Democrats (CDA) are not conservatives at all. They are Christians who are positions between socialist (PvdA) on the left and liberals (VVD) on the right. For a long period of time there was nothing more right wing then the liberal party, thus some people might think they are the republican party of Holland. But that is not the case, the Dutch liberal party always have voiced their preferences for the American Democrats, and never for the conservative Republicans.
In Holland, like the rest of Europe, conservatives in the American sense, are just a tiny factions.
Posted by: Ferdy at March 3, 2008 9:16 AM
"Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende has warned a maverick lawmaker of the risks to Dutch national interests if he presses ahead with a film criticizing the Koran."
Too bad the Dutch PM, and his many predecessors for the last 30 years or so didn't heed warnings about the "risks to Dutch national interests" if they pressed ahead with massive Moslem immigration.
"Already we are having to take account of serious threats to Dutch people," Balkenende said in a televised news conference.
There have been much more serious threats to the Dutch people from the hundreds of thousands of Moslem criminals, thugs, and dole-takers that you, Mr. Balkenende, and your predecessors let into your once-wonderful country. These barbarians don't just hate Mr. Wilders, they hate you too, Mr. PM, and they hate your country, its culture, and all of its citzens.
at March 3, 2008 11:00 AM
Ferdy,
I understand your point. The Christian Democrats could be characterized as centrists. My point is they are to the right of Labor and yet in this case, Labor seems to be on the right side of the issue.
Posted by: Cornelius at March 3, 2008 12:08 PM
The idiocy of islamic fundamentalists with their disdain for the most precious thing of life, which is life itself, is almost matched in stupidity by the naivety of certain Dutch politicians who completely underestimate the threats of further moving the zones of tolerance. Fear will only be enhanced by not having freedom of speech and publication. To put it differently:
If you don't like it here, go back to the big sandpit, and try blow up yourself there.
at March 3, 2008 1:18 PM
"If the "religion of peace" is so bloodthirsty & threatening is that not proving Geerts point?"
Yes
But saying that, and in particular making that information available to the general public, is the kind of stuff that will get you deadlisted.
Courage is needed. And apparently, regime change in the Netherlands...
Posted by: Henrik at March 4, 2008 6:22 AM
Comments are turned off and archived for this entry.
(Note: The Comments section is provided in the interests of free speech only. It is mostly unmoderated, but comments that are off-topic, offensive, slanderous, or otherwise annoying stand a chance of being deleted. The fact that any comment remains on the site IN NO WAY constitutes an endorsement by Jihad Watch or Dhimmi Watch, or by Robert Spencer or any other Jihad Watch or Dhimmi Watch writer, of any view expressed, fact alleged, or link provided in that comment.)