Fitna, of course, simply contains Qur’an verses and depicts Muslims preaching violence and committing acts of violence on the basis of those verses. So the best response to it from the Iranian government or anyone else would be a comprehensive, honest, and transparent effort to convince Muslims (not non-Muslims — that’s easy, and unhelpful) to reject the Islamic imperatives to violence or Islamic supremacism, and to adopt principles of peaceful coexistence with non-Muslims as equals on an indefinite basis.
But instead, we will get more soothing propaganda that will fool the credulous but do nothing to prevent Muslims from committing acts of violence in the name of Islam.
“Pro-Islam Film to be Released in Response to ‘Fitna,'” from The Media Line, July 22:
A short film titled Beyond Love will soon be released by the Iranian-based NGO Islam and Christianity (IC), in response to the anti-Islamic Dutch film Fitna, the Iranian news agency IRNA reported.
“The film aims to introduce the real Islam. It will be useful for those who want to get acquainted with Islam,” said IC spokesman Muhammad Karimi.
Earlier this year, Dutch filmmaker Geert Wilders produced Fitna, which claimed to have explored Quranic motivations for terrorism. The film was condemned by many in the West, as well as in the Muslim world. Al-Qa’ida even issued a religious decree against Wilders, while the Dutch government was quick to distance itself from the film.
While IC claims to be an independent organization, Radio Netherlands quoted an Iranian journalist a few months ago as saying that it was created by the government itself.
“It is an NGO of ‘convenience’; it is absolutely clear that this is a government initiative,” said Mina Sa’adi, a journalist working for the independent Farsi-language website Shahrzad News.