Also troubling is the end of the article:
"During a visit to the European Parliament in Strasbourg last week, Ahmad Badr al-Din Hassoun, the Grand Mufti of Syria, said that, were Wilders was seen to tear up or burn a Koran in his film, 'this will simply mean he is inciting wars and bloodshed ... It is the responsibility of the Dutch people to stop him.'"
I think it's rather ridiculous that wars and bloodshed should result from a movie being made that denounces and/or desecrates a book.
Without getting into everything right off, can someone please tell me the following from other sources:
(1) Is this quote accurate?
I haven't been able to ascertain that either, sorry. I guess it's a mistranslation or a poor expression by the Dutch FM.
NoZed said:
(2) If so, does this quote actually represent anything like the official line from the government?
It is not up to the government, of course, to prosecute anyone; that's up to the DA. The government worries, of course, for the atmosphere that is building up.
NoZed said:
For you old-timers on the board, I realize this isn't nearly as serious as a fringe group from some US religion protesting or threatening boycotts of some failed tv program, but it still seems a bit . . .worrisome, if accurate.
The whole situation is quite serious, at least in the Netherlands -- a country, normally known for its tolerance. On the one hand, we have some 5% muslim immigrants - who are, for the most part, of course no extremists. On the other hand there is Geert Wilders, who broke away from the conservative party and ran with his own list November 2006, garnering 6% of the vote.
At every occasion, Wilders attacks the Islam and calls the Quran a violent and hateful book. It's his only issue. He didn't even bother to do a decent discussion on the state budget in parliament.
A week ago, an advertisement appeared in the major newspapers, on the initiative of a former christian trade unionist, against Wilders' intolerance. Just tonight, he described this in a TV interview as a "fatwah".
As to this film: he has been touting now for months on end that he's going to make this film. Some have even speculated that it's all hot air and that no film is forthcoming. We'll have to see.
That is the bit that worries me. As soon as you put someone in charge of deciding what becomes "hate speech" and give them the authority to stop it, anything might qualify. It isn't whether the definition is good or bad, it is having the authority to make that decision in the first place that starts bothering me.
Someone has to do it; the DA. And in general, he won't prosecute hate speech unless someone files a complaint. And then, he has to convince three judges that the prosecution has a valid case.
I think hate speech for religion has only been prosecuted three times in the 20th C. in the Netherlands. The last case was against Theo van Gogh, renowned for calling muslims "goat ****ers" and for the film "Submission". Earlier in his career, he had written some anti-semitic things, for which he was successfully prosecuted.
The Dutch newspaper NRC has an
article stating that the police has received instructions to be lenient with people who want to file complaints, so they have the chance to blow off steam. Then it's still up to the discretion of the DA to prosecute or not.
The reactions of the muslim community thus far are that of moderation.
Policenaut said:
"During a visit to the European Parliament in Strasbourg last week, Ahmad Badr al-Din Hassoun, the Grand Mufti of Syria, said that, were Wilders was seen to tear up or burn a Koran in his film, 'this will simply mean he is inciting wars and bloodshed ... It is the responsibility of the Dutch people to stop him.'"
The TV footage in the Netherlands added, that he called upon the Dutch muslims to only verbally criticize or debate Wilders, and to refrain from any kind of violence.
The Turkish muslim association Milli Görüs, according to the same paper
NRC, has called on moderation, and that its members don't let themselves provoke by Wilders.
According to the
Volkskrant newspaper, the Moroccan muslim council has announced that the day Wilders releases his film, they will have an "Open Day" where all their mosques will be open to the public. They also call on their members to remain calm.
PS. Sorry for the Dutch links; that's what happens when you discuss a Dutch topic.
I'm sorry I can't provide English links; I think no Dutch newspapers have English editions or English websites.