Dear Editor and readers,

I have learnt with indignation about the''Fitna'', the anti-Islamic film of the right-wing Dutch politician, Mr G. Wilders
The film is to be seen on www.youtube.com

Warning: Shocking images

As to be expected from the political views of Mr Wilders, the film is giving a onesided and negative image of the Islam, which is hateprovoking and discriminative [1]
To legitimize his point of view, Mr Wilders is quoting some Qurantexts, which are used out of their context.

Also he is referring to the terroristic attacks of WTC and Madrid, which have been committed by individuals and organisations, who are using the religion for their own political purposes
Typical for his strand of thought is also the fact, that he doesn't refer to the political causes regarding those attacks

An analysis:

Religions:

The fundaments of Islam, as of Christianity and Judaism, are based on the God of Love, peace and human rights
However, through the centuries, politicians, religious leaders and military have used the religion for their own political and power aims

I don't have to mention the Pope Urbanus II, the initiator of the Crusades, who broke with the fundamental principle pf Christianity by mentioning, that it was no sin to till ''infidels'' [2]
I presume also, that you'll be familiar with the massacres of the Jewish and muslim inhabitants of Palestine, by the so-called Crusader-knights, all in the name of the ''christian faith''
Spoken about fanatism

Also need to be mentioned the Spanish Inquisition, which slaughtered thousands of Jews and muslims and during the Reformation, the socalled protestant ''heretics''

Every religion knows its religious fanatics

Stigmatising of the Islam:

Typical for Wilders is his onesided and discriminative approach of the Islam.
Not only he is making no distinction between the great scala of muslims, from ''moderate'' untill ''extreme'', his selective use of Qurantexts and his denial of the use of similar texts in the Old Testimony and the Torah

Example of a horrible story of the Old Testimony is the genocide on the Amelecites [a nation, which waged war with the Israel from the time of King Saul], which would have taken place ''on the command of God'' [3]

That this horrible old story has its consequences in this time, shows the existence of a Jewish religious fanatical group, the Gush Emunim [which means, the Blocj of Believers], who put several years ago an advertisement in the Haaretz, with a summon to slaughter all Palestinians, after the example of the Amelecites [4]

Religious fanatism:
Example by ALL religions

The dangerous character of ''Fitna'' is not only the onesided quotes out of the Quran, but also the suggestion, that all muslims were religious fanatics

First, that is a very small group
Secondly, as being mentioned already, there are also ''christian'' or ''Jewish'' fanatics

I mentioned already the Gush Emunim, who are also present under the religious fanatical Jewish settlers, especially at Hebron, who are terrorising the occupied Palestinian population [5]
In the USA, the ''christian'' fundamentalists can be mentioned, who have assaulted the abortus clinics, especially in the nineties

The Netherlands:

Also in the Netherlands, religious fanatism existed, especially in the sixties, when IN THE DUTCH PARLIAMENT, a Mr van C Dis [of course NOT the writer A van Dis!], being member of parliament of a fundamental Dutch ''christian'' party, the SGP, defended the South African apartheid, by stating that negroes were inferior, being cursed as ''sons of Cham'' on the ground of an old misinterpreted Old Testamentical Story
Yes readers, the Netherlands of the sixties! [6]

Terroristic attacks and the political causes:

WTC and Madrid

In ''Fitna'' Mr Wilders is referring to the images of the WTC and Madrid attacks
Of course the attacks were illegal and horrible, being military attacks on civilians, but it is demagogical to lay the guilt upon a specific religion

All religions are based on human rights and love
However, the interpretation of men is human work and stems from the own choice, for which only human beings are responsible

Causes:

Further Mr Wilders is denying here the political causes of the terroristic attacks, which stem from the political-military British-American behaviour in the Middle East

The WTC attacks were a reaction on the American military attack on Iraq, with as humanitarian result thousands of civilian death, because of the use of clusterbombs and depleted uranium, which sickened also a great number of American soldiers [7]
And not to be mentioned the UN sanctions against Iraq, which especially have hurted the elderly people and the children
Because of lack of medicines, more than 500.000 Iraqi children has died

The Madrid attacks were a reaction on the Spanish political and military support for the illegal second American attack on Iraq
As in the first attack and Afghanistan, thousands of civilians have died because of the use of clusterbombs and depleted uranium

WHERE IN THE WILDERSFILM CORPSES ARE SHOWN FROM THOSE CIVILIAN VICTIMS, THE DEAD IRAQI CHILDREN BECAUSE OF THE UN SANCTIONS AND THE TORTURED PRISONERS IN GUANTANAMO BAY, ABU GRAIBH, BAGHRAM AND OTHER AMERICAN PRISONCAMPS [8]

IT IS NO WONDER, ONE WILL NOT SEE THOSE PICTURES, SINCE MR WILDERS HIMSELF IS PLEADING FOR A DUTCH GUANTANAMO BAY FOR TERRORSUSPECTS
SINCE MR WILDERS IS OF THE OPINION, THAT ASYLUMSEEKERS SHOULD NOT GET MEDICAL CARE, EXCEPT WHEN THERE DIRECT LIFE IS AT STAKE

Also it is to be mentioned, that those attacks, HOWEVER HORRIBLE, are a reaction on the structural American political and military support for the 40 years long Israeli occupation of the Palestinian terrirories [9]

Mohammed cartoon:

As well at the beginning as the end of ''Fitna'' one of the notorious Danish Muhammed cartoons are dispayed, by which the for the muslims holy Profet is being imaged with a bomb in his turban
Again, yet apart from the insult to the Profet Muhammed, that association, that all muslims are terrorists

Therefore it is to be applauded, that as well the Dutch prime-minister mr Balkenende, as the EU, the UN Sectretary General, as the mayor of Amsterdam, mr Cohen, have rejected this film sharply

With all due respect for a number of Dutch muslims, who were relieved about the relatively not extreme character of the film [there was the fear of tearing or burning the Quran], the film IS EXTREME, HOWEVER

It is stigmatising, hateprovoking and discriminative

Again I wholeheartedly support the statements the Srs H de Winter, E van Thijn and rabbi Soetendorp, that the points of view of Mr Wilders have comparisons with the rising anti-semitism from the thirty years in nazi-Germany [10]

From their Jewish background, they can feel, better then the average Dutchman [of course not to be named those, who are resisting against Wilders] the danger of those hateprovoking points of view

Epilogue:

Every military violence or torture against civilian people, hostages or prisoners of war is a war-crime, despite whether it is done by a regular army or a resistence group
But war-crimes, which are inspired by religion, take place under each religion, whether christian, jewish or muslim

Regarding that I want to recommend the film of the AEL Belgium [11]
it is called ''Al Mouftinoun'' and also seen on www.youtube.com

Warning: shocking images

Of course everyone can form his own opinion about the film, but it represents the other side of the story

Down with racism, anti-semitism and xenofobism

At the end of the day, we are all people
There is only ONE race, the human race

Kind greetings

Astrid Essed
Amsterdam
The Netherlands

NOTES:

[1]

Article about the political views of Mr Wilders

http://quebec.indymedia.org/en/node/27273

[2]

non-believers in Christianity, in casu muslims

See also:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Crusade

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Crusade#Siege_of_Jerusalem

[3]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saul

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amalek

[4]

http://www.cactus48.com/fundamentalism.html

[5]

http://www.btselem.org/English/

http://www.btselem.org/English/Hebron/

[6]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curse_of_Ham

http://www.helium.com/items/367210-bibles-blacks-cursed-godmany

[7]

http://www.hrw.org/campaigns/clusters/index.htm

[8]

http://www.hrw.org/english/docs/2005/04/27/usint10545.htm

[9]

http://www.btselem.org/English/

[10]

Mr H de Winter is a Dutch filmmaker and an initiator of a Different Jewish Voice, a critical Jewish organisation, regarding Israel

See also:

http://www.eajg.nl/uploaded/Mission_Statement_EAJG_English.pdf

Mr H de Winter should not to be confused with the Dutch well known writer, Mr L de Winter, who is a fanatical Israeladherent and a notorious muslim-basher

Mr Cohen is the mayor of Amsterdam

Mr rabbi Soetendorp is a very respected Dutch Jewish liberal rabbi

[11]

http://www.arabeuropean.org/index.php