Opinion Editorials, March 2008
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Islam and the New Dutch Film
By
It was appalling and disappointing to note that the
new Dutch Film on Islam has been released. With the intent of its
production to demonize Islam, it should prove to be a bust. Even it
could not reach the mostly seen website for being viewed. The film maker
appears to just taken the lead in producing this film, for the sake of
lead. The film is based on isolated verses from Quran and images as per
the desire of the producer to satisfy the ulterior motives. The film has
not taken into consideration the lessons a human being can learn from
the Holy Quran for the betterment of humanity. The name of the film is
based on an Arabic word that is itself demeaning in Islam, and has a
negative connotation. So, what could be the possible motives behind this
film:
-
Earn money
-
Earn name and fame
-
Establish the producer as the
leading anti-Islamic voice
-
Ridicule Islam
-
Send a subtle message to Muslims
to see the writings on the wall
-
To make an attempt to:
o
gauge the reaction of
Muslims on the film
o
stop the surge in
o
appease the masters of
the producer
o
establish the link of
terrorism and Islam
o
gain empathy of the other
faiths and their followers
There could be many more that we may not know, and
only the time will reveal them.
What could be the
possible reactions?
Prior to
release:
People and governments had shown their reservation
prior to the release of the film. They included:
- The
movie was first mentioned in the Dutch media on November 2007 The Dutch
government almost immediatly expressed great concern about the film
release.It has made emergency evacuation plans available to all its
consulates and embassies worldwide. It also hardened security
measurements around military installations abroad. On its embassy
website in Washington it has also posted an explanatory note for the
people who have demanded for any action at the government level.
However, they have avoided taking any direct action against the producer
till the film is not released.
- Dutch Prime minister
was worried about possible repercussions for Dutch citizens and economic
interests.
- The publication of
the film was investigated by the Dutch Ministry of Justice to find out
whether the release of the film could be prevented, but this could not
be done. "-------- Taking into account the Dutch constitution the
government sees no possibilities to prohibit the film before
broadcasting. After the film has been broadcast, the government will
investigate the possibility that the producer has committed criminal
offences and the Public Prosecution Service
will take a decision whether or not to prosecute."
- In February 2008,
Pakistani regulators internally banned YouTube for several days due to a
"blasphemous" video clip one report claimed to be a trailer for the
film.
- On March 6th 2008,
the Dutch government raised its national terroristic threat level from
the status 'limited terroristic threat' to 'substantial terroristic
threat' because it fears Muslim terrorists will launch attacks against
European targets, with the film as one of the causes.
- Public protests have
occurred in Amsterdam, Kabul, Islamabad etc.
- NATO said it feared that
the consequences of filmwWould affect the safety of troops in
Afghanistan
- The producer is the
subject of a fatwa, calling upon Muslims to assassinate him in the name
of Islam.
- Iran had threatened
to review its diplomatic stance with The Netherlands, should the film be
aired. The reaction needs to be seen as the film has been released.
- French President
officially declared that France would provide every necessary support to
aid the Netherlands in the suppression of any Muslim violence that would
result from film’s release.
-
On March 22, 2008, the hosting provider of the website, the Internet
company-Network Solutions, replaced the page with a message stating that
the company “is investigating whether the site's content is in violation
of the Network Solutions “Acceptable Use Policy” and that “Network
Solutions has received a number of complaints regarding this site that
are under investigation. The shutdown was swiftly followed by criticism
of Network Solutions' alleged hypocrisy in hosting the domain of
Hezbollah, an entity that America and the Netherlands (along with four
other countries) designate as a terrorist organization.
After
the release of the movie:
-
If the news does not circulate
as that of cartoons, there would be less damage on a personal basis for
a common man than seen previously. However, there may be some sporadic
reactions. In the other case, there may be as usual loss of life and
property.
-
Muslims may start giving
explanations to the Quranic verses mentioned in the film.
-
The Dutch
Dutch Ministry of Justice
may review the film and take any action against the producer for
defaming Islam.
- A global anti-Islamic/anti-West movement may get initiated.
-
People may start studying Islam
in-depth.
-
The film becomes a history.
Looking at the film, its possible motives and the
reaction pre and post release, makes us to conclude that compared to the
cartoons, the response may be muted. This could be due to the proactive
measures taken by governments and others to avoid damages. However, this
will not be the last attempt to ridicule Islam in the name of “Freedom
of Speech”.
References:
http://www.netherlands-embassy.org/article.asp?articleref=AR00002436EN
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