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Religion & Law

: Religion Clause

Wilders' Anti-Quran Video Is Posted On Video Hosting Website

By Howard Friedman

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As reported yesterday by CNN and the Washington Post, right wing Dutch politician Geert Wilders' 16-minute video attacking the Quarn and Islam has found an Internet host. LiveLeak.com has posted the 16 minute film titled "Fitna" in English and Dutch versions. The first 9 minutes counterpose verses from the Quran with graphic scenes of terrorism, violence and murder seemingly inspired by the Quranic language. The remainder of the video pursues the theme "Netherlands under the spell of Islam." Near the end of the video, Islamic ideology is compared with Nazism and Communism. The final frame shows the notorious cartoon of Muhammad in a turban in the shape of a bomb-- with the bomb exploding.

LiveLeak also posted its own statement explaining its decision to host the video on free speech grounds. It invited opponents to respond and promised equal exposure for the responses so long as they comply with law and LiveLeak rules. It has already posted, along with the Wilders' video, one from Radio Netherlands Worldwide giving a counter view. It is titled "About Fitna, the Netherlands and Wilders." Arsalan Iftikhar, a contributor to Islamica Magazine, said he doubted that the Wilders' video would trigger violence. However the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the FBI, as well as European officials, have warned that the video's release could spark protests. (See prior related posting.)

UPDATE: Reuters this morning reports that Dutch Muslim organizations have reacted with restraint to the Wilders video. They have appealed for calm and plan to open mosques to the public today in a move to reduce tensions. Yesterday Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende spoke live on television in both Dutch and English saying that he rejected Wilders' views. The Washington Times quotes Leiden University Professor Maurits Berger who said that the video was not as shocking as expected. It did not show a page being torn from the Quran-- but only the sound of a phone book page being torn with a suggestion that Muslims themselves should tear out hateful pages from the Quran.

Full post as published by Religion Clause on March 27, 2008 (boomark / email).