The great thing about this fim is, Geert didn´t say or do anything. He let the video do the talking. He let the leaders of islam do the talking thru there ranting and raving shown on the video that (THEY MADE) not Wilders. All Wilders did was to group a buncha old videos off the internet that have been out for years now and put them together in a video. Nothing wrong with that. If Islam has an issue with this film then I suggest they stop making hate videos and putting them online. Then that way people like Wilders can´t make films like this!!!!

By DR | March 28, 2008 10:59 AM

I have to agree with you DR, the film spoke for itself without any word from Wilders. There is no way Wilders can be blamed or prosecuted for what radicals Islamists were caught saying in the tape themselves. I am in shock and at the same time very sad at what I had little knowledge of.

By Sandra | March 28, 2008 11:38 AM

The reactions to this film so far and the reactions of the consistent efforts of the Netherlands Government to distance themselves and contain this are encouraging. There were several articles and an editorial in the Jakarta Post but all really aiming to reinforce a more moderate dialogue on the problems raised by Mr Wilders and his film, which in the end may be more bluster and fluster than substance.

I hope Muslim reactions internationally will be more measured than with the famous cartoons, but this is a slightly different issue, maybe more about self publicity and the political exploitation of a sore point rather than the sensitive handling of what becomes so easily a negative global cause celebre. Just a bit more negative spin and he potentially creates bad problems for the Netherlands which is not fair to the Netherlands and I appreciate your Government is working hard to minimize this.

I think it would be better for him if he learned to be a bigger man in a smaller world instead of a smaller man in a bigger world.

If he could do that his desire to limit immigration or his worries about Islam would come over as more genuine concerns people could discuss, instead of provocative flying of political kites as if leading to Armegeddon.

Frankly most people don’t want a battle about this. Many Muslims want to see Islam modernized in presentation and contextualization and are fed up with these old style confrontational debates as well as with extremists. Most people internationally also understand if EU countries have to limit the rate at which they can absorb migrants and that EU voters are worried about this, especially after Community Enlargement to the East.

The three Holy Books all contain parts which could be exploited by extremists and the responsibility to avoid that has to be shared between political and religious leaders internationally.

Terry Lacey Jakarta.

By Dr Terry Lacey | March 28, 2008 1:08 PM

Apparently, the movie said nothing new that whole world don't know including muslims; so muted response is obvious on the other hand I think Wilder acted smart but his one claim that Quran is fascist book is not proved in the movie; which is kind of strange to me.

By Shailesh | March 28, 2008 1:46 PM

This film says it all. We are all driven underground by the threats and actions of this lunatic fringe. Open debate in the West has been stifled by fear of reprisals. It is right to show this video.
If the powers that be have it removed, then shame on them

By dominic cocozza | March 28, 2008 2:03 PM

Geert is a brave man that is not afraid to tell the truth. He has the guts of a Dane!

By Jason Willis | March 28, 2008 2:31 PM

thanks for your suggestion DR
that's partly explaining why people such Wilders exist

However, we should give attentions to two points:

1. in presenting the truth, we cannot tell people few facts and in the same time try to hide other facts. What Wilders did was broadcasting ONLY wrong implementations of Islam and he did not honestly tell what good Moslems do nowadays. He tried to propagate Islam as a bad religion, whereas a lot of people in the Netherlands may also see how the behavior of good Moslems.

2. We must clearly separate what (a) Islam taught to its adherents and (b) how its adherents interpret and implement Islam. We may see a Catholic rapes women, but is that right to think this behavior is taught in Catholic? We also may see how a Christian kills men, but it doesn't mean that Christian as a religion taught them to do that. In similar way, Islam also doesn't teach its adherent to do such terrors. What happens nowadays is "cummulative of reactions of people, who hijacked Islam, to express their feelings against unfair treatment on several countries, which most of their citizens are moslems". It could be seen in Iraq, Palestine, Algeria and even Afghanistan. And to remind us, it also happened around the world when colonization was implemented. We were witnessing, or reading through history books, how extreme actions are taken by they who are being suppressed by the colonizers.

And the last one, I believe Wilders and other people who want to interpret Koran, have to understand: (a) in what context a verse of Koran is being issued; (b) some verses related to other verses, so they cannot just pick a part of one verse and interpret it separately with , let's say, the previous verses before it. I don't think Wilders had enough tools to interpret Koran's verses. He should ask Islam scholars first before try to interpret such verses. By doing that, he, then, would not mislead all of the people who watch his movie

By ah | March 28, 2008 3:37 PM

I would like to addressed to all of us..
that Islam is teaching for peace,
Islam is teaching us how to respect women more than we thought..
Islam teach us about justice in Life..trading,and all of our life activity..
Mostly weterns sees "Islam",as "personal"..
some of them made arguments of Islam while they they just by seeing person who might not doing in islam ways..
let me make simple..
I am moslem,,but i saw internet,there are several activities in western do which i see not approriate and immoral..
but I didn't see it as "religion"..
this is how we have to determine..
please and please..
all people has to know islam,,learn islam eventhought just for a while..
"Islam will show all of us the truth.."

By yasser rahman | November 24, 2008 6:59 AM