"Fitna" and the Need to Respond
By Douglas Farah
The controversial Dutch film "Finta" by Geets Wilder, a member of parliament, has been released in English and is causing quite a stir. This includes the expected outcry from many quarters, including many Muslim groups. Riots are predicted in Pakistan, Afghanistan and elsewhere.
There are many flaws in the 15-minute show, to be sure. It is jammed with the worst and most atrocious of radical Islam and offers no hint that there are other, valid interpretations of the religion, followed by millions, that do not subscribe to Islam as portrayed.
Nor does it offer any hint that the vast majority of Muslims across the world are not violent and live ordinary lives, with their religion left between themselves and their God.
But the real point, to me, is that all the images, all the hate speech by radical Islamist (including well-known leaders and heads of state), is real. The citations from the Koran are real. None of it was fabricated. And we have seen that these groups are not simply speaking, they act. And they act and speak in the name of Islam.
The U.S. Embassy bombings, the USS Cole, 9/11, Madrid, London, Theo Van Gogh, the beheading of Daniel Pearl, etc. etc., are real actions by real people. I am waiting for large Islamist group out there not to threaten to kill Wilder, which they have done. I am waiting for them to stand up and disown the hate speech and atrocities of those who claim the same religion. My full blog is here.