I’ve got loads to say about the flap over the release of the short film Fitna by Dutch far-right islamophobe Geert Wilders. However, I also have a lot of work to do (deadlines, deadlines, deadlines), so I’ll just make a few quick points here.
First of all, the movie is pathetic. The whole premise is pathetic. In showing Qur’an verses which supposedly prove Islam is all about violence, along with images of radical Muslims spewing hate, Wilders has only proven how ignorant he and other islamophobes are about the religion. They paint a wildly distorted picture of Islam and its adherents, taking Qur’an verses out of context and holding up the beliefs, words and actions of a few extremists as if they were the beliefs, words and actions of the average Muslim.
Muslim extremists are equally pathetic. The small group of Indonesians that protested at the Dutch embassy in Jakarta, calling for Wilders to be killed, are pathetic and just as ignorant as he is. They’re so thin-skinned, so easily baited, so blinded by hatred and ignorance that they are doing exactly what people like Wilders would like them to do. Then again, even if they knew, they might not care.
Why? Because they’re fanatics too, and the game of fanatics like Geert Wilders, and the extremists he hates, is indeed fitnah, according to at least one of the word’s many definitions:
Seditious fitnah applies to words and acts that incite dissension and controversy among people to such a degree that believers can no longer be distinguished from disbelievers. It so clouds the atmosphere of understanding and confounds the thoughts and minds of people that they can no longer distinguish right from wrong and, therefore, are unable to advocate the truth (Ismail 1986).
Extremists, whether they’re Islamic extremists or anti-Islamic extremists or extremists of any religious or political stripe, want to create this so-called clash of civilisations we keep hearing about. As Israeli writer Amos Oz said:
I have never gone for this simplistic dichotomy about a struggle between civilizations: east versus west, or Islam versus the rest of the world. I think the real struggle in the world arena, and probably for the rest of the twenty-first century, is the struggle between the fanatics and the rest of us.
Amen, brother.
He also said:
Fanatics always play into each other’s hands. They always kindle the enthusiasm and zeal of their counterparts on the other side.
So, what is to be done about this latest slander against Islam? Well, it’s a little late to do what should have been done: ignore it. People like Geert Wilders need an audience; now that certain Muslims have already played into his hands, the window of opportunity to display a mature response has closed, and Wilders has his audience. Many other Muslims, not necessarily extremists, are calling for a boycott of Dutch products. Personally, I think this is a bit extreme as well. Setting out to punish an entire nation for the actions of one of its citizens — even after their government has spoken out against that person’s actions — is not going to help. If there are laws against hate speech in the Netherlands that Wilders may have broken, let them deal with it. Whatever the case, I think what we should all do is shake our heads, call him an asshole — and perhaps explain to the world why we feel that way — and move on.
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8 Comments
I got news for u bruder. This Fitna ain’t gonna be the last of numerous such perceptions of what Muslim do and preach. A casual search of the internet will easily turn up numerous examples of such activities by Muslims taking fanatical views and non-Muslims affirming that such views exist.
Those people calling for retaliations, boycotts or demonstrating or calling for murder are a bunch of idiots. As long as they do so, then there will only encourage further reaction for more support of such Fitna like views. Muslims should not blindly support assholes - especially those which claim to be Muslim under a stupid idea of brotherhood or Muslim unity or dreams of greatness. Keep at this stupidity and who knows, a new Hitler may arise. All Muslims to be marked (like the Jews} and sent to extermination camps, or the religion to be banned.
What is an intelligent and wise approach? Islamic religious bodies, authorities, media, ordinary people and bloggers should simply acknowledge and declare that the offensive practices and preachings happen but are evil and should be exterminated. Are they fair enough and smart enough to do so? Not if they do not know their choices, and act without reason. When this become the general mainstream view available, then only will the fanatical viewpoint be seen as non-mainstream and deviant. Otherwise, fat hopes.
Agree with you with most of your points, but I strongly disagree about not initiating a boycott against Dutch products. In order to exert pressure on the Dutch government to take stern action against Wilders, the only way to do so is to show that Muslims mean business (pardon the pun) by a massive boycott against Dutch good. It worked in dismantling apartheid South Africa, it can work against Wilders as well.
- MENJ
@MENJ: The primary difference between the Dutch government today and the South African government in the eighties was that apartheid was a policy adopted by all of the South African government.
As worryingly popular Wilders’ stance is (and it is; Theo van Gogh and Ayaan Hirsi Ali are prominent voices in Dutch news, to say nothing of the Islamophobia we can see in much of the EU, usually linked to the anti-immigration movement), he’s not 1) an official Dutch policy-maker or 2) anything but a (for now) fringe minority.
Now, I’m not saying that the boycott will definitely not work. Maybe it will, and we’ll all get the results we wanted. Maybe. But it’s also equally likely that we’ll end up hardening Dutch opinions about the Muslim world due to undue knee-jerk reactions.
People are already commenting on how remarkably stupid and tasteless Wilders’ video is. It worried the Dutch government enough that they’re distancing themselves from Wilders. You know what, maybe that’s all you need to do — shut up, and let other people do the condemnation for you.
How to Stop Fitna: That’s not news to me bruder.
MENJ: There are significant differences between the current issue and the case of Apartheid in South Africa. T-Boy has already highlighted this.
T-Boy: Bravo to most of that. But as for the last statement, while I can see where you’re coming from (and for the most part I do agree), I think that’s precisely the problem with mainstream (that is, mostly moderate and reasonable) Muslims: we DO let other people do the condemnation for us. Thus, this far-right nutjob puts out a hate film that pretty much all of us think is (like you said) stupid and tasteless, and then the people the world sees picking up the megaphone to give the Muslims’ opinion on this (we are a monolith to much of the non-Muslim world, after all) are those 50 guys in Jakarta saying “I call on Muslims around the world, if you run into the maker of the film, kill him.” This goes back to what the first commenter was saying: we need to be the ones dishing out the condemnation, not just of bigots like Wilders, but of extremists in our own ranks. I know a lot of Muslims feel they shouldn’t have to speak out every time some religious fanatic commits a heinous act in the name of the same God we all claim to believe in, but the sad reality is that the silence of the majority keeps the extremist minority strong. But anyway, your idea is still a good one, and had the Muslim extremists not barfed out their bile already, I might have advocated it too.
Ha! Oh, yeah, Jordan, I was recommending that, wasn’t I? Oh, shit. Ha ha! Oh noes, my Zionism is showing! What shall I do now? When shall I get my little bag of Jew gold?
Well, perhaps we don’t need to talk less, but we certainly need to talk smarter. Of course, this is problematic, as we belong not to a religious organization with centralized leadership and nuanced public-relations skills, but a large group of unruly, loud, mostly-uneducated people.
We’re very easily trolled. And I mean very easily.
@T-Boy: No Tariq, I disagree. This is a matter of principle, not just “shut up” and take the abuse. This is not the first time that Europe has done this, and unless we show them that we mean business by making an example of Wilders, the “Fitna” will continue and not just by Wilders. I don’t expect a liberal like you to understand Muslim sentiments on the matter.
@Jordan: Brother, I do not see the difference. While it may be true that the Dutch government is “distancing” themselves from the issue, they could have taken pre-emptive measures to stop Wilders from releasing the video. The buffoon announced the video THREE MONTHS before it was due to be released. Why no action was taken then? Free speech is not an excuse, otherwise laws like libel or slander will not exist.
- MENJ
MENJ: I do not see the difference.
Wow. Then you might want to read up on the whole Apartheid thing a little bit, then come back and comment again.
Hi Jordan
Agree with you there.
I tried to follow the issue of the Dutch video via the news. I think he was playing on the fear generated by the murder of Pim Fortyn a few years ago.
I think you will find that the Dutch although conservative Calvinists do believe strongly believe in free speech whether or not they agree with it. The point has been raised that the government has distanced itself.
You will see this clash everywhere by people on both sides that seem to have too much time and energy on their hands. You tube seems to be going through an anti Islam diatribe at the moment in the US and of course in Malaysia. I’ve seen one poster accusing Malays / Muslims of paying less tax because of race/religion. I asked for proof and was accused of being wrong since I was in the UK. Once I pointed out that I was living here in Malaysia, the ranting got worse, so I left it, you can’t reason with such people. I have even been accosted in Giant 3 years by a Malaysian who was giving me the corrupt Malays / Muslims speech.
What can you do though?
The most you can do is give them your opinion and ask for facts and then starve them of the oxygen of support they so desire if they can’t be reasonable