Fitna (Bumped)
Its a movie, and its causing a bit of controversy. Why? Because it connects the Koran with violence. Diana West notes the pre-emptive rage being directed against the film, and the nauseating cowardice resulting from the rage:
Pre-Emptive Rage is something new. It works like this: Because the Wilders film is expected to criticize Islam, Muslims who brook no religious criticism are expected to freak out. Therefore — just as if this were the most normal, everyday, ordinary state of affairs — Muslims and Europeans are making their respective arrangements.
In Afghanistan, Muslims have been igniting Dutch and Danish flags (did I mention Danish Cartoon Rage is back?), threatening to eject Dutch and Danish troops, and practicing their “Death to America” chants. Iranian officials have promised diplomatic rupture and worse if the film comes out. Meanwhile, the Dutch have embarked on a veritable world tour of pre-emptive appeasement. The MEMRI blog reported this week that the Dutch government sent a letter disavowing Mr. Wilders to Sheikh Muhammad Sayyed Tantawi, Sunni Islam’s foremost figure (who has variously called for “jihad” against U.S. forces in Iraq and sanctioned suicide bombings against Israeli women and children). The sheikh’s response? He “demanded that the Netherlands government take more action against Wilders, and added that protection given to those harming Islam will negatively affect Egyptian-Dutch relations.” Pre-emptive “Fitna” rage has also made European elites hopping mad — only not at the rioters and blackmailers (the healthy, normal reaction), but at Mr. Wilders. Here, multiculti Europeans and perpetually aggrieved Muslims are finding common ground.
Thus, as reported by Dutch blogger Klein Verzet, the grand mufti of Syria, Ahmad Badr Al-Din Hassoun, admonishes the European Parliament about potential film-related “riots, bloodshed and violence” for which “Wilders will be responsible.” And thus Dutch Prime Minister Jan Balkenende says exactly the same thing. At a press conference earlier this year, the online Dutch site NIS News Bulletin reported that Mr. Balkenende “stressed repeatedly and with irritation that Wilders and no one else was responsible for any violence that might break out after his film’s release.” And when Sheikh Tantawi indicates that providing “protection” for Mr. Wilders is a bad idea, it not only sounds like a mafia don calling for a hit, it also echoes the dean of Dutch journalists, Henk Hofland. As Thomas Landen of The Brussels Journal reports, Mr. Hofland urged the Dutch government to withdraw state protection from Mr. Wilders, who lives under constant threat of assassination. “Let him feel what it is like for those whose lives he endangers,” said Mr. Hofland, adding that any murders committed in retaliation for Mr. Wilders’ opinions on Islam would be the responsibility of Mr. Wilders, not the murderers.
From the American point of view, Wilders is wrong - we should not ban the Koran. But what is just astounding is the level of cowardice on display amongst Europeans on this subject. Rather than pleading that they agree with the Islamists that Wilders shouldn’t have made his film, the European governments should be promising stern actions against anyone who takes to violence over the film, including threats to deport all non-native Moslems, if necessary. One doesn’t wish to un-necessarily offend people - but if Moslems keep this sort of thing up, I’m going to start advocating a national “piss on a Koran” day. Moslems would consider my mere presence in Mecca to be a defilement, and with such an attitude they expect me to show respect for their sacred things? Respect should be a two way street, ya know?
But the cowardice is even worse than the Islamists making threats - if these Europeans wish to be slaves to Islamic masters, then just go ahead and sell yourselves. Get it over with, for crying out loud. The Moslems will treat you well…provided you kneel and scrape and pay tribute and don’t mind if your sons and daughters are taken away for the sexual and military service of the Moslem elite. Other than that, plus the odd beheading, you can just keep on with your lives, Europeans. Or, you can get off your knees and tell Islam where to stick it.
UPDATE: Little Green Footballs, naturally, has a link to the film. As for me, I’ve downloaded it - the Islamists and their leftwing enablers will not make this thing go into the Memory Hole.
51 comments March 28th, 2008
