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Nermin Aydemir
JTW
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Friday, 9 January 2009
Far right Dutch MP, Geert Wilders, once more appears on the agenda with his highly criticized anti-Koran film, Fitna. The Dutch MP is criticized for sparking worries amid efforts to fortify peaceful coexistence between all the segments of the Dutch society. Mr. Wilders is known with his sharp attitude against Islam, which he regards fully incompatible with the Western values and has long set forth the “growing threat of Islamization of Western society”.
Fitna and Submission
Fitna, literally strife and discord in Arabic, is not the first film leading tension within the Dutch society. In fact, the Netherlands rather seems to fear reliving what had happened after the controversial film Submission. Together with the ex-MP of Somali origin, Ayaan Ali hirsi, Theo van Gogh had made a film opposing Islam in 2005. Van Gogh was killed by a radical short after the film was broadcasted. Mr. Wilders as well as Ms. Hirsi Ali had to live under severe protection thereafter. Dutch authorities are still working hard to overcome the polarization which has come to scene afterwards. The anti-foreigner discourse did no good to the peacefulness in the country of multiculturalism, indeed. The growing tension among the society led to numerous offensive acts to various places including mosques, churches, Islamic education centers, and foreign led business. Together with the ongoing global trend of clash of civilizations, the anti-foreigner stance led to never ending debates on topics like immigration, anti-Islamism, and xenophobia in Dutch public opinion.
Tension at the International Level
Beside a possible tension within the Netherlands, officials also seem to be anxious with regard to international consequences. The Dutch fear experiencing/ causing similar things to what had happened after the Danish newspaper Jyllands Post had published Mohammed cartoons in 2005. Fifty people had died in the protests against cartoons, Danish people in foreign countries, including the Danish foreign ministry staff, were under severe threat and Danish products were boycotted in Muslim countries. Protests against Wilders’ anti-Koran film have already taken place in Muslim countries including Pakistan, Indonesia, Egypt, Iran and Afghanistan, in this regard. The Dutch military troops in Southern Afghanistan, where the Taliban led insurgency is the most active, is another ground for stress. The Dutch secretary general of NATO, Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, urged Dutch politicians last month not to make the situation more difficult for the Dutch troops in Uruzgan, who are already in a quite risky position.
Appealing to Commonsense
Still, common sense seems to prevail in the country of tolerance. Several preconditions are taken by many different actors to prevent the reappearance of the tension after Submission. Fitna cannot be shown on television since no TV channel broadcasts the film. An action against hate crimes, which makes it easier for victims to make claims when a discriminatory offense takes place, is started in the North of the country. Dutch religious leaders are going to the Egyptian capital Cairo to meet with the Islamic leaders there and tell those that the Netherlands supports and wants inter-faith dialogue. Dutch embassies underline their respect for different cultures and religions, as well. The Prime Minister, Jan Peter Balkenende, held several speeches on international and national level to make it clear that Mr. Wilders’ ideas are not shared by the Dutch public. Fitna reflects neither the stand of the state nor the beliefs of the Dutch people, according to the PM. Mr. Balkenende had talks with other European politicians, French president Nicholos Sarkozy and Danish PM Anders Fogh Rausmussen, to ask support against Mr. Wilders’ controversial film in this regard. Both leaders have condemned the film afterwards. The PM also urged the extreme right party leader to reconsider his acts and not give terrorists grounds legitimizing violent attacks. PM Balkenende is not the only government official taking steps to prevent any unwanted consequences in this regard. In addition to condemning the malicious messages of the film, Foreign Affair Minister, Maxime Verhagen, and Justice Minister Ernst Hirsch Ballin tried to persuade Mr. Wilders not to do anything that will disturb the peace within the society, which the extreme rightist politician regarded as “pure intimidation” with his own words. The far rightist politician also declined the demand of the Justice Minister with respect to giving some information about the content and the time that he is in plan to put the film on the Internet for security reasons.
The Jewish TV program producer, Harry de Winter’s, speech is also worth mentioning in this context. De Winter, who is one of the founders of a Jewish NGO named as Another Jewish Voice, compares the existing trend with the climate against Jews before WW2. The climate that has been shaped by Mr. Wilders is comparable with the rise of anti-Semitism in the 1930’s and Mr. Wilders would be accused of being anti-Semist if he had done the same against the Jews, according to the program maker. As said by de Winter, Jews should be those who understand Muslims best in this regard. As for Mr. Wilders, he would not be attacked that much if he had done the same against Bible or Torah, which addresses the violent nature of Islam and validates his “struggle”.
Concluding Remarks
Extreme rightist Wilders appears quite determined to do everything to launch his film on the Internet before the end of this month. Yet, Fitna does not seem to disaffect the country of multiculturalism as did Submission three years ago. The Dutch society and Dutch politicians seem to have taken lessons from their earlier experience and are acting on a manner which gives the impression of making the country a model showing other multiethnic societies how to act in similar circumstances.
21 March 2008
Turkish Opposition to Rasmussen as the Head of NATO 
