Fitna
As anyone who has ever read this shittiness that I call blog knows, I absolutely treasure and delight in irony. This time it rears its oh-so beautiful head in Indonesia.
Short story:
Dutch politican, Geert Wilders, released a 15 min film critical of Islam. The Dutch government did all it legally could to censor the film due to the de facto appeasement policies it employs when engaging the Muslim world.
One of Geert’s points is that Islam is a violent religion.
So how did some Indonesian Muslims respond today?
With violence!
Does no one else see the sweet, sweet irony in this? Hahhahhahhahahha.
From CNN:
JAKARTA, Indonesia (CNN) — About 50 students broke into a Dutch consulate compound in Indonesia Wednesday to protest a film by a Dutch lawmaker that many Muslims consider anti-Islamic.
The protesters tore off the gate of the embassy in the city of Medan and ripped down a flag, said Dutch Embassy spokeswoman Gonneke de Ridder.Local television carried pictures of police dispersing and rounding up demonstrators. There were no immediate reports of injuries.
Indonesian police cannot stop 50 students from tearing off the Dutch consulate’s gate? Hhhhhhhm, the government couldn’t be complicit in this?
Dutch Prime Minister Jan Beter Balkanende has said his government worried that Geert Wilders’ film could provoke a violent backlash.
The film has prompted protests in other parts of the Muslim world.
Soon after its release last month, hundreds of angry Muslims rallied in Pakistan, where the government temporarily blocked access of YouTube over a trailer for Wilders’ film. The protesters burned the Dutch flag and called on Pakistan to cut ties with the Netherlands.
Censorship. Burning of flags. Appeasement. Wanting to cut diplomatic ties. Sounds all so reasonable.
To be honest with you, if anything, The Netherlands should cut diplomatic ties with Indonesia —- as they cannot guarantee diplomatic immunity. Insane.
The Dutch government and others, including the European Union and the Organization of the Islamic Conference, have rejected the film.
If George Bush were to ‘reject’ any film, even one less inflammatory than Fitna, people would go batshit insane and accuse him of being anti-free speech etc etc
The EU and the Dutch government should be defending the right to free speech instead of offering any sort of official opinion on it.
Let’s see what the Organization of the Islamic Conference has to add:
The OIC has 57 member states over four continents and claims on its Web site to be the second largest inter-governmental organization, after the United Nations. In its statement, it urged the international community to condemn the showing of the film and asked the Dutch government to prosecute the author of the documentary under Dutch law.
Look, I believe in (peaceful) protets and satire of all politicans, but this placard above makes Wilder’s point.
Check him out in cross-hairs with two guns pointed at his head. The not so subtle message here: We want to fuckin’ kill you!
