Domain host’s actions raise free speech issue
By Matthew B. Zeidman
AMSTERDAM, Netherlands (Hollywood Today) 3/25/08 – Three days after it was taken offline, domain host Network Solutions has yet to reinstate public viewing of fitnathemovie.com, a Web site promoting “Fitna,” an upcoming Dutch film allegedly critical of Islam. The company suspended public viewing of the Web site on Saturday, claiming that “a number of complaints” had led to an investigation as to whether the site’s content was compliant with company policies.
“Fitna,” which is Arabic for either “disagreement and division among people” or “test of faith in times of trial,” was written and produced by Geert Wilders, a member of the Netherlands’ version of the House of Representatives. Critics of the 15-minute film, which the 44-year-old politician has claimed will examine the link between the Koran’s teachings and militant Islam, fear it will put the Netherlands and its citizens at risk from violent protesters and armed radicals. Wilders, who has pledged to distribute the film by any means necessary, is currently living under 24-hour police protection.
The controversy underscores recent religious tensions in Western Europe, including impassioned objections from the Muslim community over negative political cartoons published featuring images of the Prophet Mohammed in Denmark and other European nations in 2005.
14 responses so far ↓
1 Nikos Retsos // Mar 26, 2008 at 4:01 am
Geert Wilders is a nut with a wilder than rational idea to test the nerves of Muslims with a religious offense. This is definitely the epitome of arrogance and raw stupidity at a time when Muslims are under attack in Gaza, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, under the threat of war in Iran, and while the memories of Muslims hanging with wires in Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq, and of the Holy Quran being flushed down a toilet at the Guantanamo
prison in Cuba are still fresh
in their minds.
I have already seen people arguing about Wilders right of
“free speech,” but the right of free speech notion was
established to promote the expression of ideas -not to promote the hostility among
races and religions. That is
why the U.S. eliminated the Ku Klux Klan, the right wing
racial bigots that used to gather and burn crosses under
the free speech laws. But now
the Muslims are considered either terrorists or terrorist
supporters in the White House and much of the western media.
And Geert Wilder, probably a Ku Klux Klan-like bigot, feels
good to become a celebrity rising the anti-Muslim wave
in a free speech boat.
Geert Wilder’s 15-minute Muslim poking video will accord him his 15-minutes of
fame, but will also inflame passions and hostility at a time that wars are going on among Christian and Muslims.
And what we need now is not a nut to throw his can of gasoline at those fires, but
level-headed intellectuals and media editors that will
promote a religious understanding for the sake of peace.
Freedom of speech, as discussed in the discourses of Aristotle and dialogues of Plato, was a concept to poll all opinions -including those
of disaffected parties; it was never intended to be a used as a spear to poke your enemy. I am a Greek Christian Orthodox person, but I feel that the Muslim religion deserves respect as do those who practice it. And those -like Geert Wilders- who want to used it as a punching bag
under the pretext of free speech are just unredeemed bigots. Nikos Retsos, retired academic.
2 John Dobbins // Mar 26, 2008 at 8:13 am
Mr. Retsos would have us be muted and silenced. He of course espouses his own views of politics and religion. He has no reservation about expressing his views, but opposes other’s being heard.
Decide for yourself if that is what you want.
Anytime censorship is called for ask yourself: Who is to decide what is to be censored. Can any person or group to be trusted for doing that? Of course not. The only trustworthy path is for unfettered debate. Let the reader decide for himself. The censor doesn’t trust the reader and wants to prevent certain ideas being seen, always for his own political or religious biases.
And why should religion be off limits for debate? We need more, not less debate on religion. All religions have been cloaked too long in the mantle of polite and hushed tones, leaving their absurdities off limits to the light of critical examination.
The notion that religion deserves “respect” independent of it’s actual content is faulty. If something is absurd when held in the light of rational examination, it should be seen as such.
Primitive, tribal superstitions needs to be seen for what they are. Maybe that will hasten the day when there is a reformation in the world of Islam, and for religions in general.
3 Connie // Mar 26, 2008 at 9:09 am
In fact, Islam was developed by a man obsessed with having power. To gain that power, it was necessary to create hatred toward Christians and Jews. The Qur’an itself is the result of Muhammad’s (and his followers’) quest for power.
What is meant by “Islam is a religion of peace?” Only that when Islam is in control, all dissent will be crushed and there will then be “peace.” Christians and Jews may be allowed to follow their religions, but only upon payment of the jizyah.
Geert Wilders is a hero, as are others who tell the truth about Islam – Wafa Sultan, Robert Spencer, Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Walid Shoebat, and many others.
Whereas I may not agree that the Qur’an should be banned, its bigotry and promotion of totalitarianism must be brought to light.
At the very least, the Qur’an should never be used as teaching material for children. Indoctrinating children with hateful verses from the Qur’an is child abuse.
4 FuryOfMsMarvel // Mar 26, 2008 at 9:47 pm
For muslims and people like Nekos Retsos, listen to me clearly – ALL RELIGIONS ARE SUBJECT TO CRITICISM. One is not above the other. Only a dictator like Mohammad would try to set it in stone that no one is allowed to insult him or Islam. So while Islam feels they can insult other religions as not be the true religion, they feel everyone must follow Mohammads rule. Sorry the world does not operate this way and it is the 21st century, not the 7th century. Mohammad was not a fool and knew his newly invented religion would meet sharp criticism, hence the rule he made forbidding anyone to criticize. If muslims spent as much time as much to trying to combat terrorism and rid Islam of Imams that teach to hate and kill nonmuslims, then maybe they would not see as much criticism of Islam. Instead they remain silent to the cause of the problem and complain to those the criticize Islam for the end result of terrorism. Ah the irony. This is what happens when a religion forbids it speak out against there brothers and instead those that are nonbelievers. What a backward idiocracy.
5 movie top // Mar 27, 2008 at 12:55 am
I would like to share with you the happy, I was admitted to Harvard University this year, we bless me!
6 killlover // Mar 27, 2008 at 2:25 am
long comments!
7 Connie // Mar 27, 2008 at 12:24 pm
“# killlover Says:
March 27th, 2008 at 2:25 am
long comments!”
Short attention span? *wink*
8 Connie // Mar 27, 2008 at 12:26 pm
By the way, Fitna has been released thanks to Live Leak.
http://hotair.com/archives/2008/03/27/video-fitna/#comments
9 name // Jan 16, 2009 at 8:54 pm
comment2,
10 name // Jan 16, 2009 at 11:57 pm
comment6,
11 name // Jan 17, 2009 at 5:02 am
comment3,
12 name // Jan 17, 2009 at 8:16 am
comment4,
13 name // Jan 17, 2009 at 11:49 am
comment1,
14 name // Jan 17, 2009 at 3:08 pm
comment5,
Leave a Comment