Still going Wilders
Not surprisingly, none of the Dutch public or commercial TV channels are willing to broadcast Geert Wilders’ Koran bashing film, Fitna. According to the Volkskrant, Wilders is insisting that anyone who screens part of the film must screen the entire 10 to 15-minute feature, a condition no broadcaster is willing to meet. Wilders is now planning to release the film over the internet.
However, a majority of Dutch people do want the film to be shown - even though they fear it will stoke tension with Muslims. A poll for RTL television found that 54% of the 600 people questioned thought the film should be broadcast although 76 percent expected it to increase tensions between Muslims and non-Muslims and 74 percent saw worsening relations with Arab nations.
And, although Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende and Foreign Minister Maxime Verhagen have been trying to talk Wilders out of releasing his film, French President Nicolas Sarkozy has said that he will support the Netherlands if it comes under attack because of film.
More honourably, Alexander Pechtold of the social liberal D66 has said that Europe must publicly explain the values of freedom of expression and democracy in order to prevent a backlash to the film.
He may want to start in Egypt, where Danish and Dutch filmmakers were barred from an international children’s film festival in Egypt because artists in those countries “insulted Islam”.
Friday 07 Mar 2008 | Paul | Egypt, The Netherlands
