fitna's film reaction (conclusion)

International reaction to Fitna consisted of universal condemnation across the international community, several fatawa against Geert Wilders, and attempts by Southeast Asian countries to censor the film. The Dutch government immediately distanced itself from the film. Non-governmental organizations have organized boycotts against Dutch products.

Indonesia, the most populated Muslim country, has conducted a ban on several web sites, such as YouTube, MySpace, Rapidshare and Metacafe, as directed by the Ministry of Communications and Informations.On April 11, the Indonesian government lifted the ban. Indonesian communications minister Muhammad Nuh apologised to the public for the inconvenience.

Kurt Westergaard, the painter of one of the Jyllands-Posten cartoons is astonished because his cartoon has been used in the movie without his permission. This is, according to him, a copyright violation. Currently, he is researching legal possibilities against WilderS.

Various Dutch people filed an official complaint against the movie, after it was released. The Dutch Ministry of Justice is determining whether any statutes will be broken by the publishing of the film. According to some experts, prosecution is without any chance, because Wilders has been aware in advance of legal possibilities and impossibilities.

On March 28 a contra-movie was released by the Arabic-European Liga, named Al Mouftinoun.

In response of the movie on Sunday March, 30 an op-ed by the Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs, Maxime Verhagen, was printed in the Arabic Newspaper Asharq al Awsat. In the article, he asks of the readers to "keep the head cool and the relations warm". He urges the need of dialogue, instead of provocation, als a means to bridge the differences between cultures.

On April 1, 2008, a debate was held about the movie in the Dutch parliament. In this debate, the government and Geert Wilders accused each other of lying about facts of their previous communication. According to various members of the government, Wilders had told in previous conversations about his intentions to tear parts out of the Qur'an and setting them on fire. Wilders denied this.

A Saudi blogger made a contra-movie in April, named Schism. The point he wants to bring across is that "it's easy to take some pictures and verses and try to make people think it has connection to religion."

BY ASRUL