Merchant of Death
Money, Guns, Planes, and the Man Who Makes War Possible

Blood from Stones

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Geert Wilder's "Fitna" and the Need to Respond
The controversial Dutch film "Fitna" by Geets Wilder, a member of parliament, has been released in English and is causing quite a stir. This includes the expected outcry from many quarters, including many Muslim groups. Riots are predicted in Pakistan, Afghanistan and elsewhere.

There are many flaws in the 15-minute show, to be sure. It is jammed with the worst and most atrocious of radical Islam and offers no hint that there are other, valid interpretations of the religion, followed by millions, that do not subscribe to Islam as portrayed.

Nor does it offer any hint that the vast majority of Muslims across the world are not violent and live ordinary lives, with their religion left between themselves and their God.

But the real point, to me, is that all the images, all the hate speech by radical Islamist (including well-known leaders and heads of state), is real. The citations from the Koran are real. None of it was fabricated. And we have seen that these groups are not simply speaking, they act. And they act and speak in the name of Islam.

The U.S. Embassy bombings, the USS Cole, 9/11, Madrid, London, Theo Van Gogh, the beheading of Daniel Pearl, etc. etc., are real actions by real people. I am waiting for large Islamist group out there not to threaten to kill Wilder, which they have done. I am waiting for them to stand up and disown the hate speech and atrocities of those who claim the same religion.

Where is the outrage over preaching, in large mosques rather than some obscure corner of the world, that Islam can and should conquer the world by the sword? Where is the denunciation of recognized Islamist leaders waving swords and promising to behead the infidels?

Imagine if a Buddhist monk or a Christian preacher or a Hindu master stood in front of thousands of people and uttered the same words. When the Rev. Jeremiah Wright Jr. of recent fame was caught uttering hate speech on tape, he was widely condemned by name, across party lines, by Christians, marginalized and forced from public view.

Few jumped on Youtube for putting the video out there. The video was authentic and spoke for itself. So are these images.

Where are ISNA, CAIR, NAIT and the other Muslim Brotherhood legacy organizations in this country or in Europe in debating, distancing themselves and calling for an end to the atrocities, rather than tolerating the hate speech and denouncing Wilder? Are they willing to denounce those in the film (and many others) by name for what they say?

Not likely. They will call for "restraint" by Muslim who rightly feel insulted by the movie. They will try to keep violence to a minimum, but understand the urge to violent action. They will call for "dialogue" and "understanding," as if the entire history of radical, violent Islamist speech and action had nothing to do with religious convictions.

And they will say nothing about the actual content of the video and those who act in the name of Islam.


POSTED BY DOUGLAS FARAH
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