You've probably heard of the nutty Netherlander Geert Wilders very short film "Fitna."
Some people are saying he made it as a political stunt.
Some people are saying it's hate speech.
I don't think it's going to win any Oscars.
For the most part, it's just a montage of radical Muslims calling for violence and, of course, graphic footage of Islamic terrorists mutilating victims. The hate speeches and images of extremely violent terrorism are all widely available on the Internet already, so there's nothing really new in the film.
That being said, I realized that I had blocked out many of the images that I had already seen.
Apparently, what is getting Wilders in trouble is that each segment of the film is set off with a passage from the Koran calling for the destruction of non-believers. I certainly don't think the film will inspire peaceful negotiations with terrorists, and the connections with the Koran are not going to open a space for friendly dialogue.
Still, it does serve as a poignant (if belabored) reminder of terrorists' barbarity and why the world needs to take a stand against ideologies of hate and violence.
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