Word: dutchness
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...films have been anticipated with such fear and loathing. For three months, the Dutch have wrung their hands over the release of the anti-Islamic film Fitna by the provocative, far-right politician Geert Wilders, who has called Islamic theology "retarded" and "dangerous." Concerned over a repeat of the worldwide anger over the cartoons of the prophet Mohammed in Denmark, Dutch politicians railed against the self-proclaimed diatribe against Muslim propensity toward violence. No local outlet (television, web or theater) would show it. Wilders' own server was shut down to prevent the film from being posted online. A lawsuit...
...Everything that can be said about the film has already been said," says Dick Houtzager, a lawyer specializing in hate speech for the Dutch NGO Art.1. "People aren't as angry or upset as they could have been." Indeed, Dutch politicians had braced themselves for the worst, putting the country on a higher alert and warning other European Union members about possible backlashes. But as most of the morning newspapers headlined, all's quiet the day after, with local Muslim leaders saying the film was not as offensive as they had feared...
...could have also chosen quotes from the Koran that say it is a sin to kill another man, it's equal to killing all humanity," State Secretary of Social Affairs Ahmed Aboutaleb told Dutch broadcasters. "But that part didn't work in his favor and that's why he chose the worst parts. If you selectively choose parts, you can find that in any religious book...
...Dutch judge is expected to rule Friday on a petition filed by the Netherlands Islamic Federation that wants a ruling saying the film violates Dutch hate speech laws. The group is also seeking fines for every day the film is aired. But according to Houtzager, the film appears to fall within the boundaries of the law. "Obviously it brings forth negative aspects of the religion of Islam, but it doesn't specifically focus on the group of Muslims in the Netherlands...
...website originally broadcasting it, it would be difficult to ban it from mirror sites copying it," says Houtzager. The film is currently making the rounds on YouTube as well as other video-sharing sites. And because the original site was based in Britain, Houtzager says it's out of Dutch jurisdiction...