Word: islamic
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Dates: during 2000-2009
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While many Muslim experts and organizations say the images in Fitna are shocking and atrocious, they are nothing new. Although they object to what's been called a "caricature of Islam," they say any violence would be an overreaction. These were welcome words to Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende, who praised calls of restraint from local Muslim organizations. "The film equates Islam with violence. We reject this interpretation," Balkenende said after Fitna was released. "The vast majority of Muslims reject extremism and violence." Other politicians pointed out that the extremists in the film are being prosecuted in their home countries...
...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...
Wilders, who once said, "We should become intolerant of the intolerant," is keeping mum for now. But, shortly after the film's release, he said that he was ready to have a dialogue with Muslims about Islam and Fitna, the first time the anti-immigration politician has agreed to debate his adversaries. But whether his adversaries now want to talk to him is an open question...
Leaders of the new government have decried Musharraf's overly militaristic approach toward fighting Islamist insurgents, calling for a review of the country's role in the U.S.-led war on terror, and saying that Musharraf's methods have only made things worse. The Urdu daily newspaper Islam echoed their statements, observing in an editorial on Monday that the "Pakistani nation got nothing except suicide attacks and destruction everywhere in the country from the military operation in tribal areas," and called for a new policy more compliant with ground realities...
...This was expected. It was just a matter of timing," said Vali Nasr, Tufts University scholar and author of the bestselling book, The Shi'a Revival: How Conflicts within Islam Will Shape the Future. "The ceasefire and the surge allowed everyone to regroup and rearm. There is still the Shi'a-Sunni conflict. There is still the Sadr-Badr conflict. The surge and the ceasefire merely kept them apart, but there has never been a real political settlement," he said. "No, the big battle for Iraq hasn't been fought yet. The future of Iraq has not been determined." Nasr...