After the publication of a series of cartoons on Prophet Mohammad in 2005 by Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten led to the burning of the Danish Embassy in Syria and more violence around the world, a film by Dutch parliamentarian Geert Wilders that includes one of those cartoons has provoked protests in Muslim countries. The film, Fitna, juxtaposes images of the Quran with acts of Islamic terrorism around the world. Sensitive to their Muslim populations, the European Union too has condemned the film as having “no other purpose than inflaming hatred”. While British Foreign Minister David Miliband has stressed the importance of freedom of speech, he has said it should be combined with “respect for religious and racial diversity”:

February 17, 2008: Geert Wilders, a right-winger Dutch politician and leader of the Party For Freedom, puts finishing touches to his 15-minute short film Fitna — an all-encompassing Arabic word, referring to schism, secession, upheaval and anarchy at once — “seeking to show the real face of Islam”

March 22: The Dutch Muslim Broadcasting Association (NMO) offers to air the film if Wilders takes part in a debate after the airing with proponents and opponents. Wilders turns down the request

March 27: Wilder’s film is released on the Internet and withdrawn within 48 hours

March 27: Dutch companies doing business in the Middle East condemn the film and take up the matter with the Dutch Government. Dutch parliamentarians of the largest political parties also distance themselves from Fitna, saying it does not present any solutions to the current problems in the Dutch society — integration of Muslim immigrants and Muslim extremism

... contd.