Fitna: At last...

And it is awesome! (Sticky to top)



Update 11: Sugeiro is reporting that another lawsuit is in the offing against Geert.
This time a Dutch-Moroccan rapper? Uh-oh. It looks like an error was made in the film's editing...

Geert Wilders Going To Get Sued - By Rapper Salah Edin

Why?

Because Wilders mistakenly used a photo of Dutch-Moroccan rapper Salah Edin instead of Mohammed Bouyeri.

Update 10: The latest numbers from the Malaysian Sun.

Within two hours of the release, more than one million Dutch nationals had watched the film, while some 800,000 people abroad had watched the movie.

On the website of Dutch commercial broadcaster RTL4 News, some 1,700 people participated in a poll about Fitna. Asked whether it is 'good' that Wilders had made the film, 66 percent of the participants in the poll approved the film being released.

A total of 65 percent agreed with Wilders' opinion expressed in the movie.

And may I be the first to say that I smell a huge Moslem backdown when it comes to the matter of offensiveness. What is that Mo-toon with the bomb in his turban being lit? What about them? Huh?

Although the film contains many shocking and cruel images, Dutch Islam experts say the film does not contain anti-Islamic provocations.

'The film does not contain pictures that are blasphemous or offensive for Muslims,' says Maurits Berger, professor of modern Islam at Leiden University.

Update 9: Looks like the lawyers are lining up to start the litigation jihad. Not only are the Muslims suing, it looks like the moonbats are too! Fitna sued for "not contributing to a peaceful society." Hey Lady Lawyer - neither does flying planes into buildings. At least no civilians were killed in the making of Fitna!

A lawyer from Lelystad has lodged a police complaint against Dutch MP Geert Wilders’ anti-Islam film which was released on the internet on Thursday evening, reports ANP news service.

Els Lucas made the complaint on Thursday evening, claiming the leader of the anti-immigration PVV party breaks the law by creating a link between the number of Muslims and the increase in violence in society.

She believes the film Fitna incites discrimination and violence, reports ANP. ‘I have lodged a complaint because I do not believe this contributes to a peaceful society,’ she told ANP.

Update 8: No surprises here, the Dutch PM's response is pure Dhimmi.

In a brief response to the release of Geert Wilders' anti-Qur'an film Fitna, the Dutch Prime Minister, Jan Peter Balkenende, has said that he's pleased with the even-handed reactions from the Muslim world.

However, he soundly rejected the film's equation of Islam with violence and said that the film had no other goal than to hurt feelings. "The problem," he continued, "is not religion, but the misuse of religion."

He said that he didn't want to talk about feelings of relief after seeing the film because, he believed, it conjured an image of Islam that could offend those who see the Qur'an as a holy book.

Mr Balkenende also said that he did not think the Dutch cabinet had overestimated the threat posed by the film. Rather, he feels that it was a good thing the cabinet took the threat as seriously as it did.

Update 7: The reviews from Variety are in. (see also Fitna goes Hollywood)

Update 7a: The Hollywood Reporter review.

Update 6: The AP is reporting that early reaction is muted.

Yusuf Altuntas, of the Contact Group Muslims and Government, said Wilders "is seeking the limits, but not crossing the line. For Mr. Wilders, this is quite subtle."

The film was not as jarring as anticipated, said Maurits Berger, professor of Islam in the West at Leiden University.

"It's a series of images and photos, headlines from recent years which we already know," he said. The film tells more about Wilders than the Quran, Berger said. "It represents his fear of Islam."

The lawmaker put out his film on the evening before a Dutch judge was due to hear a petition bu a Muslim group seeking an independent review of the film to see whether it violates hate speech laws. The Dutch Islamic Federation asked the court to impose a fine of $79,000 for every day the film is available to the public.

Mohamed Rabbae, chairman of the moderate National Moroccan Council, which appealed for calm in January ahead of the film's release, said he had heard about "Fitna" but not yet seen it.

Wilders "collected some bloody pictures and related them to some verses in the Quran," Rabbae told The Associated Press. "On the one hand, this is less bad than we thought he was going to do. But he also gives the impression the Quran justifies violence, and that is really wrong."

Update 5: Some additional detail on the movie's release.

"Fitna" was posted on the Internet at 7 p.m. Thursday via a site called LiveLeak and, according to the NRC Handelsblad Web site, received 1.2 million hits within an hour. LiveLeak later proved unable to deal with the volume of traffic.

Update 4: The reports from Geert's press conference are starting to come on line.
Wilders defends Fitna.

The Hague - Geert Wilders, Dutch politician and leader of the Party for Freedom (PVV), has called his just-released Fitna a 'respectable film'. He admitted that Muslims may not be happy with it, but emphasised that he had always stuck to the facts. He said he believes that the film is also 'one thousand kilometres within the framework of the law'.

While noting that he hoped that Fitna's release would cause no disturbances, Mr Wilders stressed that the maker of the film could not be held responsible for any riots or boycotts that might result, and that it was not meant to provoke disruption. Rather, he said, the images in Fitna were intended to make clear the dangers contained in the Qur'an and Islam.

He also said that he hoped it would lead to discussions of the disadvantages of the faith, both in the Netherlands and abroad, and explicitly invited Muslims to engage in such discussions.

Update 3: Hoo-boy. Batten down the hatches. While everybody's been busy getting their turbans in a wad over Fitna, another film has been waiting in the wings - this one stars Mohammed as a pedophile and it's due out April 20!

Update 2: Moslem Group sez, "See you in court."

A Dutch judge was due on Friday to hear the petition of a Muslim group seeking an independent review of the film to see whether it violates hate speech laws.

Update1: Klein Verzet is reporting the following-

Geenstijl (NL) is reporting that Wilders has called a last-minute press conference at an undisclosed location. They also have a preliminary review up, calling Fitna a heavy disappointment and much ado about nothing.

Live Leak's statement on Fitna beneath the fold.

Live Leak's statement on the matter.

LiveLeak.com has a strict stance on remaining unbiased and allowing freedom of speech as so far as the law and our rules allow. There was no legal reason to refuse Geert Wilders the right to post his film (Fitna) on LiveLeak.com and it is not our place to censor people based on an emotive response. We in no way endorse Geert Wilders, his views, nor the views expressed within Fitna. To many of us involved in LiveLeak.com some of the messages therein are personally offensive. That being said, our being offended is no reason to deny Mr Wilders the right to have his film seen. Pre-emptive censorship or a discriminatory policy towards freedom of speech are both things we oppose here on LiveLeak.com. A person has a simple, clear choice about whether to view this film. No one is being forced to view it and nor is it being broadcasted on every channel on their television set. If you click on media simply to be annoyed, it is pointless to blame others for your choice.

We do not intend on defending the content of Fitna, only our choice to allow it. Anyone has the full right of reply on LiveLeak.com. Any person or organizations are free to post their opinion and, dependent on said response falling within both the law and our rules, we will afford such responses equal exposure. There are undoubtedly better ways to spark a discussion but this film is now out there and we believe we should all grasp this opportunity to create an open dialogue and discussion on this subject.

And let the hack attacks begin...

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