Fitna - Schism throwdown

Google's trend-tracking software shows that the search term "Fitna" -- the title of the film -- has been entered by a far greater number of Internet users in Indonesia than anywhere else. The next highest level of interest came from the Netherlands, home to the controversial lawmaker who made the film, followed by Malaysia and Denmark. The U.S. ranked ninth.

Meanwhile Indonesia has reversed it's youTube ban. Sort of. An association of Indonesian ISPs has announced that they would only block access to specific pages carrying the film by Geert Wilders, controversial leader of the Dutch anti-immigration Freedom Party. (Does this mean we can all get 'Banned in Indonesia' jpgs for our sidebars?)

Indonesia then apologizes. Sort of: "I openly ask the public's forgiveness for the inconvenience caused over the past few days by the blocking of sites," Nuh (Indonesia's communication minister) told journalists on Friday. "This was a consequence of a process designed to protect the state." The real reason the ban was reversed? Because Google bowed down and assumed the position: Nuh wrote to YouTube last week asking it to remove the film. In a reply seen by AFP, YouTube owner Google said it would seek an "agreeable solution" but would not "unnecessarily block legal videos from Indonesian users. "We propose that the ministry send a list of videos believed to be illegal, noting the specific web addresses. We will promptly review the ministry's list and remove any illegal videos from display to Indonesian YouTube users," it said.

Author Alamgir Hussain has a very interesting take on Fitna, freedom and the continuing need to "blunt too sensitive Moslem feelings by exposing them to criticisms". (Where do I sign?) While the WSJ argues that "with minor edits the film could easily become a jihadist propaganda video" and that it basically targeted the wrong audience. (DL has argued that the reason there wasn't more of an Islamobaloo about Fitna was because Muslims basically agreed with Geert's Koran citations and the terrorist actions they inspired. Mockery is the ticket to the radical Moslem's inner nutjob.)

A tip of the wighat to Aunty Dhimmitude for sending this along on Schism, a Saudi Arabian blogger's answer to Fitna. (To be forever known as the "Aunty-Fitna"here at DL.) shows verses of the Bible that call for war and illustrated them with clips of extremist Christian groups that preach violence. Is it any surprise that the blogger claims that the Koran was taken out of context and "that you can't cannot judge a religion or an ideology by taking things out of context"? According to this - he's had 5000 clicks since late Thursday. But just based on doing a google dive it looks like the Arab press has picked up the story and it starting to run with it. I can't find it on youTube. (Let me know if you do.)
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