Dutch brace for response to film

NETHERLANDS: AFTER INITIAL relief because of the muted response among Muslims in the Netherlands to the long-awaited release of a controversial anti-Koran film, the Dutch are bracing themselves now for trouble and a possible deeply damaging economic boycott from countries angered by Fitna, the 16-minute film equating Islam with violence.

It has already brought strong condemnation from Iran and Indonesia. Calls for a economic boycott by Jordanian media followed, with Pakistan calling in the Dutch ambassador to explain why Dutch politician Geert Wilders was allowed to insult Islam in the film which reproduced the controversial Danish cartoon of Mohammed with a bomb in his turban. In the film, the turban explodes.

The film was released despite fears of riots and reprisals during which the Dutch government continually pleaded with far-right maverick Wilders to abandon the film.

The film was released on the internet on Thursday, attracting more than six and a half million hits to Liveleak, a British website.

Dutch state and commercial TV stations have refused to broadcast the film which prime minister Jan Peter Balkenende said could lead to "chaos". After the film's release, Mr Balkenende said the film "equates Islam with violence and we reject this interpretation; the vast majority of Muslims reject extremism and violence".

The film shows images from September 11, 2001 and other terrorist attacks and atrocities, along with images from the Koran. It urges Muslims to tear out "hate-filled" verses from the Koran and starts and ends with the now infamous Danish cartoon.

For weeks the Dutch establishment worked hard to appease local Muslim organizations. Yesterday it appeared that the groundwork had born fruit. Dutch based Muslim organizations - representing up to one million Muslims in a population of 16 million, appealed for calm.

© 2008 The Irish Times

This article appears in the print edition of the Irish Times