Wilders' Anti-Islamic film

Recently a lot of controversy was caused by the online publication of the anti-Islamic film, Fitna, made by Dutch politician an MP, Geert Wilders. A lot of public figures, including the Dutch Prime Minister and the UN Secretary General, have already condemned the movie. If you have seen the full 15 minutes long video, you might understand that Wilders has brought us only a very populist and incomplete work of investigation. Enough, so I think, for a brief comment.

Wilders quotes in the movie several verses of the Sura’s, a part of the Holy Koran, more specifically he used the Sura 8, verse 39 and 60, Sura 4, verse 56 and 89; and Sura 47, verse 4. All, I have to admit very violent phrases. But Wilders forgets however to mention a lot of important things.

First of all these verses are only a very small part of the Koran (Qu’ran). Furthermore they can vary depending upon the translation and especially interpretation you are quoting. With other words not every Muslim will understands these verses the same. Especially taking these parts out of the Koran, not taking into account its context, could lead to wrong interpretations. Some of the verses, for example, refer actually to historic battles instead of to general history.

Another important fact we have to take into consideration, is that the violent content of religious works, is not something exclusively preserved for the Koran. Also the Bible we find a lot of violence, both in the Old Testament and the New Testament. We could actually easily do the same with the Bible, as did Wilders with the Koran.