An interesting piece in Spiegel Online today which to make a long article short declares that Geert Wilders' film, which supposedly will be shown on a split screen, with verses and suras from the Koran on one side and examples of Sharia law being carried out on the other, including a beheading and a stoning, has accomplished more before its release than it could have accomplished by being released.
Excerpt:
A few days later, the Dutch foreign minister asked the EU to support the Dutch position. He said that the Dutch believe in freedom of expression, but are against portraying all Muslims as extremists. At the same time, the "terror alarm" in the Netherlands was raised to its second-highest level. The government of Prime Minister Jan-Peter Balkenende appealed to Wilders to abandon his plan to broadcast the film. On the one hand, Balkenende said, "constitutional freedoms must be defended, while extremism and terrorism must be fought." On the other hand, he continued, "we must consider the consequences of our actions and may not endanger the things that are valuable to us all."
Wilders reaction was clear. "The cabinet is falling onto its knees before Islam and capitulating," he said, characterizing Balkenende as "an anxious man who has chosen the side of the Taliban."
According to Spiegel, that is but one example of one point Wilder was trying to make.
All this leaves Wilders is the Internet -- unless, of course, he decides not to show the film, which no one has seen and of which no one can say whether it even exists. The truth is that the "provocateur" has already achieved his goal. Wilders has managed to portray the Dutch and the Europeans as cowards, shouting "we capitulate!" before the battle has even begun.
Spiegel explains the full scope of what the mere "thought" of his 11 minute film being shown has induced and considering that Wilders' Wilders is under 24-hour police protection and has slept in a different place every night since Islamic Web sites first began calling for his beheading.
These signs bring up an interesting point.
What would happen if those signs said "Behead those that insult the bible"?
Mel Gibson (Passion of Christ), Tom Hanks (DiVinci Code) and anybody that wrote, produced or acted in those or any other movie, no matter how long or how short, would have been threatened to have their heads cut off?
Which of us would have tolerated that?
Yet, the EU, Denmark, the Netherlands and multiple others not only allow the threat to intimidate them, they have already capitulated.
As The Lede points out today, the violence perpetrated by extremists over the famous Muhammed Cartoons, has many Europeans "fed up", and rightly so.
“At the time, in 2006, there were good journalistic reasons for other newspapers to publish the cartoons because few people had seen them then, so they were news,” he said. “Now the journalistic justification is almost nonexistent because everyone knows what they look like, so it’s more about solidarity than about news.”
I can guarantee you that when this film is released, despite the fact that the pathetic capitulation of the Dutch, Netherlands, EU and anyone else that will allow themselves to be intimidated by those that threaten violence against those that use freedom of expression, the film will be shown.
If not in public formats, Wilders can be assured that via YouTube and any other number of Internet video resources, his film will go viral immediately.
The fact is that although there are millions of Muslims that practice their religion peacefully, moderate Muslims, there are also extremists that are hiding behind the guise of religion to maim, torture, riot and behead people.
That is a fact that cannot be disputed and the more people that bow down to the extremists for fear of offending the moderates, the more encouragement they are giving the extremists.
Spiegel is right, Wilders has accomplished much before he has ever released his film, but there is something more to be accomplished.
Spotlighting the nature and violence of the extremists.
The intimidation comes from the threats, but that soon leaves the front pages and although I do not relish the thought of hundreds of deaths as a result from one man's 11 minute film, I do acknowledge his right to highlight and shine a glaring spotlight on violent extremists that hide behind the religion of Islam to commit their horrendous acts, and I believe the fury that will result from the films release will show the nature of these extremists and make the point that so many of us have been trying to make to date.
Too many countries have bowed down to the violent threats of the extremist Islamics and the time to make a stand, is now.
With Wilders' film.
Others discussing this:
michellemalkin.com, The Lede and JammieWearingFool
.