Fitna and the anti-Islam movement -

I'm warning you in advance, this is going to be quite a chunck of text.

For the last 5 or so months the Netherlands have been preparing for a massive crisis.

Reason: Fitna; the movie.

"Huh. I thought the Dutch were a down to earth people. Why are they spazzing over a movie?"

The truth is, that Fitna isn't just a movie. It's a movie with a political content. An Anti-Islam movie. It was made by Geert Wilders; a person who is what we call an "ultra-right politician" here in the froggy country. That means he's basically against everything that's not western. (He doesn' t mind the US and Germany and such, but everything with a different colour/religion/ideology is bad)

No, I haven't seen the thing myself. I refused to watch it. Rule #1 on Basil Market; don't feed the troll. I did see some pictures from the thing and heard some statements made in the movie. I'll list the ones that I know here:

- An exerpt from the Koran says (according to Wilders) Heathens (so to say) should be burned in boiling oil, and once the skin has burned new skin should be attached to the Heathen, so s/he can burn some more.
- A video of a woman being beheaded
- A video of a man being beheaded
- A video of a journalist being shot
- A hand grabbing a page of the Koran, screen going black and then a tearing sound is to be heard

Blah, blah, blah.

It's true these things have happened. I don't deny that.

The problem about Wilders, though, is that he appears to believe evilness is all there is to the Islam. He regards every Muslim as an evildoer trying to kill every non Muslim for the sake of the Islam. I disagree with him.

Regarding every Muslim as being evil is calling every American "Bush". Wilders is, by showing that movie, nearly as bad as the Muslim extremists. Like them, he doesn't separate extremists from non extremists.

It pains me that, because of his childish little movie, people in Iran and Afghanistan are burning Dutch flags (we all know what that means) and that Iran, Afghanistan, Jordan and Indonesia are boycotting Dutch products. (Indonesia used to be a Dutch colony in the past, by the way) The people who set them up to do that apparently hold all the nearly 17 million people in my country responsible for the sayings of Wilders.

I know not all Muslims are against the "west". Two members of my Shuri Ryu Karate dojo are Muslims. One of them is from Morroco, the other from Poland. The Polish one converted a few years ago. They're both wearing headscarves. (they're female) Neither of them is "submissive" or "repressed". In fact, the Polish one is as strong as a guy and orders everybody, male or female, around the country. XD

No, I'm not squeezing my eyes shut for the repression or women. I don't like the idea of women having to cover their hair, or having to wear a burka, while men can walk around the way they want. Most Muslim women in the neighbourhood in which I live are obese. I guess they're can't get out and play sports.Their daughters are generally more emancipated.

The cutting away of female sexual organs serves no purpose and is sickening. There, I said it. But I'm a little hysterical about those things. I don't like earrings and piercings. They don't really serve a purpose either. I don't have piercings, and still a guy is in love with me. There, I did it.

My parents, who are Christian (Reformed Prostetants), are members of a Dutch, Christian magazine called "Trouw". "Trouw" means "lotalty". I don't really like that magazine. Half of it is a magazine, the other half is what we call an "opinion paper". Naturally everything written in that part of the part is viewed through Christian binoculars.

No offense to Christians

Some readers agree with Geert Wilders, others do not. What I found striking is, that a columnist said: "Atheists and Muslims, do NOT say "Things like that (potentially offensive things writte in the Islam) are written in the Bible as well!"

Why not?

I don't understand why we should not say that. (I'm an agnost; not the same as an atheist) Offensive things about heathens are there, right? Okay, it DOES say a good heathen can also go to heaven, but...

Next columnist: " Atheists, agnosts and other people that are not Christian: Thou art sick. Thou art beyond deathly ill. After thine death thou shalt be sent to hell, because thou hast turned thine back to God our Father and Jesus our Lord..."

Sorry?

Is that stuff supposed to be written in a newspaper? Listen, if I want a sermon I'll go to church and if I want a lecture I'll sign up for another minor subject at my university.

I don't like it how some people are offensive about each other's religion, or about people who are not religious at all. And what they tend to do is stereotype. (notice: Here I include offensive atheists and agnosts as well) This has lead to countless useless wars in the past, and they will lead to countless wars in the future. Live and let live, is my decree.

Hm, this is it for now. I'll continue on the subject later, in a new blog. I'm at university right now; I can't blog otherwise.

In case this blog offended anyone I sincerely apologize. It is not my intention to hurt anyone.

Do post your thoughts!

-Touz-