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Fitna (film)

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Fitna
Title card for Fitna
Directed by"Scarlet Pimpernel"
Written byGeert Wilders
"Scarlet Pimpernel"
Edited by"Scarlet Pimpernel"
Music byEdvard Grieg
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Distributed byLiveleak
Release datesMarch 27, 2008
April 6, 2008
Running time16:48
CountryThe Netherlands
LanguagesDutch
English
Arabic
Persian

Fitna is a 2008 short film by Dutch parliamentarian Geert Wilders. The film explores Qur'anic motivation for terrorism, Islamic universalism, and Islam in the Netherlands. The film's title comes from the Arabic word fitna which is used to describe "disagreement and division among people", or a "test of faith in times of trial".

On March 27 2008, Fitna was released to the Internet on the video sharing website Liveleak in Dutch and English versions. The following day, Liveleak removed the film from their servers citing serious threats to their staff. On March 30, Fitna was restored on Liveleak following a security upgrade, but was promptly removed by Wilders for copyright violations. A second edition was released on April 6.

Production

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (April 2008)

The Friends of the PVV foundation commissioned the film. It contracted a production company credited in the film as "Scarlet Pimpernel Productions", a name adopted for fear of reprisal.

Release

The exact nature of Fitna's release had been uncertain up until its official launch. This was due to concerns of the legality of its content and anticipated acts of terrorism. The Dutch press centre Nieuwspoort offered to release the film, on the condition that Wilders would pay for the increased security required during the press conference and the weeks after it. Wilders declined to do so, citing prohibitive costs.

Having failed to successfully negotiate a transmission of the film with any Dutch television station, Wilders created a website, www.fitnathemovie.com, on March 5, 2008 with the intention of releasing the film. However, this was subsequently suspended (see below).

On March 22, the Dutch Muslim Broadcasting Association (NMO) offered to air the film, on the proviso that it could be previewed for any possible illegal material and that Wilders would take part in a debate with proponents and opponents afterwards. Wilders declined, quoted as saying "No way, NMO."

Wilders released the film on March 27 2008 at 7 p.m. CET on the video website Liveleak. The following day, Liveleak removed the film from their servers after receiving threats which they described as being "of a very serious nature". The film soon appeared on various BitTorrent and video sharing websites.

Liveleak reinstated Fitna on March 30, after security upgrades offering increased protection to its staff had been implemented. Soon after, Wilders withdrew the film to make some minor edits, such as removing the copyrighted Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons and the photograph of Salah Edin, a rapper wrongly identified as Mohammed Bouyeri, in response to lawsuits. Kurt Westergaard, the cartoonist, was pleased with the news and believed the lawsuit would be dropped.

A revised edition, containing a new cartoon in place of the contentious one, and a corrected picture of Bouyeri, was released on Liveleak on April 6.

It was also released on video google on April 28.


Reaction

Main article: International reaction to Fitna

International reaction to Fitna consisted of universal condemnation across the international community, several fatawā against Geert Wilders, and attempts by Southeast Asian countries to censor the film. The Dutch government immediately distanced itself from the film. Non-governmental organizations have organized boycotts against Dutch products.

Indonesia, the most populated Muslim country, has conducted a ban on several web sites, such as YouTube, MySpace, Rapidshare and Metacafe, as directed by the Ministry of Communications and Informations. On April 11, the Indonesian government lifted the ban. Indonesian communications minister Muhammad Nuh apologised to the public for the inconvenience.

Kurt Westergaard, the painter of one of the Jyllands-Posten cartoons is astonished because his cartoon has been used in the movie without his permission. This is, according to him, a copyright violation. Currently, he is researching legal possibilities against Wilders.

Various Dutch people filed an official complaint against the movie, after it was released. The Dutch Ministry of Justice is determining whether any statutes will be broken by the publishing of the film. According to some experts, prosecution is without any chance, because Wilders has been aware in advance of legal possibilities and impossibilities.

On March 28 a contra-movie was released by the Arabic-European Liga, named Al Mouftinoun.

In response of the movie on Sunday March, 30 an op-ed by the Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs, Maxime Verhagen, was printed in the Arabic Newspaper Asharq al Awsat. In the article, he asks of the readers to "keep the head cool and the relations warm". He urges the need of dialogue, instead of provocation, als a means to bridge the differences between cultures.

On April 1 2008, a debate was held about the movie in the Dutch parliament. In this debate, the government and Geert Wilders accused each other of lying about facts of their previous communication. According to various members of the government, Wilders had told in previous conversations about his intentions to tear parts out of the Qur'an and setting them on fire. Wilders denied this.

A Saudi blogger made a contra-movie in April, named Schism. The point he wants to bring across is that "it's easy to take some pictures and verses and try to make people think it has connection to religion."

See also

References

  1. "Hold your breath: 'Fitna' spreading seeds of hatred". Today's Zaman. 2008-03-29. Retrieved 2008-04-01.
  2. "Rapper wil 25.000 euro van Wilders". Algemeen Nederlands Persbureau (in Dutch). de Volkskrant. 2008-04-07. Retrieved 2008-04-08.
  3. "Wilders ziet af van persconferentie film". Partij voor de Vrijheid (in Dutch). 2008-03-12. Retrieved 2008-03-12.
  4. "Film Wilders niet in Nieuwspoort". de Pers, Netherlands. 2008-03-11. Retrieved 2008-04-01.
  5. "Press Review 29 February 2008". Radio Netherlands Worldwide. 2008-02-29. Retrieved 2008-04-01.
  6. "Dutch television stations refuse anti-Qur'an film". Radio Netherlands Worldwide. 2008-03-06. Retrieved 2008-04-01.
  7. "Geen enkele omroep wil film Wilders uitzenden". de Volkskrant, Netherlands. 2008-03-05. Retrieved 2008-04-01.
  8. "Wilders' film website goes online". de Volkskrant, Netherlands. 2008-03-05. Retrieved 2008-04-01.
  9. "Dutch protest against Islam critic's Koran film". Reuters. 2008-03-22. Retrieved 2008-04-01.
  10. "Dutch draw on past crises to deal with Islam film Page 2, "As no broadcaster has agreed to show it, it is expected to be released on the Internet on March 28."". Reuters. 2008-03-14. Retrieved 2008-04-01.
  11. Karadarevic, Ana (2008-03-22). "Moslimomroep kandidaat voor Fitna". De Pers (in Dutch). Retrieved 2008-03-28.
  12. "Wilders slaat aanbod moslimomroep af" (in Dutch). De Telegraaf, Nederland. 2008-03-23. Retrieved 2008-03-31.
  13. "Wilders: ,,No way, NMO". Algemeen Nederlands Persbureau. 2008-03-24. Retrieved 2008-03-28.
  14. "Dutch lawmaker's film criticizing Islam finds Web host". CNN. 2008-03-27. Retrieved 2008-04-01.
  15. "Film critical of Islam dropped from Web site". CNN. 2008-03-28. Retrieved 2008-04-01.
  16. "Threats push anti-Qur'an film Fitna offline". Radio Netherlands Worldwide. 2008-03-28. Retrieved 2008-04-01.
  17. Claburn, Thomas (2008-03-28). "Anti-Islamic Film Taken Offline Following Threats". InformationWeek. Retrieved 2008-03-28.
  18. Shamah, David (2008-04-01). "The fit over 'Fitna'". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 2008-04-01.
  19. "Anti-Islam film back on LiveLeak website". Agence France-Presse. Philippine Daily Inquirer. 2008-04-01. Retrieved 2008-04-01.
  20. Goodenough, Patrick (2008-04-02). "YouTube Warned to Remove Koran Film". Cybercast News Service. Retrieved 2008-04-02.
  21. ^ Sterling, Toby (2008-04-01). "Dutch Lawmaker to Edit Anti-Quran Film". Associated Press. WTOP-FM. Retrieved 2008-04-02. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)
  22. "Far-right Dutch MP will fix errors in 'Fitna' - except its Islamophobia". Agence France-Presse. Daily Star. 2008-04-01. Retrieved 2008-04-02.
  23. "Thousands demonstrate against Fitna in Karachi". Radio Netherlands Worldwide. 2008-04-06. Retrieved 2008-04-06.
  25. "Indonesian Internet providers start blocking Dutch film: report". ANTARA. 2008-04-06. Retrieved 2008-04-09.
  26. Putra, Budi (2008-04-14). "The end of the YouTube drama in Indonesia". CNET Networks. Retrieved 2008-04-13.
  27. Conneally, Tim (2008-04-11). "Indonesia lifts its YouTube ban". BetaNews. Retrieved 2008-04-13.
  28. "JP-tegner klar til sag mod Wilders", Jyllands-Posten, 27 maart 2008
  29. Direct na uitkomen aangifte tegen film, De Volkskrant, 28 maart 2008
  30. AEL Nederland: De Arabisch-Europese Liga lanceert film
  31. Verhagen schrijft opiniestuk in Arabische krant Volkskrant, 30 maart 2008
  32. "Den Haag Vandaag: debat Fitna" NOS/VARA/NPS
  33. "Schism counters Fitna". Kuwait Times. 2008-04-11. Retrieved 2008-04-14.