As many readers have probably discovered, the short film by Dutch parliamentarian Geert Wilders is freely available on Youtube. Apparently the crybaby Islamo-fascists who threatened Liveleak staffers until they removed Fitna (though they have subsequently reposted the video) have not succeeded in intimidating Google. (Google only succumbs to the fascist censorship policies of nations.) The most inspiring aspect of Fitna is that it demonstrates not everyone in Europe is about to roll over and play dead. Some European politicians recognize that the enemy we face cannot simply be appeased. Ultimately, however, Fitna falters because it characterizes fundamentalism as logically following from the Koran as opposed to being a corruption of it. In showing how the Muslim population has grown in the Netherlands, the film implies any kind of Islamic presence is a danger to the West. At the very least, this is a politically counterproductive move–and I think it’s fair to say the film is intended first and foremost to be political. Muslims are unlikely to repudiate Islam. Therefore, it is essential that Muslims believe they can dissent from Islamic fundamentalism and remain good Muslims. Only in the closing credits does the film appear to acknowledge this fact. Directing itself now to Muslims, it proclaims, “It is up to . . . Muslims themselves to tear out the hateful verses from the Quran.” Better yet, Muslims don’t have to tear them out. They just have to ignore them just as Christians and Jews ignore certain passages in the New and Old Testaments. As it stands, Fitna will perhaps inspire Wilders’ native countrymen. That’s no small accomplishment for a short film, but whether or not Fitna is a constructive step in the struggle against fundamentalism remains very much an open question.
