Iranian officials have formally demanded the Dutch government stop the screening of a film in the Netherlands about the Qur’an that was produced by a politician.

The film, its title still under wraps, is by Dutch member of parliament Geert Wilders, who says his film shows the Muslim holy book as something that motivates people to murder.

'It's like a walk through the Qur'an.'�"Politican and filmmaker Geert Wilders

The Iranian justice minister, Gholam Hussein Elham, wrote to his Dutch counterpart, Ernst Hirsch Ballin, calling for a ban. He urged Ballin to prevent this "provocative and satanic act on the basis of European Convention on Human Rights.

"We must not allow the freedom of speech … to be used as a cover for assaulting the sensibilities, and exalted moral and religious values which are respected by all of humanity," Elham said in the letter.

The Dutch government has refused to intervene. At the same time, it also has plans for an emergency evacuation of its nationals and diplomats from the Middle East should the Wilders film be shown.

"It's like a walk through the Qur'an," said Wilders, describing his 10-minute film to the Guardian newspaper in an interview published Sunday.

"My intention is to show the real face of Islam. I see it as a threat. I'm trying to use images to show that what's written in the Koran is giving incentives to people all over the world."

The politician has said he has nothing against Muslims, just their faith. He has also argued that the Qur'an be outlawed in Holland, that immigration from Muslim countries be halted and that the building of new mosques be stopped.


May have to leave Netherlands
Wilders says he's in talks with four broadcasters and expects the film to air in the coming months.

He says he's been warned that he may have to leave the Netherlands for his own safety.

The case recalls another high-profile Dutch film, which angered Muslims.

An Islamic militant killed filmmaker Theo van Gogh in 2004 over his film Submission, written by former Dutch politician Ayaan Hirsi-Ali.

The film contends Islam condones violence against women. It told the fictional story of a Muslim woman, trapped in a violent marriage, who is raped by a relative and then punished for adultery.

The murder sparked a violent anti-Muslim backlash and forced Hirsi-Ali into hiding.

By the right of free speech, I urge the Iranian government to get a clue, I urge Mr. Geert Wilders to get a life, and I urge the Netherlands to do a better job managing political issues.

That being said, this film is a monumentally stupid idea, motivated by obvious racism and xenophobia on the part of Wilder. It does nothing to help an already contentious issue, and there are far better ways to go about educating people about what the Qur'an says, like perhaps getting them to read it.

If people won't read their own religious book they damn well won't read someone else's.

Thought literacy rates were pretty low in the general populations in the Middle East. Can't find any clear general statistics, but not looking all that hard either.

According to the CIA World Factbook, illiteracy in the "Arab states" is 19.8% amongst men, 41.1% amongst women. It states that the US literacy rate is 99% , although a 1991 study stated (and a follow up study in 2006 agreed) that approximately 21-23% of American Adults were functionally illiterate, which meant that they were not "able to locate information in text", could not "make low-level inferences using printed materials", and were unable to "integrate easily identifiable pieces of information." [source]

If people won't read their own religious book they damn well won't read someone else's.

According to the CIA World Factbook, illiteracy in the "Arab states" is 19.8% amongst men, 41.1% amongst women. It states that the US literacy rate is 99% , although a 1991 study stated (and a follow up study in 2006 agreed) that approximately 21-23% of American Adults were functionally illiterate, which meant that they were not "able to locate information in text", could not "make low-level inferences using printed materials", and were unable to "integrate easily identifiable pieces of information." [source]

Maybe that's why they became extinct! TEH TERRORISTS HATED THEIR FREEDOM!

I think people just get on this kick of "our way of life is great, yours sucks", they get so into it it escalates into violence and then a complete downward spiral. A whole buncha people die and keep dying until everyone else finally decides maybe all that hoopla wasn't worth all those lives. And it's just been a long while since the last time masses have had to go through that realization. Too bad people can't just jump to the end without all the dying in between.

if Islam wants to be seen as a religion of peace then perhaps they should A: stop killing people B: condemn the crazies that do. and yeah I get that 90% of Muslims are probably ok folks, but you can bet if crazy Christians were out there blowing stuff up we'd be condemning it really vocally.

Except if you were a Muslim, raised exclusively in a Muslim nation, with a fairly low literacy/education rate, and constrained access to educational material, and constant media coverage , you might perceive an invasion by the US as a whole country of Christians flying over from the other side of the world and blowing stuff up.

To add to that, if that country were Iran then you'd believe your country was number 1 in the world because your wacknutjob president says so. Than and your country has no "gay problem".

You know, people are smarter than you think. It's borderline insulting to treat these people as though they're just sheep who will go along with whatever ridiculous BS their leader spews.

oh irony, how you do mock us all

You know, people are smarter than you think. It's borderline insulting to treat these people as though they're just sheep who will go along with whatever ridiculous BS their leader spews.

Off-topic, but where in the hell did you get the "We go play hoop" image in your sig?

That's from Obama's highschool yearbook.

I think people just get on this kick of "our way of life is great, yours sucks", they get so into it it escalates into violence and then a complete downward spiral. A whole buncha people die and keep dying until everyone else finally decides maybe all that hoopla wasn't worth all those lives. And it's just been a long while since the last time masses have had to go through that realization. Too bad people can't just jump to the end without all the dying in between.

Geee.They are allow to say bad things about Christianity and christians.We won't go into saying what they say about Jews. They threaten and kill and kidnap them. They even say bad things about other people of the book so why shouldn't other do the same about their religion. Iran believes that there religion is the true religion like the crusades did when they invade the holy lands.

"[Homosexuals] want to come into churches and disrupt church services and throw blood all around and try to give people AIDS and spit in the face of ministers."

hawt

How did you know what i was doing this weekend??

Geee.They are allow to say bad things about Christianity and christians.We won't go into saying what they say about Jews. They threaten and kill and kidnap them. They even say bad things about other people of the book so why shouldn't other do the same about their religion. Iran believes that there religion is the true religion like the crusades did when they invade the holy lands.

How does it improve the situation if we say the same stupid things about muslims that Iran says about Christians and Jews? Or should we kidnap and kill them too? An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind. Ben Kingsley.

Isn't that pretty much what we've been doing the last few hundred years?

How does it improve the situation if we say the same stupid things about muslims that Iran says about Christians and Jews? Or should we kidnap and kill them too? An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind. Ben Kingsley.

I'm just surprised this Wilder guy is still in power.