I'm probably not the first nor certainly the only blogger to post Geert Wilders' film, but I feel it must get as much distribution as possible.

Here it is.



UPDATE: Mar. 29,2008. No doubt some recent visitors to my blog were unable to access the film. Unfortunately, because of serious threats to their staff, LiveLeak felt they could no longer host "Fitna." To their undying credit,the film has been picked up by Google and is now hosted on Google Video.

In an attempt to undermine, or at least neutralize as much as possible, Geert Wilders’ as yet unreleased anti-Islamic film “Fitna” the Dutch government has countered with its own film.

In the aftermath of considerable recent criticism from Islamic countries, particularly Iran, regarding the Wilders’ film and the possible repercussions if and when it is released, they are trying to convince the world that this does not represent the views of the majority of Dutch citizens and that the current situation is indeed an aberration.

While emphasizing freedom of speech in the Netherlands the government film, released through Radio Netherlands Worldwide, fails to make a well reasoned case against Wilders' position regarding Islam and immigration from non-Western countries and resorts to making ad hominem attacks on Wilders himself. People interviewed characterize Wilders as “looking for attention,” “not worth writing a book about,” and “a crazy politician.”

I mentioned it in my last post that "Fitna" would be released on March 23^rd. I will try to control my anxiety and reserve further discussion about the film until then.

“Wishing to remove from the minds of your Eminences and all faithful Christians this vehement suspicion reasonably conceived against me, I abjure with sincere heart and unfeigned faith, I curse and detest the said errors and heresies, and generally all and every error and sect contrary to the Holy Catholic Church. And I swear that for the future I will neither say nor assert in speaking or writing such things as may bring upon me similar suspicion; and if I know any heretic, or one suspected of heresy, I will denounce him to this Holy Office, or to the Inquisitor and Ordinary of the place in which I may be."

With these words Galileo refuted the assertion made in his “Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems” that the earth revolved around the sun. His views were found to be “absurd, philosophically false, and formally heretical because expressly contrary to Holy Scriptures” by Pope Urban VIII and he was ordered to stand trial for heresy in 1633.

Forced to recant on penalty of death, he lived the rest of his life under house arrest until his death in 1642.

Now, 400 years later, in an effort to appear relevant in the 21^st century, the Roman Catholic Church is completing Galileo’s induction into the Church’s good books (a process started by John Paul II in 1979) by erecting a statue to him inside the Vatican walls.

Nicola Cabibbo, head of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences and a nuclear physicist, said: “The Church wants to close the Galileo affair and reach a definitive understanding not only of his great legacy but also of the relationship between science and faith.”

The move should also help defuse hostility towards Pope Benedict XVI (who seems to have been born with his papal foot in his mouth) as the result of a statement he made in 1990, while still a cardinal, in which he quoted a description of the trial of Galileo as fair.

Gee guys, I know you can’t rush into these things, but 400 years?

This brilliant send-up of bridal magazines (and Muslim extremists) made the rounds of the blogosphere two years ago. For those who missed it, as I did, here it is again.


Almost makes me want to subscribe.