When asked to comment on the release of the film "Fitna" produced by Dutch MP, Geert Wilders, DPM and Minister for Home Affairs Wong Kan Seng said:
"The film "Fitna" is offensive to Muslims. It is regrettable that the producer, Geert Wilders chose to release it.
Freedom of expression does not give anyone the licence to insult another's religion or race.
I am confident that Singaporeans will react to this film in the same rational and calm manner as they did in similar previous incidents, for example, the publication of the Danish cartoons. They value the racial and religious harmony that we now enjoy."
The Straits Times - Film aimed at inciting hatred, says Muis
01 April 2008
THE Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (Muis) yesterday condemned the inflammatory video produced and released by right-wing Dutch MP Geert Wilders.
'The video aims to incite hatred of Muslim immigrants among Europeans by including acts of violence that were committed by radicals,' Muis said in a statement.
'It intentionally distorts verses from the Holy Quran in order to create fear of Muslims.'
The 17-minute film titled Fitna - Arabic for strife - has provoked widespread condemnation in Singapore and abroad.
It was released on the Internet last Thursday after Dutch broadcasters refused to air it. It has since been taken down by some video-hosting sites, but remains available online.
Singapore's Deputy Prime Minister and Home Affairs Minister Wong Kan Seng described the video as 'offensive' and 'regrettable' and said last Saturday that freedom of expression did not give anyone the licence to insult another's religion.
The video was also criticised by people of all faiths in Singapore, including the Islamic Scholars and Religious Teachers' Association and the National Council of Churches.
In its statement, Muis said Islam's central message is for Muslims to strive to better themselves and bring about greater good to society.
Muis is the main Islamic authority in Singapore and oversees activities such as Islamic religious education and the building and running of mosques.
Muis noted that Singaporeans of all faiths had registered their displeasure at the video, and said it supported DPM Wong's comment.
'Muis will continue to work with the Muslim community and leaders and friends of other faiths to ensure that our social cohesion and harmony remains resilient to such irresponsible acts,' it said.
IT DEPICTS Islam as a warmongering faith, but the 17-minute anti-Quran video released by Dutch lawmaker Geert Wilders online last Friday has failed to prove that very assertion.
Yes, there were protests as expected. But these were largely civil compared to those provoked by the publication of the Prophet Mohammed cartoon in a Danish newspaper three years back. Then, Muslims took to the streets in various parts of the world and there were deaths, even reports of non-Muslims being assassinated.
This time, there have been no reported deaths. Early signs suggest that Muslim street gatherings were hardly of the emotional tenor of the past. Reactions among Muslims in the Netherlands were reportedly muted.
Most noticeably, few death threats have surfaced apart from some slogans scrawled on vandalised cars in Utrecht. And the graffiti hardly amounts to a death fatwa (edict) of the sort issued by clerics some two decades back, when writer Salman Rushdie published The Satanic Verses.
Of late, Muslim leaders have been displaying a more measured response to controversies concerning Islam. Former rector of Indonesia's Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University, Professor Azyumardi Azra, yesterday urged Muslims to protest but to do so "politely and peacefully".
What's interesting is that a day before Mr Wilders' film release, Indonesian Muslim intellectuals made an unprecedented call for Muslims not to reject homosexuals. That Muslims are now willing to debate this highly taboo subject is indicative of the maturity level of their discourse.
But the most significant reaction is Iran's. In 1989, its then-leader, the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, led the charge for Mr Rushdie's death. This time, its leaders opted to display their profound displeasure through political means — it summoned the Dutch ambassador to Tehran to lodge a complaint.
Still, could all this be the calm before the storm? Such is the view of Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende, who said on Friday "it could take months before the true repercussions are felt". The first cases of deaths related to the cartoons controversy were reported only some six months later, as anger in the Muslim world reached its pinnacle.
But there is one crucial difference now — it is not just Muslim leaders that have censured the film, but leaders from the West too.
While the Danish government had defended the publication of the Prophet Muhammad cartoons in name of the press freedom, the Dutch government has rejected the offensive film. Even Dutch businesses are threatening to sue Mr Wilders, should a boycott ensue.
Outside the Muslim world, others who have spoken out against the film include Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith, United Nations chief Ban Ki Moon and Dr Shanta Premawadhara of the World Council of Churches. So, while a storm may be brewing, its damage looks set to be mitigated by the united stand of leaders on all side.
But why stop there? Muslims should make more out of this current climate to bridge the gulf with the West. An apt start would be to consider how literary theories — including those originating from the West — could enhance understanding of Quranic verses.
The use of metaphors (or majaaz), for example, can be applied to some verses in the Muslim holy book. The promise of "virgins" in the afterlife — a strong motivator for the hardened but simplistic nomads of the Prophet's time — could be a metaphor for good things that await a do-gooder on Earth today. This verse has been taken out of context by extremists who cite the "reward package" in their efforts to recruit suicide bombers.
It is no less grave an error than that on Mr Wilders' part — to cite the Quran literally and out of context.
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The Straits Times - Film's portrayal of Islam distorted, say Singaporeans
30 March 2008
He was responding to media queries on the film Fitna released by Dutch far-right politician Geert Wilders.
'The film Fitna is offensive to Muslims. It is regrettable that the producer Geert Wilders chose to release it,'' said Mr Wong, who is also Home Affairs Minister.
'I am confident that Singaporeans will react to this film in the same rational and calm manner as they did in similar previous incidents, for example, the publication of the Danish cartoons. They value the racial and religious harmony that we now enjoy.'
The cartoon controversy occurred in 2006 when newspapers in Denmark, France, Germany, Italy and Spain published caricatures of Prophet Muhammad.
Singaporeans told The Sunday Times that Fitna did not depict Islam properly.
Full-time national serviceman Sean Tan, 19, who viewed it on the Internet, said: 'It maliciously links Islam with extremism.'
Raffles Junior College student Andre Chong, 17, said Fitna came across as a subjective piece of work that unfairly portrayed violence and bigotry as being specifically unique to Islam.
Madam Nur Ruhana, 40, an administrator with the Al-Iman Mosque's madrasah department, felt that Singaporeans were sensible enough not to be influenced by the movie.
She said: 'I don't think it will cause major racial tensions here. The Mas Selamat case has proven that even Muslims have helped in the search for him.'
The Singapore Islamic Scholars and Religious Teachers' Association (Pergas) honorary secretary Ustaz Zulkifli Osman said reacting emotionally 'will only support the prejudiced world view of people like Mr Wilders and the extremists'.
The National Council of Churches of Singapore also deplored the film.
It said: 'Such portrayal totally distorts the fact that there are millions of peace-loving and tolerant Muslims.'
The film generated comments in online forums, with some netizens saying that the film was nothing to be upset about while others felt it riled Muslims unnecessarily.
Note : No reproduction or downloading of this Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) article is allowed in any medium. Permission has to be obtained from SPH.
The Straits Times - S'pore religious leaders condemn 'hate' film
29 March 2008
SINGAPORE'S religious and community leaders have criticised right-wing Dutch MP Geert Wilders' film, saying it is the work of an opportunist and aimed at encouraging hate.
The 17-minute film called Fitna - Arabic for strife - was released on the Internet on Thursday.
After viewing it yesterday, Brother Michael Broughton, a Catholic representative with Singapore's Inter-Religious Organisation, said it was important for people to know that voices such as that of Mr Wilders' are not representative of the European opinion.
'The reality is, the Dutch economy cannot survive without the Muslim immigrant labour force. I hope the Muslim population understands that this is the work of a crackpot, a political opportunist who is playing the dangerous race/religion card,' he told The Straits Times.
'I hope and I pray that people who see it can recognise a hate video when they see one. You can believe this only if you don't personally know any Muslims and you don't know anything about Islam.'
The president of the Association of Muslim Professionals' youth wing, Mr Nizam Ismail, described the film as 'offensive, irresponsible and politically-motivated'.
He noted that Mr Wilders took Quranic verses out of context, when most Muslims, who are not radical, do not interpret them the same way.
Both Mr Nizam and Mr Maarof Salleh, director-general of the Centre for Contemporary Islamic Studies in Singapore, said Muslims should not react to the film in an irrational or violent manner, as their faith does not condone such a response.
'If there were a violent reaction, Wilders would use it to justify his film,' said Mr Nizam.
Mr Shen Shi'an of the Khor Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery suggested that people use the opportunity to talk instead of how followers from different religions can get along harmoniously.
'It is much more fruitful to highlight the positive aspects of various religions working in harmony to better the world, as this promotes friendly dialogue instead of dispute,' he said.
