Fitna: There's nothing wrong with it

So, I finally gave in to the temptation and watched this short film. To tell you the truth, I didn't see anything spectacular, nor do I see anything wrong with it. It's just a matter of how you perceive the film, which is relative and differs from one person to the next. Its contents are based on facts (news clips of incidents that has happened like 9/11, the Madrid bombing, and the beheading of a journalist - if I'm not mistaken it was a journalist whose head was chopped off in this clip) and shows several verses of the Koran which Wilders did not manipulate (I checked my copy for the verses he quoted which is exactly the same, though Muslims argued that the verses were taken out of context - that part I don't know, I am not an expert on the book.)

The movie itself is like a short clip made my a high school student. It borders on being juvenile and I think there is, again, nothing special about it. Editing-wise, it was awful. I think that based on the editing and the cinematography (if such thing exists in this film) itself, the film is not compelling. Nobody would ever watch have it not been a controversy. Then I became curious on how Indonesians think about it so I logged on detik.com and searched articles about fitna, and boy oh boy, did I find loads of articles about it.

I started reading them one by one, and being the naturally curious person that I am, I read the comments too. I wasn't too shocked by the comments, I can say that around 85% of the comments condemned Wilders (many explicitly expressed their wanting to kill him or wish for his death) some urged a boycott of anything Dutch (products, people etc). MOST of the comments were violent although I saw a couple of cool comments suggesting people to calm down, asking them to ignore the film and take things easy, but that was probably one out of the 20 "let's kill Wilders" comments.

There were some other articles about how the Indonesian People's Representatives Council (DPR) are suggesting that internet sites relaying this film should also be banned, as opposed to only porn sites (There has been news in the past couple of weeks of the DPR's suggestion to ban porn sites in Indonesia)

Well, this is just wrong. What they are suggesting will promote ignorance among the people. Do they have that low of an opinion of the intelligence of the majority of Indonesian people? Or the Indonesian Muslim's faith? What is it about the Muslims' oxymoron that arrogantly states that Islam is the best religion, the truth, the only way to salvation but at the same time shows a great lack of self-confidence and panic every time there is an attack on its teachings? I don't think a real Muslim will turn on their faith just because they saw this film but I don't think they should run around wanting to kill 'blasphemous infidels' or burn stores selling Dutch products or bomb the Dutch Embassy either. The DPR should instead urge EDUCATION to inform the people to calm down and ignore the bloody film.

Then I saw an article of ex-Indonesian President Gus Dur's view of this whole thing. This very wise, peaceful and cool old guy thinks that according to the Indonesian 1945 Constitution which (supposedly) guarantees the freedom of thought and expression, this film should not be banned. I totally agree with our ex President. This guy is the Patron of religious tolerance in Indonesia, and his cool point of view goes way back several decades. He is a liberal Muslim whose ideas and thoughts I feel should be heard and implemented in our country, rather than those of the extreme MUI (the Indonesian Islamic Leader's Association) that has damaged religious tolerance in Indonesia.

I think anger and threats towards Wilders and anyone like him is like pouring gasoline on a small flame, it will do nothing but make things worse. The Muslims should just ignore the film, and if that happens, people like Wilders will not have the ammunition to further their depiction and perspective on Islam and Muslims.

Have you ever seen Atheists and Agnostic being angry and attack people who call them stupid, infidels who are wrong and doomed to hell? No. Which is why nobody will profit from making movies discrediting Atheists and Agnostics, hence the lack of that kind of films. We (Atheists and Agnostics) don't care what people think of us and our beliefs, and we don't get upset when someone insults our belief. Religious (Muslims and other extremists) people should learn from us how to lay back and take a chill pill. Why? Because when religious people get all ballistic like animals every time their belief system is attacked, people like us will just shake our heads in disbelief and feel relieved that we are members of the non-prophet organization.

Earlier this afternoon I stumbled upon a speech by Moez Masoed in youtube that is so beautiful and inspiring. I am obviously a non-Muslim, but even I think that this guy should be heard by many. If only we have more people like him in the world I think there will be less Geert Wilderses running around. I think that fitna should be a wake-up call for Indonesian Muslims (and other Muslims in the world) to rise up to the challenge and prove everyone wrong. Prove to the world that Islam really is a religion of peace, justice and tolerance. Talk is cheap, action speaks louder than words. Do what you preach and stop practices of the medieval world.

Mr. Masoed is right, we have to live a life that's good, living life in harmony and not agitation. We should not be the cause of agitation for one another. Is that the recipe for a better and peaceful world? I think so, but what do you think?