Sheikh attempts preemption in anticipation of Duth Film | January 25, 2008
UPI Germany Correspondent Stefan Nicola reports that the the Dutch government is bracing for widespread violence that could be sparked by an anti-Islam film that its producer wants to broadcast sometime this week.
Article here.
The anticipated screening has already sparked international protests. Although no one has seen the film yet, there are rumors Wilders will tear up or burn the Koran in it. If that was true, Ahmad Badr al-Din Hassoun, the Grand Mufti of Syria, said earlier this month at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, "this will simply mean he is inciting wars and bloodshed. ... It is the responsibility of the Dutch people to stop him."
Sheikh professor Saheed Satardien writes clearly and extensively on the matter seeking in all ways to preempt the possibility of violent protest. Sheikh's Satardien's voice and analysis is very important. He is especially to be commended for visionary, courageous, PREEMPTIVE efforts to prevent violence, rather than merely decry it after matters degenerate out of control.
Please click to read further to read Sheikh Satardien's message in it's entirety.
Frank Kaufmann
Sheikh (Prof.) Shaheed Satardien responds
to the Dutch anti-Islam film
In light of the claim of Dutch right-wing politician Geert Wilders that he has funded a short film which is allegedly approximately 10 minutes long about the Holy Qur-an, I would like to make the following few salient and pertinent points and call for calm in the Muslim community world-wide. Wilders who is a former Christian and now an atheist claims that the film will reveal that the Qur-an is a source of "inspiration for intolerance, murder and terror". He is also a member of the so-called Freedom Party (VVD) which is avowedly anti-Muslim, anti-Islam and anti-immigrant.
Nobody has claimed to have seen the film yet, other than Wilders and presumably whoever made it. However, there is also a possibility that the film is a complete hoax.
The Dutch state-funded TV has already decided not to show the film, despite not having seen it, but Wilders has vowed to broadcast the alleged film on cable TV or the internet via YouTube, or via any means possible. YouTube is by far the most likely medium for the spread of the film as many people have access to it and there are so many internet sites that it is practically impossible to prevent it from being shown, even if it were "illegal".
There are a number of issues concerning this film that I wish to raise:
1. Insulting the Qur-an is extremely offensive to all Muslims. It is likely that any wide-spread broadcast of this alleged film will generate considerable upset amongst Muslims across the globe. Some Muslims, in the course of protest, may indulge in violence thus "proving" the claims of Wilders and the alleged film. It is a possibility that such a scenario is the intention of Wilders and his colleagues to show that Muslims are more emotional than rational.
2. Extremists, both within Islam and those opposed to Islam, will attempt to use the controversy to further their own agenda. Those extremists within Islam will feel vindicated in their contention that the West is decadent and must be destroyed; whilst those opposed to Islam will feel vindicated in their contention that Islam is barbaric and must be shunned.
3. Under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948), article 18 provides for "freedom of thought, conscience and religion", whilst article 19 provides for "freedom of opinion and expression".
4. Under the European Convention on Human Rights (1950) , article 9 provides for "Right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion", whilst article 10 ensures "Right to freedom of expression".
5. Under the Cairo Declaration on Human Rights in Islam (1990), individuals have the right to express their opinion freely, but are forbidden the misuse of this right to "violate sanctities and the dignity of Prophets", to "undermine moral and ethical values…", or "arouse nationalistic or doctrinal hatred". The Declaration concludes that all rights and freedoms mentioned in the Declaration are subject to the Islamic Shari'ah which is the Declaration's sole source.
6. The above 3 human rights declarations involve competing rights: for example I have the right to the opinion that all blue-skinned people should be put in jail. but any attempt to put all blue-skinned people in jail merely for having blue skin would be a violation of their rights.
This is a continual issue in contemporary European society. In Northern Ireland yesterday (22.01.08), a senior figure (Wallace Thompson) in the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) stated on national radio that the head of the Catholic Church (the Pope) is the Anti-Christ, i.e. someone in league with the Devil and intent on destroying Christianity. Thompson is an Evangelical Christian and his views are quite wide-spread amongst evangelicals in Northern Ireland and elsewhere.
Thompson had the right to air his views, as an opinion, but not to make it a statement of fact. He also ran the risk of committing an offence under anti- incitement to hatred legislation.
7. Most EU states have anti-incitement to hatred legislation. Ireland has the Prohibition of Incitement to Hatred Act. It is not effective and not a single case has been successfully prosecuted. However other EU states, notably France, have been more successful in prosecuting this offence and Jean Marie Le Pen in particular has been convicted of these offences. It is highly likely that the Netherlands also has anti-incitement to hatred legislation and perhaps this can be invoked if the film airs.
8. No Human Right, except perhaps the right to life, is absolute. All rights are subject to specific circumstances that may modify the degree to which they can be enacted or enforced. For example, a person cannot falsely shout "fire" in a crowded cinema as the consequences are too serious. That type of freedom of expression intrudes on others' right to safety. One cannot marry one's own sister and then claim that it is one's religious right to do so. The consequences for society of incest are far more important than the religious expression of one individual so all human rights have to be balanced against the greater good.
When one person's rights begin to intrude on another person's rights then that is the time to call a halt.
9. There is no right not to be offended.
10. The question is, if the film does exist and is aired: what should be the response of all Muslims? Whilst it is unlikely that European resident Muslims can influence what happens in the non-European Ummah, they can be an example of how to respond to deliberate provocation with dignity and respect.
11. Tariq Ramadan has called the alleged film " a movie-provocation about which everybody is talking while nobody knows anything…….Silence is the best response". Perhaps completely ignoring the film, and denying it the oxygen of publicity might be successful? Maybe not.
12. Under all Human Rights legislation Muslims have the right to express their opinion of the film and its author, to protest about it, and take non-violent action in support of their grievances against it.
13. Muslims have the right to make a film of their own which challenges each and every claim of Wilders and Muslims also have the right to broadcast such a film in any way they can.
14. Muslims might engage in silent, peaceful, candle-lit vigil protests which could be co-ordinated right across the EU or the world. This would demonstrate that Wilders' claims are false. If the demonstrations were resolutely peaceful without
gratuitous out-breaks of raging emotions or so-called "days of anger", or intensely offensive placards and posters, then non-Muslims would be encouraged to participate and support the protests.
15. In recent decades many Muslims in the EU, despite the claims of the media, have made many friends in the non-Muslim community. These can be called upon to support the concerns of the Muslim Ummah.
16. The Dutch Prime Minister Jan-Peter Balkenende stated last week that:
"The Netherlands has a tradition of freedom of speech, religion and beliefs. The Netherlands also has a tradition of respect, tolerance and responsibility. Unnecessarily offending a certain belief or group has no place in that." So the Dutch government does not support Wilders in any way but they are however constrained by their constitution.
17. It is very unlikely that Wilder's film will be the last anti-Islam film to be made. Indeed a group of former Muslims have recently stated that they are making a film to "expose the truth" about the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). So the response to this threatened insult can be a model for the responses to other similar insults.
As history illustrates, the scripture of any religion can, and has, been mis-used as an "inspiration for intolerance, murder and terror". The Crusades, Inquisition, Pogroms etc have all been allegedly "justified" by reference to scripture. Land annexation has been "justified" by scripture and likewise has racial discrimination been "justified" by scripture. That does not mean that the scripture in question is bad, it simply indicates that the people misusing it are bad.
I hereby call upon all my Muslim brothers and sisters all over the world to express their hurt in a peaceful way and to control their anger as the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) has advised us to do. I ask them to protest with supplication (Du'a) and fasting and to make special prayers (Salat) and to exercise patience. I call upon all the Imams of the world to make Qunut-an- Naazila in their Salat tomorrow and the days that follow.
I wish you and your families a Jumu'ah Mubarakah.
--
Sheikh Dr Shaheed Satardien
Visionary of Peace award winner 2006
Co-ordinator: Interfaith Roundtable
Director: Intercultural Peace Centre
Lecturer in World Cultures and Contemporary Thought
Imam: West Dublin Islamic Society
Founding member: Supreme Muslim Council of Ireland
Tel: 01-8218485
Mobile: 0879932581
' Let us join together to strengthen peace
through the resources of peace itself'
Pope John Paul II
--
Sheikh Dr. Shaheed Satardien
Director of the Intercultural Peace Centre(IPC)
Chairman of the European Muslim Council
for Justice, Peace and Equality
(EMC-JPE)
Chairman of the Muslim Council
of Ireland (MCI)
Professor of Islamic Studies
and Arabic Language
Saor Ollscoil Na hEireann
(Free University of Ireland)
Dublin 7
+353 1 8218485
+353879932581
Posted by admin at January 25, 2008 02:46 PM
