Thursday, April 03, 2008

Would you help me?

It's been a week after the night Wilders released Fitna, I followed part of the parliamentary debate and opinions on this subject.

I found students in Medan ran amok at Dutch Consulate. I was rather surprised, I pictured FPI doing such act, not students who supposed to use their head in stead of their muscles. They just lowered to his level and helped Wilders to prove his point, that Islam is a religion of violence.

I found Jordan is thinking about severing diplomatic connection with Holland. Another surprise, as Jordan is traditionally one of the most Western-oriented countries in the Middle East.

I found calls of boycotting Dutch products. What kind of Dutch products? Products of Shells, Unilever, Philips, Frisian Flag, Gouda cheese, flowers, seeds? How about those companies products that are produced outside The Netherlands, such as in Indonesia?

I found that Kurt Westergaard, the Danish creator of Mohammad cartoon is suing Wilders based on copyright infringement.

I found that when people from outside insulting Islam, there are Moslem rioting somewhere. But how come when terrorists claiming as "acting" for Islam, which I think even more insulting Islam, there are no Moslems rioting.

I found that no one from Islamic community condemned those clerks whose appalling speeches were on that film. Where are the so-called moderate Moslems? Are they agreeing with those clerks, too? I thought it was a good opportunity for moderate Moslems to distance themselves from the bad elements in their community, to do introspection and self-critic, to give the world the real face of Islam that is about peace.

I need help to understand these. Please...

Wednesday, April 02, 2008

On Logic

Wilders = Hitler
Mohammad = Hitler

Thus, Wilders = Mohammad

Tuesday, April 01, 2008

Freedom of speech & Joris Jochemsen

Joris Jochemsen is my new hero. He points out my concern about Dutch society with regards to discrimination & free speech.

Last Saturday he was arrested for giving out leaflets in Amsterdam which contained collection of what Wilders and members of his PVV Party were saying with a twist. Joris substituted "Islam" and "Moslem" with "Judaism" and "Jews" in all their saying. So one would find sentence like ‘I deny nobody family life. Not even the Jews . They can marry, they can co-habit. Only not in the Netherlands’. Doesnt it remind you of the 3rd Reich? How come he got arrested spreading 10 leaflets like this, but Wilders didn't even got a warning from the police saying the same thing about Moslem on telly?

This worker of tax office who is active for the SP party in his hometown Zutphen wanted to be prosecuted. He did it to prove how terribly racist Wilders' ideas are, and not to hurt/insult the jewish community. All these time I found most of the Dutch didnt care enough with all the racist remarks by Wilders and his gang. In fact, a lot of Dutch (about 600000 of them) are even supporting him, giving him 9 seats at the Lower House of Dutch parlement.

The Public Prosecution Office now has to decide if they are going to prosecute Jochemsen for discrimination. If they did, he prepares to be jailed, hoping that Wilders is also facing the same fate.

I share Jochemsen concern about Dutch double standard. I keep hearing people championing freedom of speech when it's about anti-islam movies or cartoons.

Does freedom of speech mean one can hurt/insult others as one please? Does freedom of speech mean it is ok to insult certain group but not the other? Where do you draw the line between freedom of speech and blatantly spreading hatred? How come when it comes to being insulted, the moslem are expected to grow up and able to handle 'criticism', but when it comes to Jewish community it is anti-semit and you could go to jail for that?

Dont get me wrong, I think the moslem do need to clean their house, and able to handle criticism more elegantly. Freedom of speech is a must, but I also do think that freedom of speech has its limit, and it is applicable to all not just to a certain group.