Dutch court to rule on anti-Quran film

The Hague, NU Online
A Dutch court has agreed to examine a lawsuit filed by a Muslim group to ban an anti-Qur'an film by a hot-headed far-right lawmaker as the government launched a diplomatic offensive to limit the expected fallout.

"It's a request for summary judgment," Hague District Court spokeswoman Paula Koning was quoted as saying by Agence France-Presse (AFP).<>

The Islamic Federation has asked the court to appoint a panel of experts to review the documentary prepared by MP Geert Wilder and see if it should be banned.

The court will rule on the Muslim lawsuit by March 28.

Wilder, the leader of the right-wing Freedom Party which has nine seats in the 150-member parliament, has said he would release the film, entitled "Fitna," an Arabic word for sedition or strife, before April 1.

According to a Dutch daily which has seen early rushes, the film links images of current bloodletting in Muslim countries to chapters of the Qur'an, ending with an image of a man the film called Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him).

Dutch television channels have declined to air the film and Wilder would likely broadcast it on the Internet instead.

 Diplomatic Offensive

The government, meanwhile, has launched a diplomatic offensive to limit the fallout of Wilders' film.

"Under our constitution we cannot prohibit this film before it is aired," Floris van Hovell, press counselor for the Dutch Embassy in Washington, told the Washington Times.

"But we are trying in every way we can to make it clear that this does not reflect the policy of the government."

The campaign includes official statements denouncing the anti-Qur'an film and contacts by Dutch diplomats and religious leaders with their Muslim counterparts.

The Dutch government has unsuccessfully tried to convince to the right-wing lawmaker to abandon the film.

Dutch Justice Minister Ernst Hirsch Ballin and Foreign Minister Maxime Verhagen personally met with Wilders and expressed concerns over the damage his film could unleash, politically and economically.

The government fears the film would trigger protests in Netherlands and overseas and strain ties with Muslim countries.

Thousands are expected to march against the film in the capital Amsterdam later on Saturday. IslamOnline reported.

Organizers say the march, initiated by anti-racism organization Nederland Bekent Kleur (Dutch acknowledge color differences), is a protest against the "intolerant and discriminatory viewpoints" of MP Wilder.

Some 5,000 people have already signed a petition against the far-right lawmaker.

Dutch Muslim leaders have vowed a calm and smart handling of the crisis, with plans to open mosques on the day the film is screened to demonstrate tolerance and diffuse tension.

They have urged the minority, which makes up one million of the country's 16 million population, not to pay heed to a "third-class" politician like Wilders. (dar)