Religious leaders gather at PBNU, discuss film insulting Islam

Jakarta, NU Online
Religious leaders held a meeting at the Central Board of Nahdlatul Ulama (PBNU)'s headquarters Wednesday (12/3) to deal with the imminent broadcast of an anti-Islam film made by a far-right Dutch parliamentarian, Geert Wilders, depicting the Quran as source of violence.

Present at the occasion were KH Hasyim Muzadi (General Chairman of the PBNU), Imam Daruqutni (Muhammadiyah figure), Professor Andreas Anangguru Yewangoe (Head of the Protestant Church in Indonesia), Father Antonius Benny Susetyo (Bishops' Conference of Indonesia/KWI).<>

Hasyim said the issue was deliberately taken up by all the attendees for it was related to the inter-religious relationship in Indonesia and said it would expectedly be settled immediately.

The religious leaders would reportedly express their view points at a press conference coming Thursday (13/3) at the PBNU's headquarters.

Wilders, announcing his film project last autumn, said he was going to expose the Koran's “fascist“ nature, which he compared to Hitler's “Mein Kampf“.

Iran, Egypt and Pakistan have all criticized the film as a “gratuitous attack“ on the Muslim faith and threatened an economic boycott. Hundreds of Afghans protested across their country on Wednesday.

In Paris on Wednesday for talks with French President Nicolas Sarkozy, Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende reiterated his government's total rejection of Wilders' views. AFP reported.

The Dutch government has twice tried and failed to convince Wilders - the leader of the far-right Freedom Party - not to broadcast his film, fearing a repeat of the worldwide protests which met the publication of satirical Danish cartoons of the prophet Mohammed. (mkf)