Published on Nov 22 2009 by Ali Khan, Swindon

Dear Senator,

 

Geet Wilders is currently embarking on a fear-mongering and hatred-inciting crusade across Europe, his aim seems to be to unify right wing factions across the continent and mobilise them in an effort to halt the alleged “Islamification of Europe.”  His next stop is the Senate in Switzerland, conveniently coordinated with the National Referendum on banning the Minaret from Swiss Mosques.

 

However Mr Wilders views clearly and dangerously contradict the Western values of peace, integration, religious freedom and tolerance that Europe stands for and promotes around the world.

In the last 18 months, Greet Wilders has said, "I don't hate Muslims, I hate Islam".......Islam is a violent religion.”

 

He has suggested that Muslims should “tear out half of the Quran if they wished to stay in the Netherlands” because it contained “terrible things” and “If Muhammad lived here today, I would propose he be tarred and feathered as an extremist and driven out of the country," and would “in these days be hunted down as a terrorist”.

 

He has called the Holy Quran, a "fascist book", should be outlawed in the Netherlands, like Adolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf. He stated that: "The book incites hatred and killing and therefore has no place in our legal order."

 

In his film Fitna, which he wishes to air to the Swiss Senate, Mr Wilders has selected and cleverly edited certain verses of the Holy Quran playing them alongside violent images of terrible acts and atrocities committed by minority extremists and terrorists, who also misuse these verses to prey on illiterate, ignorant and disaffected victims and convert them to their twisted ideology.  See any similarities in the approach?

 

All societies have these extreme right wing elements, whose views inevitably gain more popularity in times of hardship and disillusionment. The issue is that Mr Wilders is relentlessly pursuing the notion that this is actually how all Muslims are instructed to live their lives and follow their faith.  This is an insult and injustice to the overwhelming majority of the 1.5 billion Muslims worldwide who go to extraordinary efforts to live their lives peacefully and righteously based on the true instructions and teachings of the Quran and the Prophet Muhammad (may peace be upon him).

 

It is so very dangerous for the peace and prosperity of our society if Mr Wilders is continually given powerful platforms such as the House of Lords and the Swiss Senate to mischievously misquote the verses below, and spread this gross misrepresentation of Islam.

 

By employing the same logic as Mr Wilders, one could quote some of the things Prophet Jesus is reported to have said about the Jews, or the actions of 16^th Century crusaders to label Christianity as an inherently violent and bloodthirsty religion – which it is not.  We see similar injustice with the proposed minaret ban in Switzerland, why can the minaret be no more to a mosque than a spire is to a church or the Star of David is to a synagogue?

 

Mr Wilders’ Fitna film is replete with examples of misleading editing, some of which are set out below:

 

In chapter 8 verse 61, Mr Wilders has quoted the verse where God instructs Muslims of the time of the Holy Prophet to prepare large armies to act as a deterrent and in order to maintain peace against those who would attack (as all Western powers do today).

 

Interestingly, Geert Wilders does not mention the next verse 8:62:

 

“And if they incline towards peace, incline thou towards it, and put they trust in Allah. Surely it is He Who is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.” 

 

This verse clearly shows that the maintaining of peace is a key principle of Islam.

 

Geet Wilders again misquotes a verse and omits the second part when he refers to Chapeter 47, Verse 5. 

 

“And when you meet in regular battle those who disbelieve, smite their necks; and , when you have overcome then, bind fast the fetters – then afterwards either release them as a favour or by taking ransom-until the war lays down its burdens…”

 

This verse is about rules of regular battle and makes it clear that Islam lays down strict rules for war such as:

 

Prisoners are to be taken only after regular and pitched battle in which the enemy has been defeated. Thus regular war is declared to be the only reason for taking prisoners - for no other cause free men are to be deprived of their liberty. 

 

When war is over, prisoners should be release, either as an act of favour, or taking ransom, or by negotiating mutual exchange. They cannot be held indefinitely or treated as slaves

 

Under no circumstances should innocent citizens be hurt, especially women & children and property, crops, fruit trees and places of worship of all religions are to be protected.

 

Nowhere does the Qur’an provide justification forMuslims to behead non-Muslim prisoners as Mr Wilders would have us believe.

 

Let us look at some verses of the Holy Qur’an, which clearly demonstrate Islam is a peaceful religion and how Muslims are instructed to behave.

 

The Holy Qur'an describes true Muslims as those who:

…walk on the earth in a dignified manner, and when the ignorant address them, they say, ‘Peace!’ [Holy Qur'an Ch.25: V.64]

 

And then………

 

“O ye who believe!  Be steadfast in the cause of Allah, bearing witness in equity; and let not a people’s enmity incite you to act otherwise than with justice. Be always just, that is nearer to righteousness. And fear Allah. Surely, Allah is aware of what you do.”  [Holy Qur'an Ch.5: V.9]

 

Some of the verses of the Holy Qur’an referring to war time are presented by Mr Wilders as some sort of code for all Muslims to follow in their daily lives.  There is no mention of the model of peace, forbearance and tolerance demonstrated by Muhammad ( may peace be upon him)in the 13 years of persecution and torture faced by the Muslims following his claim to Prophethood.   Muslims are taught quite clearly that God only gave permission for arms to be taken up in self-defence once Muslims were denied their freedom to practise their religion and armies were sent to kill them all.

 

In the West we live in wonderfully democratic states which allow people of all faiths to build places of worship and practise their faith with complete freedom; I would argue that the ideology and views of Geet Wilders and his Right Wing sympathisers are as much of a danger to these democracies as the minority extremist terrorists they claim to be representative of the Muslim World. 

 

I strongly urge you to disregard Mr Wilder’s film and lobby your fellow Senators to boycott the showing of the film.