House of Lords Fitna show cancelled
The APP reports that a scheduled screening of Geert Wilders’ anti-Islam/immigration film Fitna in the House of Lords has been cancelled. It was due to be shown on Jan 29th.
The decision was taken after a meeting between Lord Nazir Ahmed, Government Chief Whip of the House of Lords and Leader of the House of Lords, and representatives from the Muslim Council of Britain, the British Muslim Forum and others.
Protests and demonstrations have been cancelled, which is a shame because they would no doubt have resembled the protests and demonstrations shown in the film itself, creating a pleasing symmetry.
Lord Ahmed called the decision
a victory for the Muslim community
Yeah, well done “Muslim community”.
UPDATE: (Jan 27) David T at Harry’s Place points out that Lord Ahmed’s delicate sensitivities were not much in evidence when he used the House of Lords to host a book launch by the anti-semitic neo-Nazi Israel Shamir back in 2005.
Why cancel it?
What are they afraid of? The Muslim elements could just leave the chamber, surely?
Fitna NEEDS to be seen.
Don’t ‘The Muslim Community’ see the danger in stamping on any criticism like this? It may work in the short term but in the longer term it will cause great resentment and anger.
Firstly, ‘The Muslim Community’ need not worry about the long term resentment from likes of narrow minded individuals like yourself. it is not that small of a community had you not noticed, that it worries about small pockets of individual hatred.
with regards to the House Of Parliament, exactly what purpose would this movie serve by being shown in this particular venue, fill further hatred into back bench rightwing extremists’???
there was no purpose and benefit to be gained by such a screening. Parliaments unlike certain narrow minded people have to consider the larger picture and are rarely bullied into decisions, The Muslims of UK, applaud the efforts of Its Muslim Leaders and correct decision taken by Parliament to not offend the largest minority group in UK.
The Danish extremists continuously seek to offend the Muslims, and will carry on to do so for coming years, it is nothing new…
With regards to the movie itself, I’m sure if one was to make an effort, in extracting small paragraphs and taking them greatly out of context, from the Torah and Bible, some serious hatred could be found against other religions.
If you would like to see what Islam is about, open your eyes, look inside your offices, shops, schools, hospitals, not so much in your local job centres… and you will find the True Islam and True Muslim..
Better still as Geert Wilders’ film starts with the date of 1400, why don’t we look at that particular time in Islam when the Leader, Master, Pioneer of this great religion existed, Let’s look at His PBUH mannerisms with regards to the other faiths, only then will you clean you bigot eyes with the true knowledge and love of Islam.
Cheap films showing people who every Muslim denounces as members of their faith do not show the true religion of ISLAM.
If so then maybe we should look towards the KKK n America and Hitler, they too carried the Cross of Christianity.
Wa Salaam (Peace be with You- the greeting of every Muslim)
“Fitna show cancelled”
Good — it is racist drivel and filth.
When did this place turn into Bigot Central?
Cretins.
Racist, Will? How on earth can a dislike of a religion embraced by people of all hues be called racist? Twat!
Will, this place has consistently defended the right to freedom of expression for everyone, whether or not we agree with what is being expressed. That includes the bigots, the terminally deluded and (I’m looking at you now) the clueless. Because if you don’t let them express themselves, how do you know what they are?
Fitna may well be racist filth. But how are the dear old law lords, who’ve probably never heard of YouTube, going to find out if they’re not allowed to watch it? Are they to take your word for it? Do you know best?
Even if it is racist filth, that is beside the point because Wilders is not being prosecuted for racism. The word racism does not appear once in the court’s statement of charges. His crime is inciting hatred by making
and for comparing Islam with Nazism:
So, Will, if you think you can stay sober for long enough to make the case that a person should face jail for harming religious esteem, or for negatively comparing one book to another, then you are very welcome to do so here.
Alternatively, you could just sign the fucking petition, you silly, silly boy.
Saraj, thanks for the greeting of Peace be with you, somewhat undermined by calling me narrow-minded and being part of a small pocket of hatred. Nice to meet you too.
Tempting though it is I won’t rise to the bait of being called narrow-minded by a religious type and I will instead assure you that I can think of no person or group in this world that I hate, there are just a number I disagree with.
Whether Fitna is equal to Citizen Kane or to Titanic is immaterial. in a democratic country the use of undemocratic lobbying to prevent a film being seen or a book being read is repellent. I would rather not take your assurances that there is no benefit in it being seen. In fact if you say that it probably means that it should be seen as widely as possible.
By the way, would peace still be with me if I was gay? just interested.
Oh, Will – I forgot the 3rd alternative: hoist petticoats and flee. Might have guessed you’d go for that one. Wanker.
Saraj Qazi,
Might I suggest that you brush up on your geography and start developing a more open mind towards criticism and appreciate what freedom of speech is?
If we all agree then the world would not be much of a fun place.
Firstly, Geert Wilders is not Danish, but Dutch.
Secondly, people who criticise Islam, both muslims as well as non-muslims, can not be dismissed as simply being narrowminded, racist or islamophobic.
Racist is racial discrimination. A Muslim is somebody who adheres to Islam, which is a faith/belief. It is not a race or ethnicity. So it can not be racist to criticise Islam or Muslims.
Thirdly, freedom of speech is not dependent on (or rather should not be dependent on) what inviduals such as yourself feel. The nonsense about miniorities feeling offended, or their honour tarnished or that people are being blasphemic can not be considered because then essentially everybody and anybody could find something offensive and thus move to have it censored, removed or rejected.
It is a shame that despite living in the West, which offers you far better options and freedoms then you could ever hope to in Pakistan, you do not appreciate these freedoms. It is ok for you to make strange and absurd accusations about critics but these critics may not voice their criticism? What kind of a logic is that?
Let me remind you, that your precious Islam especially in the Sunnah (hadiths) socalled traditions of the Prophet Muhammad pbuh, which you pressumably believe in, have described in detail how criticis are killed off. So tolerance and peace is not a part of the Islam, which exists today? You may have a personal view that islam is peace, but the fact remains that the way it is preached and practised and forced upon people contradict the peaceful image.
I will not point out all the controversial yet widely accepted negative parts of Islamic practise and preaching because I dont have the time nor the inclination. But maybe you should be a man about it and listen to what the criticis say. I am not saying Geert Wilders is the best critic but there are critics even among muslims. Are they just plain stupid? NO in fact they have done their homework. They question things. Maybe you should enlight yourself about these questions and seek some answers rather than the typical “you are a narrowminded, racist, islamophobic bigot”.
Maybe you should preach this peaceful Islam of yours to the muslim in Pakistan, where christian girls are brutally abducted, raped and then forced to convert to Islam. Yes peaceful indeed. Or how about the suggestions to behead people in London amidst the Muhammad cartoons crises? These were young and elder british born and raised people.
Or how about Islamic countries like Iran, Saudi Arabia? They are practising Islam to the letter according to the hadiths and Quran. Are you now saying they are all wrong because that is the oldest apologetic excuse in the book of muslims when they run out of or lack solid arguments.
How about objecting to the growing anti-semitism among muslims which is embedded again in your precious traditions/Sunnah/hadith? Or maybe you agree?
You clearly do not understand freedom of speech. Islam preaches rape of women, slavewomen caught as warboot during war and does not even acknowledge the concept of marital rape. Beat your wives if they rebel or dispobey. What are they? Cattle or dogs? Yes the reference you made to the prophet Muhammads socalled mannerisms also maintain that women are deficient in intelligence and religion by nature, that they are object of evil solely to tempt men away from the path of rightousness. You are the one who is ignorant. Like majority pakistani muslims you have only heard about Islam, never learned arabic or had the decency to sit down and study the very sources you claim are peaceful. The Quran, the hadiths. And yet you have the audacity to lecture others when they are in fact right? Everything I have stated is to be found in hadiths. The wifebeating part is evident if verse 34 of chapter 4 of the Quran and hadiths.
Freedom of speech allows you practise and preach your faith. Well some people oppose this faith and they should have as much liberty to express their thoughts. If you disapprove or disagree, then might I suggest you do not watch the movie. Just like you dont have to read the Satanical Verses. Nobody is forcing you but everybody has a right to voice their opinions and thoughts. It is the manner with which this is done. And to ban people, censor their work as provocative as it may be, is hypcritical.Then maybe Islam should be banned also.
You yourself have a narrowminded and intolerant view of islam critics. So I dont think you are setting any good example.
Freedom of speech is a topic which I think you should study. Along with geography and history. If you have rights then so do the likes of Geert Wilders. We can not go killing every critic who does not agree with us as is practised in the traditions of the Sunnah. You can shut up everybody who objects to your faith. Criticising is not a crime. Yet muslims (majority) are unable to handle criticism like other people. Instead of trying to refute or counterdebate them, you just censor them. Now nobody can say anything as not to offend the muslims. Do you see the absurdness in this?
However, that said, if somebody comes dresses in KKK outfits and burns a cross on your front lawn, you let me know. Because I will be right there by your side fighting for your right to live and be who you are. Unfortunately I know for sure you would never fight for me.
Its nice movie…
The Fitna movie is an excellent montage of Muslim’s views and tragic actions around the world. It can be seen at http://wikileaks.org/wiki/Fitna_anti-islam_movie_by_Geert_Wilders freedom of expression has allowed muslims to preach hate for years in the UK, now that the tables have turned they have started to wince and cry…How ironic (perhaps even pathetic).
Whilst I believe that the Gaza invasion is wrong and that innocent people are being murdered. Muslims have to accept that while people within their community continue to perform such atrocities against innocent people; their religion will not be tolerated- a film doesn’t need to persuade people to do this (though it helps).
On a final note all of the films material is based on the footage and actions of so called “Muslims”, surely you would be Hippocratic to condemn another “Muslim Brother” if your were “Muslim”?