Big Protests against Anti-Koran Film in Pakistan
By Ona Zachary
22:03, April 6th 2008
54 votes
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A protest burst out in Pakistan on Sunday, with 25.000 people gathering to demonstrate against an anti-Koran film made by a Dutch politician, and urging their government to exile the Netherlands ambassador.

Thousands of members of the Islamist party Jamaat-e-Islami marched on the streets of Pakistan chanting slogans such as “Down with Holland” or “Down with Denmark,” while burning Dutch and Danish flags.

The 15-minute film made by Dutch right-wing legislator Geert Wilders caused much controversy in many parts of the world, depicting Islam as a ticking time bomb that endangered the West. Even before the film was released on the Internet, huge protests, involving more than 15,000 people took place in Afghanistan.

The controversial film, called “Fitna,” which means “strife” in Arabic, is marked as mature content on the websites that host it, containing graphic images such as beheadings, violence against women in Islam and terrorist attacks. The scenes are separated by Koran verses, which promote violence against believers from other religions. Wilders believes that Muslim holy book causes Muslims to have this intolerant attitude against Christians and Jews, who are called “apes and pigs” in “Fitna” by a young Muslim girl.

Many Islamic and Arab leaders were offended by the film, considering insulting to religion.

A group of protesters also gathered in front of the Dutch embassy in Tehran, to demonstrate peacefully. The group consisted of 40 students, who chanted against America and Israel.

Immediately after “Fitna” was released, the Dutch government distanced itself from Wilders’ vision, saying it completely disagreed with the material used to promote hatred among different cultures.

However, Iran’s parliament speaker addressed the Muslim nations on Sunday, asking them to boycott Dutch products, in order to protest against the film that denigrated Islam.



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