Wednesday, April 02, 2008

The West Should Applaud the Brave Geert Wilders for His Courage to Air the Film, Fitna, Against Great Odds, Pressure and Criticism

Ever since Geert Wilders released Fitna last week, all we have heard from the mainstream media and from politicians is criticism of the Netherlands’ best-known, most courageous, and clearest-thinking public figure.

So many people, spineless ones mainly, have said that Mr Wilders set out to insult the Qur’an and Muslims. What a ridiculous thing to say! Surely, what he set out to do is plain to see: He set out to inform the Dutch (and by extension , other Westerners) that they were in danger of losing their country (ies) to a backward, regressive ‘culture’: Islam. He stated categorically that this was the last chance for the Dutch to do something about the explosive growth of Islam in their country.

Now what is extreme about that? And what is "far-right" about it, as far as that goes? Yet Geert Wilders is almost always portrayed as a "far-right", "extreme" politician by just about all the media. Why? Just because he wants to warn his fellow countrymen of the dangers that lie ahead? Seems like good old-fashioned common sense to me. Patriotism, even!

I have been warning for years of the danger of the explosive growth of Islam in the West. And just in case anyone out there thinks that I entitled my book, The Dawning of a New Dark Age, for reasons of sensationalism, think again! That title was carefully chosen, for I truly believe that we are heading for a "New Dark Age" if our politicians do not stop passing ridiculous laws to mollycoddle Muslims. They need to change course, and quickly.

I have just finished reading Mark Steyn’s book, America Alone. Clearly, he has taken up the theme in my book; since he refers to the coming "New Dark Age" often enough in it. So I am obviously not alone in my judgement that a "New Dark Age" is dawning here in the West.

In the past days, it has come to light that many Muslim countries, that oh-so-Western country Turkey included, are calling for the film Fitna to be banned. Clearly, Muslims don’t want to be confronted by the truth, for obviously they are hurt by it. The truth, as they say, so often does hurt.

So what Muslims now want the West to do is close down freedom of speech and freedom of expression. If we do that, it will be a fast track to a "New Dark Age". It is freedom of expression which so clearly delineates our two worlds: the world of the West and the world of the East. Were our politicians to be so stupid as to contemplate such a move, then they will surely deserve to incur the wrath of the electorates around the Western world!

Like so may others, I waited patiently for the film, Fitna, to be released. We had to wait a long time for it, but it was well-worth the long wait. I had expected the movie to be controversial, and it was. But in actual fact, it wasn’t that controversial at all; on the contrary, I found the film to be rather mild and measured. There was very little in it which most of us haven’t seen before. But it was very cleverly put together, and the choice of music was superb. All in all, Fitna impressed; and it had a message which all Westerners should take the time to ponder, since so many Westerners go about their daily lives, oblivious of the dangers which lie ahead of them.

I take my hat off to Geert Wilders for a number of reasons: First and foremost among them is for his courage in stating the things which almost all other politicians are far too cowardly to state. I also applaud him for his clear thinking, and for his refusal to obfuscate the truth.

The images in the film were, in some ways, shocking; but only to the uninitiated. For people who are familiar with the blogosphere, they were mild indeed. But powerful for all that.

The Dutch government has egg on its face! Those politicians made such a fuss over the impending release of that short film that they showed themselves up to be the wimps they truly are.

Oh, and a point on Islamophobia, something which so many Muslim countries seem to view with increasing alarm…

As I have said before, the term ‘Islamophobia’ is a misnomer, since a phobia is an irrational fear of something. Many people fear Islam; but that fear, alas, is not ‘irrational’. People’s fears are based on solid experience and history. It is an undeniable fact that the intention of Islam is to take over the Western world, and replace our way of governance with the Islamic way. Given the track record of most Muslim countries, it is surely not phobic to fear the exceedingly fast growth of Islam here in the West. On the contrary, actually, it would be irrational not to fear that explosive growth!

Moreover, I should like to say this: If Muslims don’t want their religion to be feared, if they want to be liked and welcomed around the world, they have to change their behaviour. Governments cannot legislate for its people to ‘love’ Islam. Only Muslims can make themselves loved and welcomed; and to bring these changes about, then they need to change their own behaviour. They need to stop their inexorable programme of expansion around the world, they need to free up their peoples, and they need to stop the cruel punishments: the beheadings, the stonings to death, the amputations for theft - the general cruelty which is so obviously part and parcel of their way of life. And they certainly need to put a stop to putting people to death for apostasy.

The expression, "In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful", is found in almost every chapter (Surah) of Al-Qur’an al Kareem. Isn’t it high time that Muslims started to follow the example that Allah has supposedly given them? Isn’t it high time that Muslims started to show the same compassion and mercy that Allah supposedly shows His followers?

In summary, I would say this about Fitna. It was an excellent film, well worth waiting for. It was in no way insulting to Muslims; though I appreciate that many might have been hurt by it. But then, as I have already stated, the truth is usually hard to swallow. Nobody, Muslim or non-Muslim, likes to be confronted by the harsh realities of life. I applaud Geert Wilders for having the courage and bravery to raise issues in the Netherlands (and in the West) which should have been raised long ago. Bravo, Mr Wilders! Bravo!

©Mark Alexander

All Rights Reserved

10 comments:

Always On Watch said...

Mark,
The mainstream media here in the States have pretty much ignored Fitna and the controversy surrounding the film's release.

If Muslims don’t want their religion to be feared, if they want to be liked and welcomed around the world, they have to change their behaviour.

Instead, they want to shut us up! That attitude should tell the West how much danger our very civilization is in.

It is not Geert Wilders who is threatening our culture. But the dhimmis and Islamophiles here in the West bow and scrape to Islam--out of fear and political correctness. And, of coure, the United Nations, urged on by OIC, has condemned the film.

One good thing in all this....Geert Wilders film has been viewed by millions, despite all efforts to the contrary.

Also, yesterday, Rachel Ehrenfeld won in court.

We have to take our encouragement where we can find it.

Mark said...

Yes, indeed we do have to take our encouragement wherever we can find it. But there is very little out there to encourage us. That's the problem. I have blogged a story today that states that Susan Winter in Austria has been indicted for her speech some months ago, in which she criticized the prophet Muhammad. She faces up to two years in jail for speaking the truth!!!

Anonymous said...

If you haven't done so yet, please sign the petition in defense of Geert Wilders. It can be found at http://petitiononline.com/wilders/petition.html . They have almost 6,000 signatures but there should be many, many more.

Mark said...

Revereridesagain:

I have already signed that petition. I signed it yesterday evening.

Dag said...

Mark, I just began your book, The Dawning of a New Dark Age last evening. I must either read quickly or you've written an enjoyable book very easy to read. I t h i n k i r e a d l i k e i t y p e.

Mark said...

Dag:

Thank you for buying the book, and thank you, too, for your compliment. I am so glad you are enjoying it.

"I t h i n k i r e a d l i k e i t y p e", got me for one minute! But then the penny dropped. First of all I though the first 'I t' was separate from the "h i n k i r e a d l i k e i t y p e". But then I realized it wasn't.

Would be so grateful for your review of the book if you feel so inclined.

If you would like to review it, I should like to receive it. You can email it to ma at markalexander1@btinternet.com

But don't feel obliged to write it. I realize that many people are very busy these days.

Anyway, do enjoy the rest of the book (if you haven't already finished it).

Dag said...

Mark, I started your book, The Dawning of a New Dark Age just before
bed night before last, and didn't get far till yesterday when I had time in the afternoon in a rare break of sunshine in this city. I took you work to my favorite diner and at till I finished it. It's rare that I read 264 pages at a sitting.

As I've written since the first time I wrote to you, I love your style. You're a fine writer. In reading your book, though, I over-looked my usual fussiness of that type of thing and got straight to the text as such. Briefly, this is what happened to me:

I felt as if you were sitting with me telling me to focus on the important and essential aspects of things I've known for a long time, that I must clarify and refine my thoughts on some specific issues having for too long floated across my vision. Prompting.

We've been in this business for a long time now and facts and figures are useful in their ways but it's the wholistic view that tends now to make itself needed. I learned some new things from your book, it's true, but mostly I settled on something epistemological during my reading that had till then escaped me. That, my friend, will have to wait.

A review will be my pleasure, Mark, and I'll send you a copy a soon as I have a bit more time to write it as well as I'm able.

I read slowly, I think very slowly, and I type really badly. Nevertheless, a review is forthcoming asap.

Best regards, Dag.

Mark said...

Dag:

Thank you so much for your fine words. I am so very glad that you enjoyed reading the book; and I am so very glad that you like the way it was written, too.

I must say that you found a novel place in which to read it: Your favourite diner! :-) What a great idea!

You have written a wonderful comment, Dag, and I want you to know that I really appreciate it.

As for your review, I shall look forward to receiving it, of course; but please don't feel under any pressure. Write it when you can, and forward it to me in due course. When I receive it, I shall be able to place it up on my blog. With pride!

Best wishes, Mark

The Editors said...

God Bless you! It must be hard to hear that Islam now is the biggest denomination in the world overtaking Catholicism.

Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world, and these blogs are forcing people to read the Quran.

4 out of 5 converts are women

It must be sad for the Dutch to be surrounded by Tulips (which spells God in Arabic!)

God Bless you for making people aware.

BTW: Christian, Jews, and even Zorastrians, Buddhists and Hindus have been called "people of the book"..not Infadels.

Infadel is a Crusader term!

Mark said...

Green Views:

God Bless you! It must be hard to hear that Islam now is the biggest denomination in the world overtaking Catholicism.

No, not hard at all. It just goes to show how stupid people can be!

Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world, and these blogs are forcing people to read the Quran.

Yes, Islam is the fastest-growing religion in the world. For now! It still has a long way to go to overtake Christianity, though. (Christianity is more than just Roman Catholicism.)

4 out of 5 converts are women

Yes, it's surprising just how stupid people can be, isn't it? If it goes on like this, you'll have to revise the Koranic edict which states that men can have up to four wives at any one time. Soon it will have to be seven or eight, just so that there'll be enough husbands to go around!

Have you ever thought that with all these women turning to Islam, it will make Islam a feminine religion, since the religion will be swamped by the weaker, fairer sex! Perhaps, then, there will be a chance for a more compassion Islam to rise up!

It must be sad for the Dutch to be surrounded by Tulips (which spells God in Arabic!)

Tulips spell God in Arabic? How so? A figment of a Muslim's imagination, I fear. Muslims generally have so many figments: A figment here and a figment there!

For your information, tulip, in Arabic, is khazaam. So how can you make that into God?

God Bless you for making people aware.

Thank you for your very kind blessings.

BTW: Christian, Jews, and even Zorastrians, Buddhists and Hindus have been called "people of the book"..not Infadels.

Infadel [sic] is a Crusader term!


You don't seem to know your own religion very well, I'm sorry to say. The 'People of the Book' are the Jews and Christians only. Zoroastrians, Buddhists and Hindus are NOT considered to be 'People of the Book'. You should know that.

The term infidel is not only a Crusader term at all. In Christinaity it simply means 'not true to the faith'. It might well have been used by the Crusaders, just as Kufaar was used by the Muslims at that time.

It is to be remembered, however, that the term 'infidel' does not have the disparaging meaning to Christians that kafir has to Muslims.

It is so funny how you people are stuck in the past. You just can't bring yourselves to put the Crusades behind you, and move on, can you? It's just like a gramophone record often used to get stuck in a groove!

By the way, for your information, record numbers of Muslims are converting out of Islam, too. Two million have converted out of Islam in Russia alone!