Remember the Dutch guy who made the propaganda film about Islam? Last week his website was shut down. And now, according to this BBC article he's posted it on a video website where you can watch it.
Analysis
First of all, I included the link because I do believe in freedom of speech and some people may want to watch it. Secondly, I do not lightly call this a propaganda film - that is exactly what it is. He has graphic footage of terrorist attacks interspersed with the rantings of some radical Muslims and Qur'anic verses taken out of context. Are there some violent verses in the Qur'an? Yes. There are also violent verses in the Bible. And I don't mean in the Old Testament. Even the New Testament mentions the wrath of God for non-believers and Judgement Day, etc. But somehow I doubt that the filmmaker would have bothered to make an anti-Christian film featuring the IRA.
How's this for propaganda: a 3-year-old Muslim girl saying that Jews are apes and pigs because the Qur'an says so. While I haven't read the entire Qur'an, I am fairly confident that is does NOT say that. And a 3-year-old hasn't read the Qur'an either. But now there's a group of people who will think that the Qur'an does say that. How convenient.
I only made it about halfway through the film before I was so disgusted that I had to stop. Now, I'm not trying to say that there aren't radicals out there who are crazy and anti-Western. But the majority of Muslims are not! There are some crazies, and they do horrible things in the name of God. And their numbers have dramatically increased since the US entered Iraq. As for anti-Jewish feelings, most of that goes back to 1948 and the creation of Israel. Most Muslims are good, decent people trying to live their lives as best they can. And propaganda shit like this makes it harder for them and easier for the radicals, because then the radicals can say "those Westerners hate Islam and are trying to destroy us" and they'd be correct. Hate crimes against Muslims have increased in the US.
As a last thought, let me leave you with this: Would you judge all Christians by David Koresh, or the people who blow up abortion clinics, or the IRA, or Warren Jeffs? Koresh and Jeffs had/have good size followings, and the IRA was responsible for a lot of deaths. But Christians aren't judged by that. But if you're not a Christian, then you're judged by whomever in your religion can talk the loudest. And nothing is louder than a terrorist's bomb.
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