Fitna the Movie directed and uploaded on the Internet by Dutch right-wing politician Geert Wilders at the end of March has caused a predictable reaction around the world – more affective in Islamic countries and reserved yet disapproving in Europe. Russia has not been left untouched by the film either, which is reflected in utterances of official and religious organizations with the most Fitna-Wilders-stigmatizing reaction noticed in the Jewish community.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia

The official message of the Ministry of Foreign Affair of Russia says the country categorically slams demonstration of the anti-Islam film. “Russia that again and again stands for mending the inter-civilization dialogue, mutual respect and consideration for traditions and customs of religious faiths, categorically slams demonstration of this film and takes it as provocative and being able to invoke the same negative outcome as in the recent case with the Mohammed caricatures published by a number of European media”.

Muslim Community

Board of Muftis of Russia has clearly backed the initiative of Secretary General of the Organisation of The Islamic Conference (OIC) Ekmeledin Ihsanoglu calling western countries and the UN to work out a legislation base prohibiting profanation of any religion. “Board of Muftis of Russia is sure that the initiative of OIC Secretary General would weaken the assaults against not only Islam but also against Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism. We deem that spiritual values must be legislatively protected from unlimited permissiveness”, the Board’s message says. According to the muftis, this refers to all, especially to “the western politicians who think they can do whatever they want under the mask of democracy”.

The problem of anti-Islamic films exists in the Russian segment of the Internet, according to Islam researcher Roman Silantyev. He claims that an anti-Shia film, translated into Russian, has for a long time been available on a number of Russian Muslim websites. The film, telling about Shia crimes, roughly insults followers of the Shia Islam branch, and factually calls to their extermination. According to Roman Silantyev, Russian anti-Islam films are much more dangerous than the scandalous film of Geert Wilders, as they “really create a possibility of transferring the Shia-Sunni conflict to the Russian Muslim population”.

Orthodox Christians

Members of the Orthodox Christianity in Russia have shown different reactions to Fitna with prevailingly the disapproving one. “Insulting religious and national feelings always causes a disruptive reaction. Although Christians normally react in a more reserved way than Muslims do, we are in sympathy with Muslims protecting their religious feelings”, as Head of the Moscow Patriarchy, priest Vladimir Vigilyansky says.

Another Orthodox priest, Boris Mikhailov (Holy Mary Cathedral in Moscow), expresses a bit different opinion on Fitna: “Such sharp reaction in the West is caused, apparently, by fear of the processes that followed publication of Mohammed caricatures which caused a burst of outrage in the Muslim world. We need to remember that Geert`s film was brought to life by a real not imaginary reason: it is a way to express concern about the rapid islamization of Europe. And this concern is easy to understand”, the priest marks.

Jews

Chief Rabbi of Russia Berl Lazar thinks that the film of the Dutch politician Geert Wilders must be banned from being featured anywhere, including the Internet, and a criminal proceeding must be initiated against the film author. According to the Rabbi words, the aim of the film is “to accuse Islam of spreading terror”. “The very position of equalling Islam to terror looks insulting to me”, Berl Lazar says.

Chief Rabbi also claims that the “the best respond would be to set up complete informational blockade to this politician and remove the scandalous film from the Internet even if someone considers it to be censorship”.

There is an opinion that there could be two main reasons why reaction of the Russian Jews looks most categorical. Berl Lazar might dislike the film because it largely supposes stamps and labels associated with a certain religion and there is no guarantee that tomorrow the Jews will not be labelled too. The other version supposes that the Jews do not want to be somehow accused of being involved in formation of the negative image of Islam presented in Fitna.

Natalya Lavrentyeva

Ottoman :
"Well, this is what I would like to say about “Fitna,” at least in a nutshell. But there is also another issue, which is what Muslims should do about this film. Should we protest it, ask for its banning, and even threaten Wilders and his team? No, I don’t think so. The fanaticism of a movie would not be a reason to ban or censor it. Moreover, one could even argue that Mr. Wilders has done us a favor by presenting how some non-Muslims in the West perceive Islam. That perception, although highly biased, is a fact that we Muslims have to face and think about."

Added: 07 April 2008 19:18

dropie :
God will judge all those who are pro-criminal. And who is with Islam or supporting Islam is pro-criminal (Look what Islam is preaching and put it in front of Jesus words). That is the word of God on this matter, spoken in New Testament). Who is pro Islamic is not Christian Orthodox (even if he is a patriarch) and will be judged as an apostat.

Added: 07 April 2008 20:53

Informed :
The struggle right now is for OUR freedom of expression. I’m appalled by the comments made by the representatives of Russian Orthodox Church and the Russian Jewish community. They are completely uninformed. Nobody teases Hindus or Buddhists. Even if they did, they wouldn’t get death threats!!! Islam is a murderous desert cult, established by a delusional middle aged man, whose life (up until he became having visions) was a complete and utter failure. Muhammad established a mafia, not a religion. He demanded that all but his band (ie. non-muslims) pay protection money (krysha) or so called jizya tax [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jizya]. Go to http://www.jihadwatch.org/ , check the movies about Islam (on the left).

Added: 08 April 2008 01:13

Steve :
There is nothing offensive with Fitna...it is all there to see how "peaceful" Islam truly is...by 2100 Russia will be a mjority muslim nation and with it they will have access to all of Russia's nuclear weapons...Time to wake up people!!1

Added: 08 April 2008 02:36

Test :
Every faith, every person if it survive has to be tested. Islam now is undergoing such a tests. Muslims are being pounded, invaded, attacked under the guise of fighting terrorism. In the deep level, however, Islam is growing, getting stronger and stronger every day. All attemps to spoil the faith's reputation only ends up improving Islam's image..that is God's wisdom. Islam will grow unstopable, not because of Muslims but because of the devine power that has initiated this faith and hetherto made it appeal to more than one billion people. islam is not a threat to christianity or Jeudaism, why..because Islam embraces both of them meanwhile non of them embraces Islam.

Added: 08 April 2008 12:22

Tony Iveson :
I fear and hate Islam and I despise the mutlitculturalists who bleat on about respecting the rights of moslems and taking care lest we offend their "peaceful" religion. Those muslims do not respect me. I am gay. If they had power, they would kill me. The standard islamic punishment for gays is to be pushed off a tall building. Islamic states execute gay people regularly. Islam also despises the mutliculturalists - they just use them. When I hear people telling me that I must respect Islam, I know I am listening to someone who has not bothered to look into the subject at all - someone who is just mouthing the standard soft liberal platitudes that they can do because they live in a free society. Islam would dismantle that free society. Moslems tell lies about their religion, they are allowed to in the Koran. They use our freedoms to tell us to respect their religion and threaten us with violence if we don't. Our politicians cringe and grovel and bend over backwards to quiet the ravening beast. In 1939, Chamberlain did the same thing with Hitler - "Peace in our time" - pathetic. With very little study, it is not difficult to establish precisely what moslems believe and what Islam really stands for. But time and time again, I come across the standard no-brain response - "we've got to respect their religion". Why? We don't respect Christianity these days. Somehow it is alright to abuse that. I've heard clever-clever dinner party chatter for years now about the follies and the inanities of Christianity and the Church - belly laughs all round obligatory. Are we scared of being labelled racist? Are we confusing race with religion? White people are moslems too. I am white and English, my best friend is My friend is brown and Indian - he hates Islam with a passion because of what it did to India and what it stands for. His people had first hand experience of Islam when it had the whip hand - not a pretty sight! When will our people and our politicians wake up to what is going on? When will we say no, no, no? Will we ever draw a line in the sand? Or are we moving inexorably to the whimpering acceptance of our dhimmitude (non-muslims who pay a special tax to the Islamic overlords in an Islamic State)? Are you dim enough to let yourself become a dhimmi? Don't expect me to say I told you so if and when it happens. I won't be around to rub it in because they will have killed me by then. Respect Islam? Definitely not.

Added: 08 April 2008 17:07

dead man on the way :
dead to wilders en dewinter

Added: 08 April 2008 18:26

mohamed B. :
ahahahahha,it doesn't makes any sense this "censored" talking,talking....the main goal of the moslims at this time is that will Islam rule over the world and believe me it shall happen in the future...and my last words are:Wilders,like hitler once said:Um die Ecke gehen.....allah oe akbar

Added: 08 April 2008 18:41

Micky :
Professionally i deal a lot with muslims. Many of them are quite nice and understanding. They say Islam is not a violent religion at all. On the other hand, some other muslims only talk about hate, kill, etc. not the right way to respond the content of Wilder's film. If something is not correcty presented, please come forward with arguments and facts, and no insults and threaths. Freedom of speech does only imply to tell your opinion in a civilized way. Muslims who lower themselves to insults and actions of revenche, such as burning cars, expressing death threats etc. show to the world that Wilders might be right.

Added: 08 April 2008 22:27

muslims suck (mohammad@goatfucke :
it`s enough to look at the 3 last comments to realize how "peaceful" islam is. you muslim "censored" have no no responses other than threatening to kill people and cut heads off. Islam is an evil cult not religion of peace. Wilders is completely right comparing Quran to Mein Kampf, all islam and muslims are about violence, death threats and complete absense of value of human life. go home to your "censored" muslims countries, enjoy the sharia and "censored" goats like your "holy" "prophet" mohammad did!

Added: 08 April 2008 22:33

Stephan :
I sincerely cannot understand how people can want to kill someone just for not agreeing with them. If Wilders thinks that Islam is violent he has the right to say so and it in now way can be a reason for killing him. No one prohibits muslims to react and protect their religion in a civilized way. They too can shoot a movie criticizing democracy, or Christianity, or whatsoever. Their reaction to Fitna and any criticism of Islam is just inadequate and barbaric. I personally do not agree with the Wilder`s view of Islam, but I entirely support his right to criticise and to express his opinion, even if someone dislikes it.

Added: 08 April 2008 22:47

Junes :
Mohamed B, i guess your email adress doesn't even exist. If we let out the insulting words, your main idea is that Muslims will rule over the world. I fear that this is the aim of Islam, as it once was the aim of Christianity. So many wars, so many kills, all in the name of God, and for what ? power! But you are right in this : Islam is moving on.

Added: 08 April 2008 23:01

Samuel Samson :
I think Fitna is a great movie,and Geert is a great man. Madrid,London,Beslan,Moscow,the murder of Theo van Gogh, Thats the peaceloving religon,called islam.

Added: 19 April 2009 22:09

gog :
what a great effluvium of wisdom flows from our Western friends in these glorious days ... so much has leaked out of their heads, that they have forgotten that the worst crimes committed against Christians where by fellow Christians ... remember Ivan the Terrible and his vicious fights with the Poles, Lithuanians , Finns and some others? just to mention one of his illustrious virtues, heard of how he burned to death over 20 000 German prisoners because one of his favorite officers got killed ? did Christ order you to do that, may i ask ? and dear Russians, what did Ivan do to Visovaty, Funikov, and another few hundred nobles on 25 july 1570 in moscow ? wasnt viskovaty strapped to some poles, after which his flesh was cut off piece by peice, with every noble who is still loyal coming to hack off a piece, until he died ? wasnt Ivan ruling in the name of the Orthodox Church ? does that mean that the Orthodox Church is evil ? and what about the crimes committed in the 1600's during the infamous fighting between the Protestants and Catholics ? do we need to go into the details mentioned in the book " A World Lit Only By Fire " ( by William Manchester ) about what German mercenaries employed by the Protestants did to Catholic cities ? set that aside, how about the fighting between the British and Irish that the flames of which were raging in Ireland at that time ? do we need to remind you of the babies who were " hung by thier mother's breasts " ? or the babies who cromwell used as human shields against an Irish Catholic castle ? the Irish still remember his 9-month visit to England with an unmatched revulsion tinted by bitter hatred ... " mallacht cromwell " they call it, " the curse of cromwell " and hitler, wasnt he always boasting about how much of a good Christian he is ? wernt most of the members of his troops Christians ? wasnt Judas one of Christ's apostles ? dos his trechery (and the trecheries committed by some " Christians " later on) mean that Christ, Christianity, and the whole Christian world should be annihilated ? taliban and the alqaeda are making trouble ? yes, they are, but they are a threat to us more than to you because most of thier victims are moslem ... and they were the most hopelessly powerless of factions before ** the US armed,trained, and paid them ** . virtue doesnt depend on which direction you pray, or who you pray to ... virtue depends on your own heart.

Added: 15 January 2010 14:30