Sunday, March 30, 2008

Wilders vs. Abu Ba'ashir

Sounds kinda like a "The Penguin vs The Green Goblin" comic book, doesn't it?

Wilders is a Dutch politician who fears that the West will be overrun by conservative Muslims. Abu Ba'ashir is an Indonesian cleric who fears that Indonesia will be overrun by bikini wearing, beer swilling Westerners.

Wilders says that new Muslim immigrants should be banned from the Netherlands (how about evangelical Americans too then?) and Ba'ashir says that Westerners in Indonesia should be beaten up (if not blown up).

At the core, their stance has nothing to do with East vs. West, it's a lot simpler than that, they are both racists.

I am still uncertain about where to draw the line of freedom of speech - obviously freedom of speech can be used to victimise others for example - but there's an important debate to be had and won. The debate is really about openness to ideas and peoples. Compare North to South Korea, Cuba to Brazil, The Soviet Union to the USA, Saudi Arabia to Dubai. Openness trumps closedness everytime.

It's a pity that political leaders in the Netherlands and Indonesia don't enjoin the debate, and face down these racist views head on.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

There was this debate about islam in NL after the movie was screened, wilders was invited but he didnt come. eventho he said he wants a debate.

And get this.. he gained 1 more chair in the parlement to the 9 he got, if election was held now.

next month on Hilter's birthday, another anti-islam movie is due to be released by an ex-moslem, about Mohammad... here we go again...

T.

oigal said...

Good Post, There seems to be a real selective view on this.
Anyone really want to view the movies and cartoons coming out of the middle east..or our lunatic friend, who is allowed to call for a certain section of society to be beaten up. Sorry but I find holding up signs calling for another human being to be murdered far more offensive than any film..
Idiots and racists all..

Therry said...

If what was said in Fitna was true, then let the murders and bombings happen.

I would rather die than live in such a chaotic world.

And after they are all sure that they've murdered all the unwanted race, let's leave the earth for them to then kill each other.