I just watched Dutch politician Geert Wilders’ short film on the Quran which was released today on the net and I am very frightened for the future because of it. Wilders is the founder and leader of the Dutch People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy and there is more info about him here – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geert_Wilders .
The film is a warning to the Dutch (and obviously the rest of the world) about the rise of Islam and the content of the Quran, which he calls a fascist book. The film is made up primarily of news footage images and clips edited together with ominous, sombre and often depressing music in the background. The imagery is often brutal and shocking and I strongly urge you to avoid the film unless you are 18 or older.
Wilders’ movie is inflammatory and emotionally manipulative. It selectively presents the most violent and hateful portions of the Quran out of context of the whole, edited together with hate speech from Muslim leaders and vile imagery primarily from the war in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The point of Wilders film is to shock and frighten the Dutch people into driving Islam (and Muslims) out of Holland and eventually out of Europe. He compares the current rise in Islam to Nazism and Communism and something that needs to be defeated. The film paints every Muslim as a potential danger that should be driven from the hallowed soil of Europe.
Wilders is a polarizing force and he will lead nowhere except to further conflict. His film demonizes an entire people and the path he wants to take Holland and Europe down is simply wrong.
So what is the right path? What do we do when we are confronted with horrific and hateful violence that threatens to swallow us whole? How do we respond when this is real to us? When there is a sword to the throat of our loved ones (or possibly our own)…how should we respond.
"You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect." Matthew 5:43-48
These words of Christ beg the question – how can we possibly live up to this standard? How can we possibly respond to evil this way? Are we not to defend the ones we love? What power is there in submission? Surely this is not what Christ meant. Surely we are misinterpreting His words.
Jesus replied, "What is impossible with human beings is possible with God." Luke 18:27
The point is that God’s way to confront evil is not the human way. God met evil with a cross. Allowing Himself to be beaten and humiliated, emptying Himself of His own nature and as a man being nailed to a tree all the while looking upon His tormentors and praying "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." Luke 23:34.
If we are confronted with evil whether it comes from a Muslim, a fellow Christian, or anyone, there is only one response that Christ has shown us – love and forgiveness…there is no other way. We must pray that God gives us the strength to respond the way Christ has taught us.
P.S. Wilders has a film coming out about Christianity and the Bible <shudder>.
Harnessing Chaos 
thanks for the review Pete. Sounds like something i\’ll pay close attention to NOT watching. Even more, thanks for the exhortation in your application of it to what Jesus living in this world of darkness looks like through us.
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