By Bernama
Jakarta : The Indonesian government condemns the production of the film ‘Fitna’ (Discord in Arabic) by a Dutch politician, saying it is full of racist insinuations and an irresponsible act committed in the name of press freedom.
“The Government of Indonesia strongly condemns the provocative act which insults Islam and Muslims,” ANTARA news agency cited Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesman Kristiarto Soeryo Legowo as saying here on Saturday.
The film clearly contradicted the efforts Indonesia was making at national and international levels to promote interfaith dialogs based on harmony and tolerance, he said.
Meanwhile, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon also condemned Dutch parliamentarian Geert Wilders’ anti-Islamic film ‘Fitna’, according to a statement of the United Nations issued in New York on Friday.
“I condemn, in the strongest terms, the airing of Geert Wilders’ offensively anti-Islamic film.
There is no justification for hate speech or incitement to violence.
The right of free expression is not at stake here.
“I acknowledge the efforts of the Government of the Netherlands to stop the broadcast of this film, and appeal for calm to those understandably offended by it. Freedom must always be accompanied by social responsibility,” Ban Ki-moon said.
In Riyadh, the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) urged the Dutch government to stop the screening of the offensive anti-Qur’an film produced by the Dutch right-wing parliamentarian.
“We must not allow freedom of speech to be used as a cover to insult religion,” said Prof. Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, secretary general of the OIC, which groups 57 Muslim countries.