ADN KRONOS INTERNATIONAL: Jakarta - An Indonesian expert on the Koran has released a book attacking Fitna, the controversial film by Dutch MP Geert Wilders that challenges Islamic teaching.
Quraish Shibab released the book entitled "The verses of Fitna, a small part of Islamic culture in the middle of prejudice" on Sunday.
He said the Dutch film was based on a number of errors and a misinterpretation of Islamic teaching.
"The film of Geert Wilders, Fitna, is a collection of mistaken koranic interpretations."
In 90 pages, Quraish Shibab claims that Wilders has used quotes out of context to give weight to the film's argument that equates Islam and terrorism.
The book, distributed free of charge in several mosques in the capital and available on the Internet, adopts a calm tone and calls on Muslims "to respond to Fitna in a decisive way but avoiding any behaviour that is harmful to Islam or Muslims".
Indonesia, the country with the largest number of Muslims in the world, has recorded the greatest interest in the film Fitna, according to Google Trends, an online tool which monitors Internet traffic.
Fitna has received a moderate response in Indonesia where almost 90 percent of the country's 240 million people is Muslim.
There have been several protests in front of the Dutch embassy in Jakarta, and in one violent reaction to the film students damaged the Dutch consulate in Medan. [Source: Indonesia: Islam Film by Dutch MP 'Mistaken Interpretation' Says Expert] | May 5, 2008
The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Paperback - UK)
The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Hardback - UK)
