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Iran Summons Dutch Ambassador Over Anti-Islam Film

30 March 2008

Iran has summoned the Dutch ambassador to Tehran to protest against a Dutch lawmaker's film that says the Koran incites violence.

Iranian state media report that the Foreign Ministry also summoned a representative of Slovenia for consultations Sunday. Slovenia currently holds the rotating presidency of the European Union.

Tehran has denounced the film by Dutch lawmaker Geert Wilders as anti-Islamic and anti-cultural.

The film, called Fitna alternates pictures of terrorist attacks, including the attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001, with quotations from the Koran.

The presidency of the European Union issued a statement Saturday saying the film serves no other purpose than to inflame hatred. But the European bloc acknowledged the filmmaker's right to free speech in creating the video.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon also has condemned the film, saying there is no justification for hate speech or the incitement of violence.

Mr. Ban has appealed to those offended by it to remain calm.

The filmmaker says one of his main points in making the film is a belief that rising Muslim immigration threatens democratic values in the Netherlands and the rest of Europe.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP and Reuters.

 

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