Iran urges Holland not to show ''anti-Koran'' film

BBC Monitoring ^ | Februari 16 2008 | Fars News Agency

[knighthawk]

Text of report by Iranian conservative, privately-owned Fars News Agency website

Fars news desk: Gholam Hoseyn Elham, the minister of justice, has written a letter to his Dutch opposite number, Ernst Hirsch Ballin, expressing concerns over the making of an offensive film against the Koran in Holland and urged him to prevent the screening of this film.

Quoting the government news dissemination centre, Fars reports that Gholam-Hoseyn Elham has sent a letter to Ernst Hirsch Ballin the minister of justice of the Kingdom of Holland to express his concerns over the making of an offensive film against the Holy Koran urging him to prevent this provocative and satanic act on the basis of European Convention on Human Rights.

Pointing, in this letter, to the making of a film deemed offensive to the Holy Koran - the holy book of all Muslims in the world - the minister of justice [Elham who is also the government spokesman] expressed worries over the dreadful consequences of the making of this film, stressing: We must not allow the freedom of speech - which is respected and accepted by all of us - to be used as a cover for assaulting the sensibilities and exalted moral and religious values which are respected by all of humanity. This lays freedom of expression open to abuse.

Gholam-Hoseyn Elham has pointed to second paragraph of 10th stipulation in the European Convention on Human Rights stressing: In this way the freedom of expression must be limited given that it bears certain responsibilities pertaining to the need to prevent disorder, commission of a crime, observing morality and respecting the rights of others.

The minister of justice has ended the letter to his Dutch opposite number by saying that this is an assault on the holiest of things the Muslims regard as holy calling it completely satanic motivating disorder, abusing the rights of Muslims the world over and urging the film not to be screened.

Source: Fars News Agency website, Tehran, in Persian 0803 gmt 16 Feb 08

[knighthawk]

A big 'up yours' to Iran.

[knighthawk]

Ping

[wastedyears]

Where can I get a bootleg copy in English?

[XR7]

Gholam Hoseyn Elham, the minister of justice, has written
a letter...expressing concerns over the making of an offensive
film against the Koran...

[The Great RJ]

The Dutch should stop showing this film only when Iran stops its antisemitism and allows complete freedom of religion and total religious tolerance. Don’t see that happening anytime soon

[BunnySlippers]

Great stuff on FR this morning! Good article.

[353FMG]

Read all 12 parts of this article taken from a Dutch website:

http://nl.youtube.com/watch?v=5P7Y_moX1V0&feature=PlayList&p=B994052B3D9535F2&index=0&playnext=1

[Emmett McCarthy]

I suggest the production of a porno movie based on “the life of the prophet” which could be released as a “sequel”, but it would be “kiddie porn” and illegal in moral and civilized societies. Oh, wait! This is Holland, so it’d be fine.

[ApplegateRanch]

"My Preciousssss!"

[G8 Diplomat]

Gholam-Hoseyn Elham has pointed to second paragraph of 10th stipulation in the European Convention on Human Rights stressing: In this way the freedom of expression must be limited given that it bears certain responsibilities pertaining to the need to prevent disorder, commission of a crime, observing morality and respecting the rights of others

Translation: Don't show an anti-Koran film or else we'll riot in the streets and burn cars and try to assassinate the producer.