News Focus: Government bans Dutch controversial Fitna film maker from entering RI

Through the Justice and Human Rights Minister, the government had banned Dutch right-wing populist MP Geert Wilders from visiting Indonesia, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said in a press conference here on Monday.

In addition, the government also called on the media to deplore the production of the controversial Fitna Film by a Dutch parliamentarian, as that film had the potential to trigger a conflict among members of the society.

According to him, the world leaders have a moral obligation to prevent religious or cultural defamation as depicted in the Fitna movie picture in bringing about peace in the world.

The international community was urged not to use freedom without limit which would ruin and offend the feeling of believers of other religious creeds, he said hoping that all parties should not disrupt the efforts already made by other religious believers to create a bridge between the different cultures.

It was said how the efforts made by Indonesia and Norway to create an inter-religious dialogue following the publication of cartoon which was an insult to Prophet Muhammad and Moslems across the world.

In the meantime, a wave of protests and denunciation from Indonesia and some other countries against the film made by Wilders were sounding high following the emergence of Dutch Prime Minister Peter Balkenende on television to explain his government`s stance which also deplored the film.

A few dozen demonstrators protested against Geert Wilders` film outside the Dutch embassy in Jakarta. They waved banners reading "Holland go to Hell" and "Kill Geert Wilders", threw rotten eggs and bottled water at the building and chanted anti-Dutch slogans. One protestor called on Muslims around the world to kill Mr Wilders, calling him a "Christian terrorist".

In the Fitna movie picture, Wilders linked terrorist action to Islamic extremists and verses in the Koran published through the Internet website www.liveleak.com on Thursday evening (March 28).

Wilders described ...