CAIRO: The International Cairo Children’s Film Festival that briefly banned Dutch entries because of a Netherlands MP s anti-Islam film, took the surprising move on Thursday of awarding a prize to a Dutch film.
The Netherlands has raised its terrorism threat level to substantial pending the release of far-right politician Geert Wilders film, which portrays the Quran as a fascist book, but children s short Doggie has fared better.
The jury awarded it the Golden Cairo for Short Features, less than two weeks after banning Dutch entries because of Wilders film, which is expected to antagonize the Islamic world.
If the film ban had stood, it would have been the first punitive action taken by a Muslim country in response to Wilders film, which is entitled Fitna, the Arabic word for war, or division, in the heart of Islam.
The MP has said he will show the film on the internet this month.
On March 6, the Dutch justice ministry raised the terrorist threat level because of the film, which the government has asked Wilders several times not to screen.
Compounding the threat is the fact that the Netherlands has been cast in a negative light in the Islamic world due to the tone of the debate on Islam in this country, the ministry said.
The Wilders film has caused uproar in Muslim countries, some of which have called for an economic boycott of the Netherlands if the film is shown. Besides Egypt, Iran and Pakistan have voiced criticism about the film.
In Afghanistan hundreds of protesters took to the streets earlier this month to protest the film, whilst the Taliban has already vowed revenge against the 1,600 Dutch soldiers stationed in the country if the movie is shown.
The Dutch government has twice failed to convince Wilders not to broadcast his film, fearing a repeat of the worldwide protests which met the publication of satirical Danish cartoons of the Prophet Mohamed.
It has already warned its embassies in Muslim countries to be on the alert.
The film has yet to be shown to the public, but a Dutch newspaper which has seen excerpts said it showed Quranic texts with video footage of beheadings.
The UN and NATO have both expressed concerns about the film while the European Commission has warned its overseas offices of the risk of protests related to Wilders movie. – AFP
