Wilders's anti-Islam film shown as hate trial resumes

A film made by Dutch MP Geert Wilders was screened as his hate-speech trial resumed in Amsterdam on Wednesday. The film, Fitna, accuses Muslims of trying to destroy Western civilisation and depicts the prophet Mohammed with a ticking bomb in his turban.

Reuters

Wilders faces up to a year in jail or a 7,600-euro fine for inciting hatred against Muslims. He is being tried on five charges for comments he made in Dutch newspapers and on internet forums.

His 17-minute film sparked protests across the Arab world when it was screened in 2008. It intersperses images of terror victims with quotations from the Koran and footage of imams allegedly advocating the killing of non-Muslims.

Fitna is an Arab word with connotations of secession, upheaval and chaos. The film ends with the words "Islam wants to dominate, to subjugate and to destroy our Western civilisation. Stop the Islamisation. Defend our freedom."

Wilders's Party for Freedom came third in the Dutch parliamentary elections in June and is in talks to support a minority government of Christian Democrats and liberals.

The trial was adjourned Monday a few hours after it started when Wilders accused the judges of bias. Judgement is expected on 4 November.