VZCZCXRO3981
RR RUEHBC RUEHDA RUEHDE RUEHGI RUEHGR RUEHJS RUEHKUK RUEHLH RUEHPW
RUEHROV
DE RUEHPO #0139/01 0951825
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 041825Z APR 08
FM AMEMBASSY PARAMARIBO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0095
INFO RUCNCOM/EC CARICOM COLLECTIVE
RUCNISL/ISLAMIC COLLECTIVE
RUEHAO/AMCONSUL CURACAO 1249

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PARAMARIBO 000139 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPT FOR WHA/CAR - JROSHOLT; WHA/PDA - CWEST 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL ASEC SCUL NS
 
SUBJECT: WILDERS FILM CRITICIZED BUT "NOT WORTH IT" IN PLACID 
SURINAME 
 
REF: STATE 31977, STATE 8993 
 
PARAMARIBO 00000139  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1.  (U)  SUMMARY  The movie Fitna, meaning "strife" in Arabic and 
produced by Dutch politician Geert Wilders, generated an unusual 
amount of critical media comment in former-Dutch colony Suriname, 
but little public ferment.  While Muslim Organizations and the 
Interfaith Council for Suriname (IRIS) condemned Wilders and his 
movie, they also called for calm and the exercise of mutual 
religious tolerance.  Suriname's population is approximately 13.5% 
Muslim, and the Muslims are largely moderate.  END SUMMARY 
 
------------------------- 
Muslims Voice Disapproval 
------------------------- 
 
¶2.  (U)  Surinamese Muslim organizations and IRIS voiced protest 
against Wilders' statements regarding the Koran and Islamic culture 
and ideology. Majeedkhan Abdul, Chairman of the Suriname Islamic 
Association (SIV), says Wilders "clearly belongs in the wild." 
Abdul said he is not bothered by the politician's statements and has 
asked his fellow Muslims to stay calm.  The Youth Muslim Association 
(MJS) however, suggested hypocrisy. In a lengthy press release 
printed in all local newspapers, the MJS said resentment against 
Muslims is at an all time high in the Netherlands and is still 
increasing.  "While under the guise of free speech Wilders is 
allowed to insult Islam and Muslims, it is punishable by law in many 
European countries if one even denies the holocaust... Wilders can 
only make these statements because he is under constant police 
protection; would he dare to talk like this if he was not 
protected?" 
 
---------------------------------------- 
Interfaith Council Calls Wilders "Dumb" 
---------------------------------------- 
 
¶3. (U) Monsignor Wilhelmus de Bekker, the highest Catholic authority 
in Suriname and acting Chairman of IRIS, the Interfaith Council 
representing one Christian, two Hindu, and two Muslim religious 
organizations in the country, characterized Wilders as "stupid" in 
his persistence to have the film released.  On 12 March, IRIS handed 
a letter of protest to the Dutch Ambassador in Suriname, an event 
covered by all local media and the sole public protest generated by 
the film.  The letter said Wilders' statements caused commotion 
amongst various religious groups in Suriname, and that 
"irresponsible statements regarding other religions can hurt others 
and are a threat to world peace."  IRIS said it recognizes the right 
to free speech, but that "this right does have its limits." 
 
------------------------------ 
Newspapers Unusually Outspoken 
------------------------------ 
 
¶4.  (SBU)  Editorial comment was unusually voluminous for a foreign 
matter.  De West, a local paper much given to editorial bombast, 
called the Netherlands "a country that allows itself to be taken 
hostage by a handful of crazy racists" and likened Wilders to "a 
Nazi who is already on Al Quaida's watch list."  However, most local 
dailies were consistent with a less inflammatory theme: critical of 
Wilders and his movie while reminding Surinamese to respect each 
others' religion and take care that ethnic or religious sentiments 
do not divide the country. 
 
------------------------------------- 
Post-release reactions anti-climactic 
------------------------------------- 
¶5.  (U)  After the film's release, there was a sense of anti-climax. 
 Even verbose De West wrote, "a few hysterical demonstrations were 
organized in Jakarta to protest the little anti-Islam film... not 
worth the trouble."  "The Message," a weekly Muslim-interest page in 
a Muslim-owned daily, seemed almost disappointed: "we expected more 
'fireworks' from Wilders... we therefore call on the worldwide 
Muslim community to stay calm over 'Fitna,' especially since the 
film is not so shocking that one has to be worried about it."  The 
same editorial also called for forgiveness (Note: The U.S. fared 
worse; the Wilders editorial appeared next to an item saying the 
U.S. position on human rights is hypocritical, featuring a 
photograph of a 'waterboarding' simulation.)  END NOTE 
 
¶6.  (SBU)  COMMENT  The question of how radical Suriname's Muslim 
population is or has the potential to become is a matter of 
speculation whose seriousness is often obscured by banal references 
to the ethnic and religious diversity and tolerance which are 
Suriname's picture-postcard stereotype.  However, the dismissive 
portions of Surinamese reaction to the Wilders film reinforce this 
sense that Surinamers often don't feel it is worth the trouble to 
get mixed up in the business of others.  And the critical portion 
 
PARAMARIBO 00000139  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
speaks well for Suriname: if standing up for tolerance is one of the 
few themes which will get Surinamese ink flowing, it is also one of 
the best.  END COMMENT 
 
SCHREIBER HUGHES