NETHERLANDS:THE NETHERLANDS has raised its terrorism alert level to "substantial" ahead of the launch of an anti-Islamic film by radical right-wing politician Geert Wilders.
The Dutch counter-terrorism agency said the decision to raise the terrorist threat level reflected recent arrests in Europe of people allegedly connected to groups linked to al-Qaeda. But the angry reaction in the Muslim world to the release of the film called Fitna, an Arabic term used in the Koran and sometimes translated as "strife", has raised fears that Dutch interests at home and abroad are now a target.
The agency said that the way Islam was debated in the Netherlands had raised the profile of the country in Muslim countries, noting Islamist death threats against Mr Wilders and recent calls to attack Dutch troops in Afghanistan. Earlier this week Afghan MPs angrily protested outside their national parliament chanting "death to the enemies of Islam" while the governments of Iran and Pakistan have both condemned the film directed by Mr Wilders.
The Dutch government considered banning the 15-minute film but is concerned it would be criticised for undermining freedom of speech.
On Thursday it emerged that none of the main broadcasters in the Netherlands are likely to show the film, forcing Mr Wilders to prepare a launch on the internet later this month. Mr Wilders, who leads the Freedom party, said his film would show how the Koran is "an inspiration for intolerance, murder and terror". He has described Dutch culture as superior to what he says is a "retarded Islamic culture" and believes immigrants must assimilate by getting rid of what he calls the intolerant and fascist parts of the Koran.
Mr Wilders has been under police protection since the murder of the controversial Dutch right-wing film-maker Theo Van Gogh by an Islamic extremist with Dutch citizenship. Mr Van Gogh was director of a 10-minute movie broadcast in the Netherlands called Submission, which dealt with the subject of violence perpetrated against women in Islamic societies.
The Netherlands has a four-stage terrorist risk classification system, spanning the lowest risk level of "minimal" to the highest level "critical". Last year the counter-terrorism agency cut the threat level to the second lowest category - "limited" but late Thursday it called for this to be upgraded to "substantial".
The Dutch coalition has warned it could face a similar economic and violent response to the film in Muslim states as those sparked against Danish interests following the reprinting of cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad in Denmark. The European Commission has also alerted its overseas missions to the potential for protests if the film is broadcast.