The international reaction to Fitna consisted of condemnation from Muslims, several fatwa against Geert Wilders, and attempts by many Islamic countries to censor the film.
[7] Wilders had been warned by Dutch National Counterterrorism Co-ordinator Tjibbe Joustra that his film may "lead to reactions that endanger public order, security and the economy".
[12] In response to concerns, Dutch broadcaster Radio Netherlands Worldwide created a multi-language website to detail the film, the surrounding controversy, its creator, and the nation of its origin.
[27][28][29] The Grand Mufti of Syria, Ahmad Badr al-Din, said that if Geert Wilders showed the image of a burning Qur'an in his film, the Dutch people will be held responsible and possible attacks against Western public interests would not be not out of the question.
[41] The shutdown was followed by extensive criticism of Network Solutions' alleged hypocrisy in hosting the domain of Hezbollah, an entity that the United States and the Netherlands (along with four other countries) designate as a terrorist organization.
[50] In a later parliamentary debate to discuss Balkenende's televised reaction, they expressed further opinions, calling the film 'cunningly made with evil intentions' (CDA), 'a message of fear beyond compare' (PvDA) and 'paranoid' (SP).
[51] According to Der Spiegel, a speaker for the Muslim organization Contactorgaan Moslims en Overheid (CMO), Yusuf Altuntas, said that Wilders "is obviously looking to push the limits, but he resists crossing them."
"[52] The Centraal Joods Overleg (Central Jewish Committee) released a statement on March 28, 2008, condemning the film for reinforcing prejudices by implying that all Muslims are terrorists.
"[63][64] President Omar al-Bashir of Sudan called on Muslims to "challenge those who insult" Muhammad, and asked for "a binding international charter" for the respect of religious beliefs.
The editorial stated that Fitna's relative artistic or philosophical worth is irrelevant, and that its release is an issue of individual rights, freedom of speech, critical thinking, and the West's cultural inheritance of 3,000 years of civilization.
It notes that anti-government, pro-democratic, and "moderate or revolutionary speech and actions within their societies" are censored, and that multiculturalism, freedom of religion, and "unqualified personal expression" is prohibited.
[72] This drew criticism from Reporters Without Borders, whose press statement read: The growing influence of Organisation of the Islamic Conference member states within the Human Rights Council is disturbing.
[73]The secretary-general of the OIC, Ekmeleddin İhsanoğlu, spoke of helping a co-ordinated strategy made by the Ummah, the diaspora of Muslims living in non-Muslim countries, to combat a campaign of defamaing Islam in the West.
"[63][74][75] On 6 April 2008, five thousand members of the Jamaat-e-Islami political party held a demonstration in Karachi, in protest against both Wilders' film and the Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons.
The leader of the political party stated that "such shameful acts can never be tolerated in the name of freedom of expression or press," and asserted that anyone who committed a crime of provoking Muslims should be declared "terrorists".
[83] The ban was lifted on April 11, following protests and allegations of censorship from users, with Indonesian communications minister Muhammad Nuh apologising for “the inconvenience caused”.
Van Dam also expressed his government's desire to remain in open contact with everyone who wishes peaceful dialogue, to build a society "more firmly grounded in mutual understanding and respect.
"[88] Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, a member of the Cabinet of Malaysia government, urged Muslim intellectuals and youths to "take advantage of their resourcefulness and skills which they had used against the establishment, this time to defend Islam" through the internet;[89] a reference to when hackers defaced a governmental webpage in protest of a proposed ban on pornography.
"[94] Singapore issued a statement strongly condemning the film, with deputy prime minister Wong Kan Seng saying: "Freedom of expression does not give anyone the licence to insult another's religion or race.
[95] Mohammad Ali Hosseini, a spokesman for Iran's ministry of foreign affairs said Fitna was "heinous", blasphemous, and that its release "is indicative of the continuation of the evilness and deep vengeance such Western nationals have against Islam and Muslims.
"[101] 53 parliamentarians of Jordan have signed a petition, calling on Prime Minister Nader Dahabi to expel the Dutch ambassador and sever all diplomatic ties with Holland.
[107] The Directorate of Religious Affairs in Turkey condemned the film as being 'incompatible with freedom of speech and thought', saying that it "aimed to portray Muslims as potential terrorists and to gradually exclude them from the international community."
[109] The Yemeni parliament condemned the film, calling it inflammatory, discriminatory towards Muslims, and promoting religious violence and hatred, whilst stressing the need to respect all religions, cultures, and civilizations without prejudice.
[116] Secretary of state Raymond Johansen from the Norwegian Foreign Ministry said in a statement to the newspaper Dagsavisen that "Wilders attempts to promote a content which contributes to hatred and suspicion.
"[117] Per-Willy Amundsen, Spokesperson on Immigration Issues of the opposition Progress Party, however found the film largely correct, and challenged Johansen to present what that was false about it.
[119] Australian Minister for foreign affairs, Stephen Smith, "deplored" the film's release, saying that it is "an obvious attempt to generate discord between faith communities," and accused it of inciting racial hatred.
United Nations' Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon stated on March 28, 2008 that I condemn, in the strongest terms, the airing of Geert Wilders’ offensively anti-Islamic film.
The UNIW said that distribution of such Islamophobic material, as well as other forms of Islamophobia such as the theatrical interpretation of Salman Rushdie's novel, The Satanic Verses, and the Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons, should be banned in Europe.
It went on to call for European states to "not give permission to such publications, broadcasts and policies," and asked that they "take the necessary regulations that shall regard the Islamophobic acts and incidents as a crime."
[128] On their website, the AEL claimed the following: The announced movie of Wilders and the Danish cartoons are part of an agenda to provoke Muslims in Europe and around the world under the flag of freedom of expression.