No, the film is accurate. And let’s face it, the makers were careful not to live up to the pre-release hype about the film.

There is room for an interesting debate regarding several points, but the filmmakers demonstrated their main theme: that radical Islamist terrorists base themselves on tradition and respect for Islamic texts, and this is a key reason for their legitimacy and growth.

The question, then, is what to do about it. Wilders makes a hardly extremist suggestion: moderate Muslims should challenge these readings. True, if Wilders is saying they should revise the Quran itself, this is an unlikely approach and not the best strategy to follow. But it is no stretch to say that they must offer alternative interpretations. Very little of this debate has gone on in the Muslim world.

To demonize the film is to contribute to avoiding that needed discussion. One can easily win popularity in the West by misstating what is in the film or the issues that are at stake. This serves nobody’s interest except the revolutionary Islamists.

Here is how I would state the problem from the European standpoint: The European reaction was probably justified on the basis of what they thought would be in Fitna, based on Wilders’ own previous statements. It is not at all justified on the basis of the actual film. There is no need to ridicule or insult Europeans on this issue, but clearly if people are going to react to this film, they should look at its actual content and come to grips with the real and important issues it raises.

Barry Rubin is a member of MESH.