Liberal Persuasions By Michael Shank Economist[WEBSITE VERSION] June 28, 2008
SIR - I attended the recent conference on Islam in Kuala Lumpur and can confirm that the Dutch preference for pre-empting religious flare-ups was well expounded not only by a Dutch lawyer, Famile Fatma Arslan, whom you mentioned, but also by an adviser to the Dutch foreign ministry ("When religions talk", June 14th).
While groups like the Organisation of the Islamic Conference prefer legal methods to limit "defamation of religion", the Dutch approach leans less on law and more on an astute use of early-warning mechanisms to avoid social tensions, which could have exploded as a result of "Fitna", a film about Islam made by a Dutch member of parliament.
The Dutch method puts a priority on moral pressure against extremism from any quarter, and less emphasis on legal enforcement. By refusing to stoke a fire from which hotheads would benefit, the moral high ground was held in this case.
The fact is that using the law to stop all extremists engaging in inflammatory incitements is impractical, if not impossible. Going Dutch is the better way, as many of the Netherlands' neighbours in an increasingly diverse European Union should realise.
Michael Shank Institute for Conflict Analysis and Resolution George Mason University Arlington, Virginia