Cartoons, movies: New genres building up conflict over religion in Europe

Dutch MP Geert Wilders has declared that he will soon release a 15 minutes movie called "Fitna" to make his criticism of the Quran more trenchant. "Fitna" is likely to meet harsh reactions. Both because the modus operandi of Wilders falls nicely into what have become a specific genre of political activism: to provoke religious taboos in order to insist on the right to provoke religious taboos. And because an equally recognizable genre of responses to this sort of provocations is being formed: Riots, mass demonstrations, boycotts, and in its extreme version physical threats and violent action targeted at the provoker. It seems like there is a pattern in these self-reinforcing cycles of conflict that needs responsible reconsideration: Staunch defence of principles come in the way of dialogue and diplomacy.