By Archbishop Desmond Tutu

Dutch MP Geert Wilders’ comparison of the Quran to Mein Kampf is deeply offensive and betrays a profound ignorance of Islam. Wilders is now claiming to have produced a film in which he promises to share his hateful views at greater length.

Archbishop Desmond Tutu is the former South African Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town and Founder of the Desmond Tutu Peace Foundation.

Wilders’ misrepresentation of the fundamental values of Islam is offensive not only to Muslims. We, as Christians, also feel aggrieved by it. For by attacking Islam as a religion, he offends those who share the universal tenets of all religions: respect for the other, charity and human solidarity.

The most appropriate reaction to the Wilders’ allegations would be to simply ignore them. Given that they contain no genuine attempt at seeking the truth and show no good faith in trying to understand Islam, the best response should be a resounding silence.

There are, however, several reasons why we may not be able to ignore Mr Wilders’ views about the Quran. For one thing, they are cynically designed to offend and drive a wedge of misunderstanding between communities. To engage with a faith and question its precepts in order to gain a better understanding of it is one thing; to criticize it by making offensive and unsubstantiated statements about it is quite another.

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