EU Parliament scraps screening of film
The European Parliament said today it had scrapped the screening of murdered Dutch filmmaker Theo van Gogh’s short film criticising the treatment of women under Islam because of legal concerns over copyright.
Submission was to be shown by Italian euro-sceptic politician Mario Borghezio today at the European Union assembly. However officials said the showing was not authorised by the owners of the film.
“It’s a question of copyright,” said parliament spokesman Jaume Duch, adding that the film’s Dutch producer, Gijs van de Westelaken, was opposed to the screening.
A suspected Islamic extremist allegedly shot and stabbed Van Gogh to death in November, shortly after the release of the movie. Many Muslims were outraged by the film, which gives a fierce critique of the treatment of women under Islam and is written by an anti-immigration member of the Dutch parliament.
