Dutch businesses mull suing Wilders over anti-Islam film

"A boycott would hurt Dutch exports. Businesses such as Shell, Philips and Unilever are easily identifiable as Dutch companies. I don't know if Wilders is rich, or well-insured, but in the case of a boycott, we would look to see if we could make him bear responsibility," Bernard Wientjes, the chairman of the Dutch employers' organization VNO-NCW, told the newspaper Het Financieel Dagblad.

Malaysia's former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad suggested a boycott Saturday.

"If Muslims unite, it will be easy to take action. If we boycott Dutch products, they will have to close down their businesses," he told reporters.

"If the world's 1.3 billion Muslims unite and say they won't buy, then it (the boycott) will be effective," he said.

The media in Jordan has also called for such a boycott.

Two days after the release of the long-awaited 17-minute documentary "Fitna" on the Internet, Muslim nations including Malaysia and Singapore have condemned the film, as has the United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.

Although there were no mass disturbances in the Netherlands, in Utrecht two cars were set ablaze overnight, with a slogan calling for the death of Wilders. Police said they could not say with certainty it was connected to the release of "Fitna."

The Dutch prime minister has warned it could be "months" before the consequences of the film were known.

Late Friday the British Web site host pulled "Fitna" from its www.liveleak.com site citing threats made to staff -- although it can still be seen on YouTube and other sites.

Condemnation of the film was led by the U.N.'s Ban, who called it an "offensively anti-Islamic film."

"There is no justification for hate speech or incitement to violence. The right of free speech is not at stake here," he said in a statement.

Speaking after a Council of Ministers summit on Friday, Dutch PM Jan Peter Balkenende warned not to be beguiled by the initially calm reception to the film.

"We are not past it yet... Sometimes it can take months before the true repercussions are felt," he told journalists.

Malaysia's foreign ministry attacked Wilders for producing the film.

"Portraying Islam as a religion advocating extremism is not only misleading and erroneous but also blatant disregard and utter disrespect for Islam and the sensitiveness of the Muslim world," it said in a statement.

Malaysia is a multi-racial country with a majority Muslim population.

Neighboring Singapore also condemned the film Saturday, deputy prime minister Wong Kan Seng calling it offensive to Muslims.

"Freedom of expression does not give anyone the license to insult another's religion or race," he said in a statement, adding he was confident Singaporeans would react to the film rationally.

Iran, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Indonesia, a former Dutch colony, have also objected to the posting of the film,as well as the head of the Organization of the Islamic Conference.

Wilders has denied any responsibility for the repercussions of his film. The head of the Freedom Party, which has nine seats in the Dutch parliament, he has also called for the banning of the Koran in the Netherlands, calling it "fascist."

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