Stephen Smith: 'I Like Big Buts And I Cannot Lie'

WITH Tehran and Bangladesh now threatening "grave consequences" over Dutch politician Geert Wilders' film, Fitna - by the way, what's Bangladesh going to do, arrange for someone to crash a bicycle into the Chrysler Bulding? - Australia's Foreign Minister Stephen Smith has joined the debate. Mr Smith has strongly condemned overreaction in Muslim countries, deplored those death threats issued against a law-abiding Dutch democrat and insisted that freedom of expression is a non-negotiable pillar of the Western rule of law. Oh but you realise I jest. Mr Smith said no such thing. The whispering establishmentarian who last week advised those protesting against the world's biggest and worst police state to conduct themselves in a manner "consistent with civility and dignity," has - naturally - condemned Geert Wilders.

"Like leaders in the Muslim world and in Europe, I strongly reject the ideas contained in the film and deplore its release," Mr Smith said. "In Australia we believe in the right to freedom of expression but we don't believe in abusing that right to incite racial hatred." Many and various Islamic groups, the European Union and the United Nations have similarly pressed the Big But into service. Mr Smith adds his own little wiggle. He conflates Islam with race so as to posit an ostensibly viable juridico-moral case for censoring someone whose opinions he doesn't like. And why would he do that? Because he fears that Wilders' film - the one whose ideas he pretends to reject - may enrage some Muslims enough for them to kill. He thus condemns a film for saying with images what he slyly concedes is true with his own 'outrage'.