(dpa) - Australia has condemned a film posted on the internet by a right-wing Dutch politician Geert Wilders that depicts Islam as wedded to violence.
Foreign Minister Stephen Smith said Sunday that the film was "highly offensive" and "an obvious attempt to generate discord between faith communities."
"Like leaders in the Muslim world and in Europe, I strongly reject the ideas contained in the film and deplore its release," 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."
Nations with Muslim majorities, the European Union and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon have all expressed concern about the 17-minute film.